Pretty Poison (35 page)

“It’s the least we can do since you went to so much trouble to make us look like idiots,” Jonas told her as he put a star on the tree.

“Don’t listen to him.” His wife, Georgette, smiled at Peggy. “He got a big commendation for solving the murder here and helping with the Stone case in Columbia.”

“I never listened to him anyway,” Peggy replied. “He can testify to that. But I’m glad everything turned out okay.”

Jonas asked her, “How did you know? The whole Santeria thing. It didn’t look like anything to me.”

“I was in Cuba last year touring a new botanical garden they’re working on,” Peggy replied. “One of the gardeners was involved with Santeria. If Emma had chosen any other orisha, I wouldn’t have known. Sometimes things just seem to fit together, don’t they?”

She left the Rimers by the tree with a cup of eggnog for each of them. The house was so full, she wasn’t sure if there were enough food and drinks. She walked toward the kitchen, stopping every few seconds to talk to someone she knew.

Jane Cheever and her father arrived. Joe was in a wheelchair, but his faded eyes twinkled at Peggy. “Greetings, my dear. What a splendid party. Thank you for inviting us.”

Peggy hugged him. “You’re just like your old self!”

He glanced at his legs. “Not quite, but I’m working on it. My daughter tells me that I owe you a great debt.”

“No, she owes
me
a great debt.” Hunter came in behind them with Sam at her side. “But I’m sure we can work that out. How pitiful am I that I had to come to a party with my brother?”

“You mean, how pitiful am I that I had to come with
you
!” Sam groaned.

“Never mind.” Peggy stepped between them. “Go and get some punch and put an ornament on the tree. Walk around like you don’t know each other. No one will notice.”

Hunter leaned close to her. “Any eligible men here?”

Sam did the same. “Yeah. Tell me first, Peggy. She can have my leftovers.”

“I’m sure there are plenty for both of you. Now, scoot!” Peggy helped Jane take her father into the foyer where everyone was milling around the food and the tree.

Keeley was helping Steve look for the bottom plug behind the tree that would turn on the twinkle lights. Lenore was watching her and smiling. Peggy introduced her friend to the Cheevers.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Lenore took Joe’s hand. “Peggy’s told me so much about you.”

“And this must be your daughter.” Joe looked at Keeley. “ ‘The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp.’ ”

She stopped searching the bottom branches of the tree and smiled at him. “Uh—thanks. Nice to meet you. I guess we’ll always have something in common, huh? We were both accused of the same murder.”

Joe agreed but added, “True. And, most importantly, we were both innocent.”

“I found it!” Steve yelled, taking pieces of spruce out of his mouth as he climbed through the tree.

“Eureka!” Joe raised his glass and smiled.

“Let’s light it up,” Peggy suggested. “Would you do the honors?”

“Of course.” Steve put the plug in the wall, and the tree came alive with lights. There was a round of applause and a great deal of oohing and aahing. A spontaneous burst of “O Christmas Tree” followed but died quickly when no one knew more than the first two lines.

Paul came up and put his arm around his mother. “Looks good. I didn’t know if we’d ever do this again.”

She hugged him. “I didn’t know either. But it feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. I think Dad would be happy to see it.”

Peggy wiped a tear from the corner of her eye but kept her smile. “Where’s Mai?”

“Probably trying to get through this crowd. She headed for the eggnog.” He looked past the people surrounding them. “There she is. She’s really great, Mom.”

“I know. And I’m so glad you found each other.”

“How’s it going with you and Steve?” He glanced at the other man who was accepting congratulations for his part in lighting the tree. “Is it serious between you?”

Peggy laughed. “I’m not sure what that means. But he’s very nice, and he makes me feel good. It doesn’t hurt that he’s willing to dig up dead cats either.”

“Don’t tell me!” Paul hugged her and smiled. “I never thought my mom would be dating, but it’s okay. I wanted you to know. I know you don’t need my permission or anything, but—”

“It means a lot to me that you said something.” She kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

“I think I see Al and Mary trying to get in the door,” he said. “I’ll go see if I can help them. I didn’t know you knew so many people. Is that the mayor?”

Peggy didn’t answer as she turned to speak with someone else. At the height of the party, she retreated to the basement. An alarm clock was ringing, but it wasn’t necessary. She’d been waiting for this moment for the past few weeks. A lovely red rose was beginning to open in the darkness beside the pond where its cousin, the water lily, was perfuming the air.

“Hey, you aren’t supposed to be down here with your plants when you have a million people at your party.” Steve put his arm around her. “Looks like your experiment worked. That’s great! This just came for you.”

He handed her a small box that was wrapped in gold foil. She looked at the card attached to it.
“You’ve done it. Congratulations, Nightrose. Merry Christmas! Nightflyer.”

Peggy slipped the box into her pocket and smiled at Steve. Nightflyer didn’t show up again at the gaming site. She had Sergeant Jones close the investigation. But Nightflyer wasn’t gone from her life.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked.

“I’m fine,” she answered, focusing on him. “Let’s go back to the party.”

 

We all know that autumn is a good time to plant bulbs for the spring. It’s also a good time to check your garden for damage from summer storms, heat, and insects. Take the time to go through your garden and notice what’s changed. Time to trim back plants that have grown straggly over the summer. Mulch around trees and bushes to protect for the coming winter. Bring in plants that can’t withstand the cold.

In the house, it’s the same. Plants will grow more slowly once the weather changes, even inside. The sun is less warm even in sunny windows. It’s a good time to cut back unruly growth and use cuttings to begin new plants.

Autumn can be a good time for those outdoor projects, too. With the heat of summer gone and the kids involved with other projects and school, maybe you can get that bench built near the oak tree or create the trellis you’ve wanted for your climbing roses.

Take time to enjoy the cool breezes and warm sunshine before we’re all inside reading our seed catalogs during the winter months. Happy gardening!

 

Anemones have clear, beautiful colors such as red, pink, and purple. One anemone bulb has lots of flowers. If you pick faded flowers right away, they will flower continuously until the end of their cycle.

Anemone bulbs should be dry and without mold when you buy them. The best planting season is autumn. However, some species are not hardy for the cold climate. If you grow such species in an area where the temperature reaches below 0°F(-18°C), plant them in spring.

If you plant hard-dried bulbs in soil and let them absorb water abruptly, they get cracks on the surface, which may cause infection or promote mold. Therefore, pretreatment is required.

Plant them in vermiculite first and let them absorb the moisture in the air for two days without giving them water. Gradually water them with water spray until germination and then plant them in soil.

Anemones like full sun or partial shade. Wait until the surface of the soil gets dry, and water thoroughly. Take care not to let it get too dry. After the flowers have faded and the foliage has turned yellow, stop watering.

Mix fertilizer in the soil before planting, and give liquid fertilizer while the plants are growing. If you want to reuse the bulbs, give another fertilizer when the flowers start to fade.

You can leave the bulbs in a container in dry-summer regions. However, it is recommended to dig the bulbs out after the aerial area dies back if you live in a climate with rainy summers or cold winters (below 0°F or -18°C). Be sure to thoroughly dry bulbs after digging them up.

 

 

African violets will bring color to your home with continuous blooming, but they require some general guidelines.

Water carefully. Don’t let water get on the leaves! It will cause dead spots. The secret is to water well and allow to dry out afterward. Pour room temperature water into the trays or pan, and after about twenty minutes go back and drain off whatever is left in the tray. They can’t sit in water for a long time because the roots will rot. As is true of any plant, they must breathe oxygen from the roots.

Don’t leave dead flowers or leaves on your plant, and don’t subject them to sudden temperature changes. You can buy good African violet potting soil in small bags at the store. It is made of a mixture of primarily pine bark and sand. This soil will allow for good drainage, unlike the peat mixtures. Peat mixtures, however, are perfect for many other plants.

Suckers are little baby plants that grow on the main stem of the plant. Be sure to pick them off. You can sit your plant in the kitchen window to receive the morning sun. African violets need a certain kind and a certain amount of light, and they will flourish perfectly. Spread the plants out so that the leaves don’t touch anything.

 

 

The plants are on the small side: Most types grow well close together in a mounding habit to just eight or nine inches in height, with a spread of one and a half to three feet across. The foliage is a rich, attractive green, while the flowers are five-petaled beauties that come in a range of vibrant shades.

Because pansies are hardy annuals, they are tougher and more versatile than their somewhat dainty appearance might suggest. They can be grown in either full sun or partial shade. They tolerate heat better than most other violas and are highly resistant to cold. You can establish them outdoors as much as a month prior to the frost-free date in your area, provided the plants have hardened off. Blooms can be expected in spring, summer, and sometimes fall (after a late-summer rest) in cold-winter regions, and in winter and spring in milder climates. Generally speaking, gardeners in cooler northern climates will enjoy flowers longer than their counterparts in the South, where higher soil and air temperatures tend to abbreviate the blossoming season.

Pansies can serve a variety of aesthetic and practical purposes in the landscape. Use them for mass color or as festive trim in borders and edgings, as a flowering ground cover for spring-blooming bulbs, for showy display in pots and window boxes, or to fill in bare spots in the garden at the beginning and end of the growing season.

Because of their incredible tolerance, the pansy is forgiving of too little or too much water. Light fertilizing will keep them strong. They will grow abundantly without much care.

Grafting is the process by which a part of one plant (usually a piece of stem) is surgically attached to another plant (usually a root or stem with roots). These parts grow together to form a single grafted plant.

This is usually done to strengthen a plant that is less than hardy in an area or to create a new type of plant. Learning to graft is a difficult and painstaking process but can be rewarding for the patient, dedicated gardener.

What plants are usually grafted? Roses are frequently grafted to create new colors or scents. Fruit trees are grafted to produce more fruit or combinations of fruit. Vegetable plants are grafted to create more and bigger yield.

 

Use a sharp knife to cut the wood.
A grafting knife should be razor-sharp. A dull knife can cause failure at grafting. You can buy knives specially created for this purpose. These knives have one side sharp, one side flat. Start at the base of the knife blade and use a single cut. Don’t saw at the wood. Splinters, bumps, or unequal cuts will prevent a good match and reduce your success rate.