*Mom*of*Redheads: Palms on the Ponderosa..

Today was our "business day", the day we planned to get all our running around done so we could enjoy the rest of our break. I was not looking forward to fighting the Masters traffic, but it wasn't bad at all. We went to Dr. Spratling, the best dentist in the entire world, for our 6 month checkups. Praise the Lord there were no cavities! The last visit cost me 1800 dollars for all the fillings and crowns. Since then, we've worked VERY hard at flossing and brushing better. Ali Grace has never had a cavity and this time Addie had no cavities either! (That could be due to the fact that a good portion of her mouth is silver and therefore there's no place to get a cavity!)

Next we took off to David's Bridal to order flower girl dresses for Erin and Bert's wedding coming up in July. The girls were so excited and Addie was quite disappointed that she couldn't wear the dress home. They have to be ordered and won't be here for a couple of months. Afterwards, we had lunch at Sticky Fingers. Sticky Fingers is one of our favorite spots. We don't get to eat there much since we moved from the Savannah area so today's lunch was definitely a treat! To wrap it all up, we dropped by Sam's and I found some beautiful Majesty Palms for my screened porch. If there's anything I love as much as ferns on my front porch, it's palms on my back porch. I think they create such a relaxing atmosphere.

The poor gardenia in front of the palm may be beyond help. It was given to me by some dear friends from Effingham, so I can't let it go. Can't give up on it yet.

Majesty Palms are really finicky. I made futile attempts at making houseplants out of them when we lived near Savannah. I usually ended up killing them and replacing them and finally gave up and accepted that I'd have to wait to build my dream house with my dream porch before I'd be able to enjoy them again. We just didn't get enough light in our old house. Majesty palms are marketed by greenhouses and garden centers because they are highly profitable. They grow very quickly and therefore, turn money quicker. However, no matter what they tell you, Majesty Palms are really not suited for indoors. I learned that after years of trial and error. But, if you have a spot in your house where you get direct sun for at least half of the day, you may be able to make a go of it. Spider mites are any palm's worst enemy. They will destroy a Majesty Palm. If you see spider mites, mix up a few drops of dish soap and in a bottle of water. Spray a few times a day for several days and that should do the trick. Also, never let your palm dry out or become too saturated. Putting pea gravel at the bottom of the container before planting the palm will help. If the leaves become brown, you're underwatering. If they begin to yellow, you're overwatering. Keep a spray bottle of water handy and when you think about it, mist them. They love humidity.

I consider Majesty palms annuals. By the end of the summer I accept that they will be dead and I'll throw them out and buy another few for next year. If you want a year round indoor palm more suited for our climate try a lady palm or parlor palm. Neither of these is as pretty as a Majesty though. Just my green thumbed opinion. I guess the bottom line is to realize that a 6 foot tall Majesty palm seems like a great deal at 12 to 15 dollars. For me it is because it's worth it for me to enjoy them on my porch just a few short months of spring and summer. However, if you want a palm suited for indoors that will last for years, then the Majesty is not a good value at all and you should consider other options.

We had a great day around the farm. In the late afternoon we walked across the road to brag about our cavity free teeth to Nanny and Poppy. Ali of course jump roped over there. No wonder she's thin as a rail.