Friday, May 29, 2015

Door yard garden tidied up and Albino seedling beginning to wither.



Door Yard Garden

'Burnt Cinnamon' a burst of color coats the back porch.

  Sorted through several potted plants that have at one time caught my eye.
Some were just a matter of rotating and trimming and moving to another
place and some that place was the yard trash and their plastic pots to the
recycle bin. Rearranged some bricks and pulled out some long time hanger-
ons that didn't have the luxury of residing in a pot that might of saved
them a trip to the trash bin. A heave ho and off you go.

Osmanthus fragrans - Tea Olive newly planted from side-yard.

Opuntia monacantha (vulgaris) monstrose is also known as "Maverick" cactus. Succulent collection.



A first attempt to plant my Dragon Fruit in the ground with a support
 post made of bound bamboo and what happens? The sun scaled their
tender side bellies. I didn't anticipate May's sun to being that intense.
Perhaps not a good sign as to what fate will bring.

Too late...second time around (next day) and the Dragons have landed. My
homage to the 1964 New York's Worlds Fair. Some LED lights thrown in for
good measure maybe.






Can there be anything worse than Gnomes or giant Butterflies dispersed through out
the garden? Say, a few slabs of concrete places here and there?





  Top third of the Albino seedling is wilted and the second leaf (not shown)
never fully developed. Not a good sign. Having recorded this event with
pictures and with some narrative witness is enough to have accounted for
this once vibrant specimen. An event it was and will be remembered.


   Enjoying the stiff breeze in the front room and an OK book. Not yet worth
mentioning here. Ran into my former Wednesday Yoga teacher at the
grocery store this late afternoon and always a joy and fun visit.
Another friend that goes back whom I seen while he worked at our
local health food store was off to teach guitar lesson and would be
performing some of his original material at a local eatery downtown
this Sunday.

   Waiting on a slow roast of Spaghetti Squash with Walnuts, Spaghetti Sauce
 and Avocado.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Mockingbird Bird Nest in Walter's Viburnum - Viburnum obovatum ‘Walter’

There was a bird feeding its young as of
yesterday. There is also a bird curious cat
that no doubt took advantage of both prey.

Wow that sure looks like a lot of work to
have assembled.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Yellow Tabebuia - Handroanthus chrysotrichus and Dragon taming.

  This specimen is recovering from a severe cutting back about three weeks ago.
The lean to that you see was caused by one of four Hurricanes that passed through
in 2004. Another reason to keep it in confines.
   There have been a few wet years in the past that resulted in many of the seeds that
ultimately get broadcast after every heavy flowering in sprouting. So I can only curse
the city that recommend these trees, once the little darlings of the city. Now the pinks
and purples varieties have taken the place of the once crowned.





  I have two other yellow varieties that a friend had started from seed and these are of
a smaller flowered kind, that I had picked for him. Not only are the leaves smaller but
the blooms are a bit smaller too.



  One of the seedlings appears to be a runt and that is the beauty of starting
from seed. This is the same age as the one above and may make a great
candidate for Bonsai.

  I gathered some fresh bamboo today, to bind into a pole to tether my
Dragons (Dragon Fruit plants).

Friday, May 22, 2015

Zephyranthes grandiflora - Rain Lilly Update and Bald Cypress Tree seedling discovery.

Rain Lilly day two.

Rain Lilly day three (above) and a second bud popped up (below).





Close ups of the first flower of the season.




Really close.




Say Aahhhhh!




Compost surprise never ceases to amaze me. Viola !, One Cypress Tree seedling.
I have nine Bald Cypress trees and all but three of them are producing cones. Between
the squirrels chomping away on these cones and not surprised if they burying the cones.
I would have thought there would be a lot more seedlings sprouting up. The one above
is the second case that I've seen and they both happen to be in pots where they made
their welcomed beginnings be known.

I also built a Tomato cage out of Bamboo and copper wire. Pictures posted tomorrow.
A dear friend has been inundated with an invasive (running) Bamboo planted by a well
intentioned neighbor. I've since made a Dream Catcher from Bamboo, so why not a
Tomato cage. 

Rain Lilly second bloom, first day.









First bloom, second day. Note the pollen grains.

There are now four blooms as of today. You've seen two, you've seen four. - 5/27/15


Day four, Bald Cypress Tree seedling, screaming  "I am here, I am here!"



Bald Cypress Tree seedling's first needles. - 5/27/15


Thursday, May 21, 2015

Self portrait, haven't done one of these in years.



While humming the tune 'Crystal Blue Persuasion'- performed byTommy James and the Shondells. Pretty Groovy Hey?



Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Crinum 'Burgundy' - Red Crinum Lilly first bloom of the seaon.

This bloom is pretty much on schedule in spite of having its foliage cut back
to accommodate my window painting.





Crinum asiaticum - Giant White Spider Lily started from seed nine years ago
and has yet to bloom. This was cut back due to some really bad leaf rust.
The leaves are broader than the Red Crinum and makes a great foliage
statement.

Tomato plant soon to have some siblings sharing the same s(pot).

My Tomato plant has more water than it knows what do to with. The plant is purging
water through its leaves, since yesterday's afternoon watering.


This sprout better catch up fast otherwise it may get shaded out.

You too little fella!  I guess I could give them a shot of fish emulsion.
Yup,  Fish Emulsion Shots all around!

Zephyranthes grandiflora - Rain Lilly

and we know that it wasn't the rain that brought forth this little jem.

Aechmea 'Lucky Stripes' Bromeliad in the background.

Juniperus procumbens 'Nana' - Japanese Garden Juniper

I must of planted this specimen over twenty-five years now. It gets minimum care and with minor pruning, it's not complaining.

Testing out a Watermark for my photos.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

The common house gecko, scientific name Hemidactylus frenatus and other wild creatures.


 Or more likely, Hemidactylus garnotii, commonly known as the Indo-Pacific gecko.

I would like to think that this house gecko is keeping watch over my indoor
garden/nursery. Most likely just looking for its next meal. Knowing that geckos
can't blink their eyes , if it doesn't dash away when I appear I will assume that it
is sleeping.

African violet is commencing with its new bloom cycle.

There has been reported unofficially a Florida Bobcat sighting about a quarter
mile south east of me, 7:30 am Monday morning.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Back to creating and the chore of painting.

Charming some materials into a snake. Wax Linen, Polyurethane cord and glass bead and hours of being in the creating zone.



It's left side is its best side.








Someone or something has its attention.



Also made two other more traditional beaded bracelets with different challenges than the one
above. Where as one has to resemble something and the other just has to be new design.

Taqua Nut, Jet beads with Buddha laser engraving, knotted Wax Linen and Garnet beads.


 Similar beads used with a natural Waxed Linen. I may redo with the black
Wax Linen and I really like what I will call the Fancy Goldfish tail made
with the Garnet beads.


Started back with the third side (south) of windows to be painted. Once I start, I don't mind
and learned from the previous window painting.

Hope to wrap up the Showtime tv series 'Penny Dreadful' this late night.
This was the second of two designs.

 Back to window dressing...that is painting the southside windows.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Discovered today that my potted Key Lime tree has two limes. Also spotted a masked lizard.

These two limes were hard enough to spot in real time and felt it necessary
to highlight them in a mock orange for illustrative purposes.


This Cuban Anole either has a lot of sunscreen on its face and didn't rub it in
really good or it's enjoying a day at the spa with some sort of moisturizing mask.


Friday, May 15, 2015

Bleeding Hearts North and South

My sister sent me this of her Bleeding Hearts plant.

Here is my Bleeding Hearts vine.

We have to forms of BHV, white and  the red.