One More Potted Specimen Among Many Finds A Spot

As ubiquitous as these are in Florida, this potted Weeping Bottlebrush
tree gets put in the ground. Keeping my recycled porch steps and with
some time, a makeshift altar some company.

It's part of my longtime campaign to get most of my potted specimens in the
ground. Reason, you may ask? As most if not all of my potted specimens are
not cold hardy and may be subjected to our occasional freezing temperatures
is the primary reason why they are not planted in the ground. Why now?
Over time I've become less concern with their demise, and excepting that
one takes some reasonable risks in growing some exotic plants. 

Bachelor Cafe Exclusive

Salvaged some black thai rice that had too much salt
added to the water. So remediate that issue we just add
more low sodium bulk. That is where some Uncle Sam
cereal comes in and blue berries, apple, pepitas,
cinnamon and a side of Icelandic yogurt.

He Ain't Heavy....

From that sixties Hollies song came to mind as I a was processing
this first bloom.

 

First Time Bloom - Tricolored Jasmine - Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Tricolor'

After spotting this vine climbing up a Crape Myrtle and trying to
wrap my brain around what I was witnessing. I knew exactly that
as soon as I got home I was going to train this vine up this tree.

So today is when I noticed the vine up in the tree had bloom. I've
had this as a beautiful ground cover for at least five years. It's been
about two years since this vine had made it's way up into this tree
formed Crape Myrtle.

No competition here, what with the multicolored trunk
of the Crape Myrtle and another multicolored Jasmine
vine.

Typical pinwheel type flower, indicative to this variety and my first impression
of the scent is not as sweet with an added spiciness.

Bachelor Cafe Exclusive With A Salute From This Experimental Kitchen

Also a first meal, just awaken and to see this new creation bring a smile to
my face and rumble to my fasting stomach.

Extra fiber and protein pasta, marinara with added avocado, an excellent
cheese substitute. Temperatures outside are in their low eighties so making
this dish with chilled pasta, chilled marinara, chilled avocado and a dash
of ground black pepper makes this tailored bachelor cafe an exclusive
from this experimental kitchen. 

Volunteer Bald Cypress - Taxodium distichum Seedlings (Nature Drama ) Update

Don't be distracted by that leafing out bud stage of the potted fig tree
top center. The star of the show is down center, in all it's scene stealing
beauty or for those horror fans.

There were once these twin seedlings and as the days go by one of the
once robust twin as taken ill and now appears to be having it's vibrance
sucked away by it's evil and once equal but now dominant twin.

But wait, there's another impending doom. That meek and mild fig tree
is setting the stage for it's winter transformation as it to finds it's own
vibrance as the season changes and making it's dominance known when
it flushes into into it's new foliage and robbing this seedling's life giving
energy from our ever growing sun's dominance.

Stay tuned, as Nature's life and death drama continues.

Volunteer Bald Cypress Seedlings

These two Bald Cypress seedlings are not only robust looking but a rare
event. In the twenty plus years and nine trees that I've planted. I've only
witnessed sprouted seedlings three times and all three times they were in
pots. Of all the hundreds of cones that these trees will have produced per
season. I must suspect that the ones that wound up in a pot more than likely
were buried there by a squirrel, which may explain the rare occurrence and
conditions required for them to germinate. Along with the fact that a potted
enviroment would get the attention of a regular watering, which is more
likely the reason for the sprouts success.

In the past I had collected seeds from a Pond Bald Cypress and had no
problem to getting it to grow into one of those nine cypress trees that
grow on my parcel sized property.

Sightings of these guys are rarer than one our once prolific green Anole.
Speaking of which, I had sighted a green Anole from the distance of my
bedroom window. Can't say that the green Anole is making a come back
just that my yard might be a bit more friendlier than others, at least I
would like to think.

What a difference a day makes in the life of seedling. The one on the right
was the healthiest one in the lot and now it looks like it got a touch of fungus
on it's superficial needles.

First Bloom On Macadamia Nut Tree - Update

It's been a week today since I first discovered that my Macadamia nut tree,
in it's fifth year in my care, has it's first bloom. Due to the scarcity of blooms
this year. I am most certain that this is it's actual inaugural blooming stage.

As mentioned in my previous post to determine if the blossom has a fragrance.
I checked on this three times through out the day. Once in the morning, when
typically most flowers fragrance are at their optimum.Was not disappointed
when my nose was greeted with a heavy honey like smell. Mid afternoon,
not as pronounced. Then early evening, not much difference in smell from
the mid-afternoon's.

It was at this time in the early evening to use a small paint brush to
help with the pollination of this one and only spray of flowers. I also noticed
some pollen grains on the adjoining leaf, which us how I made my decision
to perform with and assist to nature.

This will be my second time where I used this method of insurance, if
you will. First specimen was last year's Spaghetti squash.

Most if not all blossoms are open for business. I saw yesterday several
bees (yellow jackets) in the back yard hovering around my white powder
brush bush in the back yard. Had there been more of these Macadamia nut
blossoms. There is no doubt in my mind word would of gotten out fast and
broad that there's a newbie (blossom) on the block and bee-lined it to this
new exotic buffet.

I will check on them tomorrow morning and give it one more touch with
my painter's brush, for good luck.

What a great day to be a garden enthusiast.

Homemade Peanut & Single Trigger Balls

Binding two Lacrosse balls to form a Peanut that we use in
Yoga class to get to either the Fascia or any tight muscles.
Similar to trigger release massage therapy.

 

To distinguish mine from there's I thought I would dress mine
up with some latex free flexible bandage and waxed linen.
These two will be my test subjects to see how they weather
the rounds of use in class.

First Bloom On Macadamia Nut Tree - Whoo-hoo! Either Macadamia integrifolia or Macadamia tetraphylla

Something that never gets old is having a first bloom that accompanies a long
awaited anticipation and patience. This first bloom comes with a five year wait.
The only known was that this nursery specimen's parent was twenty feet tall and
full of  nuts. Variety unknown but productive. That was enough for me to take
on the challenge that living in Florida allows.

Six days ago I thought that I should trim up and open up the canopy with some
selective pruning. To my amazement and staring at me at eye level was a rather
stunted double spray of white blossoms. So I looked for some more and then
to find this single robust spray of white blossoms.

Needless to say that I sacrificed the first set of blossoms by trimming it
off after I spotted the second set of blossoms.

Five days later another picture to show this set of blossoms just beginning
to open.

I hope to capture it's noted fragrance tomorrow morning before heading
off to a morning yoga class. Stay tuned!

Not a heavy feeder by any means, so I thought I would give it a top
dressing of compost and an infusion of some kelp emulsion.

 Either Macadamia integrifolia (smooth shelled) or Macadamia tetraphylla
(rough shelled), won't know which is which until this develops some nuts,
should I be so lucky.