Where Did Those Flower Names Come From?

 Dogwood. Bee balm. Fox Glove. Forget-me-not. Did you ever wonder where those names came from? Well, let me enlighten you.

Dogwood: What in the world does Dogwood have to do with dogs? Most likely, this naming has to do with the hardness of the wood. There is an old English word, "Dagwood." The slender stems from the tree were used as "dags." Daggers, skewers, and arrows. Sometime in the early 1600s, dagwood was changed to dogwood.

  Bee balm: Sounds like it's something for the bees themselves. But if you notice, this plant doesn't attract bees at all! There is a resin derived from the plant which can be used for soothing bee stings.

Foxglove: This one actually comes from a fun story—a fox was having a hard time sneaking into the henhouse to grab a quick meal. A naughty fairy decided to help him out by slipping his paws into the glove-like blooms so he could silently sneak up on the chickens. (Look at the flowers, and you will see the fox's paw prints.)

 Forget-me-not: This is from a rather sad story. A lover trying to cross a river to reach his sweetheart gets swept away by the currrent, but manages to grasp some flowers on the bank to throw to her as he calls, "Forget me not!" 

What do you think of these names? Are there any other flower names you're wondering about?

Today's IWSG question is, "Have you ever read one of your books a long time after it's been published? What was the experience like?"

I read my picture books all the time. I think overall, I'm happy with all of them. There are a couple of things on the first one I might do differently. I actually have not read my Bubba and Squirt books carefully since they've been published. I've made teacher guides for all of them, and I've skimmed over them while producing those. I should really read them all in a row and see how the story flows, especially since they were written over a long period of time. What about you? Have you read stories you published long ago? What did you think about them?

 

Villa d'Esta

 

If you like fountains, the gardens at the Villa d'Este, in Tivoli, Italy, are a must-see.  The gardens are on the grounds of the former residence of Cardinal Ippolito d'Este.  They were built in 1572.  Today, this garden is part of the UNESCO world heritage list.

The garden is organized in terraces and steps.  Visitors will see numerous fountains, grottos, and ponds.  The Neptune fountain, pictured at the top, is the largest and most spectacular fountain.  There's also an organ fountain, which, yes, plays organ music with the sounds of the falling water.  If you'd like to hear it, the first playing is at 10:30 every day, and then it occurs every two hours.

The garden is open daily from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM.  Admission is 10 euros for adults.

January 7 question:  Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn't get done in 2025?

I honestly didn't do much writing in 2025. Mostly it was because of the grieving due to the death of my son. I wrote some in a memoir. Maybe I'll finish that. I will continue marketing my newest book, Happy Birthday to US! which I wrote in 2023 and was published in December. I have a picture book manuscript that I might clean up and see about getting published. I also have some ideas I came up with in 2024. Maybe I'll work on those. This is the year of recovery. To rest and to feel I'm on my feet and can keep marching. 

What about you? What are your writing plans for 2026? Anything you need to finish from 2025?

 Speaking of Happy Birthday to US! there's a tour going on. If you'd like to have a chance to win an Amazon gift card, visit one of the stops and enter the drawing. 

 

How to Attract Birds to Your Winter Garden

 

Temperatures drop and many plants go dormant in winter, but that doesn't mean your garden has to be quiet and lifeless. If you intentionally create a haven for birds, it can by a time of surprising vibrancy.

Here's what to do:

• Plant with purpose. Select plants with blooms or berries in the winter to privide much-needed food for birds. In the southeastern United States, some plants that grow well are junipers, holly, Blackhaw Viburnum, Wild Indigo, Beauty Berry, Golden Rod, and Partidge Pea.  
• Provide shelter. Leave some brush piles or stacked logs in a corner of the garden. Avoid cutting back dried perennials and ornamental grasses , add bird houses, try to have a quarter of your trees and shrubs be evergreen (like junipers and holly).
• Provide water:  Heated birdbaths (change water daily), shallow dishes with stones, slow-dripping containers all provide water. Remember to keep them elevated so cats and other predators can't get the birds.    

By incorporating these things into your winter garden, you'll create a welcoming haven for birds. 

Today's IWSG question is:  As a writer, what was the coolest gift I've ever received?  When my daughter visited Paris, she took a trip to see Monet's gardens. While there, she visited a gift shop and got me a blank writing book with one of Monet's paintings on the cover. This put together two things I really enjoy—writing and gardening. 

What about you? Have you ever received a cool writing gift?

Speaking of writing:  I'm excited to announce I have a new picture book out. Just in time for America's 250th birthday in 2026! 

    Here's the Amazon link:  https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Birthday-US-Sherry-Ellis/dp/196210124X/

And the last thing:  My book, Bubba and Squirt's Adventure's Around the World, published by Dancing Lemur Press, is in All Author's Cover of the Month Contest. If you like it, please consider voting for it.

Here's the link:  https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/20230/  Thank you!

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday season!

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park

 

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park, located in Hamilton, Ohio, is a unique place to visit.  I took my kids here when they were little, and they had a great time exploring the huge sculptures.  The underground pyramid-shaped house, which is now a museum, is set in 265 acres of park-like grounds featuring 37 contemporary sculputures, gardens, 7 lakes, and quite a few hiking trails.  The museum contains displays of Roman, Egyptian, and Greek sculptures that are thousands of years old.  In fact, the goal of the museum is to have a collection which will demonstrate the complete history of sculpture by mankind.

 

The grounds are open year-round from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  The museum is open daily, from 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM.  Admission is $8.00 for adults, and $2.00 for children.

This month's IWSG question is, "How has life as a writer been? Is it what you expected?"

I didn't go into writing with any expectations. My daughter, when she was 3, convinced me to publish a story that was in my head. 20 years later, here I am, with 11 published books, and a new picture book coming out soon. (Happy Birthday to US!) I think I'd have to say I've found it to be a lot of work. And not much money compensation in return. I keep hoping, though, that one day my books will hit it big. I've spent hours writing, rewriting, and marketing my books. I've been out and about at author events and schools selling and signing them. I think the best thing, aside from the creative process, is when I get feedback from readers that they really enjoy my work.  Their support and enthusiasm  keeps me going. What about you? If you're a writer, how has your experience been?   

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

 

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Cheekwood was formerly the family home of Mabel and Leslie Cheek. It's a gorgeous 1930s estate with a 30,000 square foot mansion and 55 acres of cultivated gardens. Today it serves as a botanical garden, arboretum, and museum. Also on the grounds is a 1.5-mile woodland trail featuring monumental outdoor sculputures. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

My personal favorite is the children's garden with the miniature trains. So fun!

The mansion and gardens are open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM. The cost of admission to see the mansion and gardens is $30. 

This month's IWSG question is:  What is my favorite thing I've written? This is a tough one. I think my book, Don't Feed the Elephant is pretty funny.  I had to imagine what an elephant could do with food beginning with every letter of the alphabet! I also like Bubba and Squirt's Big Dig to China because I think it would be cool to dig a hole and end up in Xi'an China where the Terraccotta Warriors are.

What about you? What's your favorite thing you've written?  Have you ever been to Cheekwood? 

Agatha Christie Gardens

 

We know Agatha Christie for her murder mysteries. But did you know the Queen of Crime was a garden lover? As a child growing up at Ashfield House, her favorite spots were among the trees, plants, and woodland paths. After her success as an author, she was able to afford her own country house and gardens at Greenway, in Devon, England where she restored more than 30 acres of gardens. 

  

The property includes several distinct garden areas including two walled gardens, a vinery, a kitchen garden, and a fern garden restored with a central water fountain. 

Two of Christie’s most famous mysteries, Five Little Pigs and Dead Man's Folly are clearly set at Greenway, under fictional names. These stories include many scenes in the gardens. (The murder weapon in Five Little Pigs is local spotted hemlock.)

Christie’s use of poisonous, plant-based chemicals as the “murder weapon” in so many of her mysteries reveals her gardening expertise. Many of the poisons in her stories come from plants that she knew well because they were growing in her own garden beds and in the surrounding woodland areas at Greenway.

The cost to see the house and gardens is 36 British pounds per car. The gardens are open daily from 10:30 AM-5:00 PM.

And now for the IWSG question of the month:  What are my thoughts about using AI like ChatGP? Would I use it for research, creating outlines...?

Well, I haven't used AI for regular writing jobs that apply to writing the actual book. I like going down my own rabbit holes for research and creating outlines and writing. That's part of the fun. What I have been doing, is using AI for marketing:  coming up with keywords for search optimization, coming up with ideas for YouTube posts. I find it very helpful for those things. If you let it, ChatGP would do all the thinking about these things. And maybe that's good. Less time for me to think about it, and more time to write what I want. What are your thoughts?   

A Guide to Pruning Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are popular ornamental bushes known for their large, showy blooms and lush foilage. Proper pruning is essential for maintaining their health, shape, and blooming potential. 

In order to prune correctly, you need to know the different types of hydrangeas.

Big Leaf:  shown above. These set their flowers in late summer or early fall for the following year. Prune immediately after flowering.

Panicle: shown below. These produce coneshaped flowers on new wood. These can be pruned in late winter or early spring before the new growth begins.

  
 Oak Leaf:  shown below. These feature distinctive, oak-shaped leaves. Like the big leaf, they grow on old wood and should be pruned immediately after blooming.

General guidelines:  Remove dead or damaged wood. Shape the plant to create a balanced silhouette while preserving the plant's natural form. Selectively thin out interior branches which provides better light penetration. Deadhead spent blooms by cutting the flower stalks back to a pair of healthy buds or lateral branches. 

Do you have hydrangeas? If so, did you know the proper time to prune them?

Now it's time for the IWSG question of the month:  What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry? I'd say plagiarism.  Stealing someone else's work. What about you? What do you think is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?