Yes, New Flush Of Growth

This will be this years' first sign of Spring.

This red leaved Crape Myrtle has been doing only fair in it's
first location in my yard. After three years in it's first location
decided to take advantage of our winter and it being one of the
best transplanting times of the year. So about a month and a half
ago I moved to it's new and sunnier location.

I did have my doubts to it's success but that didn't stop me from
watering often and hoping for the best.

What you see are the rewards of being a gardener.

A New Blue-Gray Addition To The Garden

I've been coveting this variety of climbing cereus cactus and of all the years
I've spied this specimen, I nor my friend have yet to witness a bloom, which gives
me another challenge and an oppurtunity for improving it's chances of putting on
that show for us.

My cuttings holding area.

Letting the cut end of this cereus to scab
over before putting it in the elements for which it will thrive.

Dragon Grows A New Head

This cutting of Dragon Fruit as been dormant for almost a year. It's managed
now to push out a new segment of growth

Is It A Cage Or Jungle Gym

My Sword Bean gets a planter all to it's self and something to climb
and cling to, which it wasted no time in clinging to the stakes of bamboo. 

The bamboo courtesy of a good friend's neighbor's ignorance and folly by
planting a non-clumping variety of bamboo, which to this day runs amok
in her yard and has to be mowed down yearly. I convinced my friend to not
cut it all down for it provides cover for her gang of Peacocks. Yup, and that the
same neighbor that imported the bamboo also imported the peacocks.

Garden Art Installation Reimaged

This corner of the garden got an art installation commemorating Florida's
Gulf of Mexico BP Oil explosion/contamination in 2010. My installation
was installed in 2012.

It has aged well and like the Gulf of Mexico it to can adapt to man's follies.

Just days ago I replaced a black pond shell to symbolize the Gulf with some
white sand, to symbolize our white sanded beaches. Adding some native
and non-native plantings, along with some native stones and shell.

 

Another angle with native plantings obscuring the view of said installation.

New Hybrid PlantPortrait

Name that Plant!

Name that plant!

A New Assemblage/Sculpture - Cont'd

This documenting the progress is definitely adding a new dimension to
the creative process.

-added three white oak planks

-another perspective, just as compelling, if not more than the first, but still early in the process
to determine the face of this creation. Sometimes one of many driving forces is to find multible
desirable views and in this case being a three dimensional object, can become more challenging.

Repotted Specimen Wins The Lotto

This begonia has been in my stead for over nearly three years and has almost died
as many times due to rot. So I thought I would intervene and give it the repotting
treatment and repot it with some african violet potting soil.

I know, still has that charm that caught my eye.

Experimental Kitchen Returns

Look at this pot of sunshine-

Inspired by the WHPB whole foods plant based trend.

Farro, vegtable broth...slams on breaks...not a WHPB...continues....chopped celery...
thinly sliced cabbage, fav curry spice...once again...nota WHPB...

So you get my intentions regardless how unreasonable this will be to obtain.

My experiment continues and ends up tasting way better than any spanish rice dish
and fills my belly with plenty of goodness and that is where it counts.

Now That Google Has Abandon Us - a new assemblage/sculpture awaits

a new assemblage/sculpture awaits ....starting with some collected plant carcasses

                                                                                   nothing like a favorite stone to use as a burnisher

first assemblage....crape myrtle and queen palm seed pod

next....some drywood....sure it drifted into my mits via another artist....so then driftwood

                                  this will be my third life marker that i created in a span of twenty-five years

having to documenting this process brings a third eye into the process ...curious to  how this turns out

                                                                          ......no pressure

Second Round Of Banana Pepper Seedlings & Parsley Arailia

I can't think of any better fostering care giver than my prized Cacao Tree. The seadlings
sitting the it's base are looking really healthy to. I feel this is a good indication of how
good and supplemented this soil is, having produced such vigorous seedlings.
Having a spell of warm temperatures sure helps also.

While there's always the threat of freezing temperatures, signs of spring have sprung.
I spent several hours the other day detailing the yard. I found and purchased a new brand
of organic fertilizer and gave some plants a top dressing.

While just this evening, as in under the moonlight I did some trimming. While weaving in
and out of the landscaping I have at the side of my house with a tune stuck in my head. I
managed to fill two garbage cans of trimmings.

Then if that wasn't enough I repotted and divided a favorite plant of mine, a Parsley Arailia - Polyscias fruticosa 'Elegans'. Splitting the Arailia in two not only gives me another individual
plant but allows me to give it a new form and interest. Perhaps a bit drastic for some, including
the plant it's self , but when it's done properly, it can be rewarding.

The Aralia has a tendency to get root rot if the soil hangs onto moisture for extended time, so
 it's best to use a premixed soil specifically for African Violets. This type of soil is a looser mix
and less prone to this malady that will seem to have come out of nowhere and devastate your
prized specimen. One day it will look healthy and days later it will appear to be wilting, in
actuality it is rotting from the roots up. If the the fungus hasn't got in to it's plant vascular
system's you might be able to save it by severing it and root it in water. I know, right?

Moisture can give life and it can take it. 

A Brooding Portrait Of A Constant Gardener

Saintpaulias - African Violet Was/Still On Life Support Day 7

Just when you think your out of the woods, sort of speak. Then rot rears it's
ugly self. Just as my concerns are revealed I decide to take additional actions.
Scrub and rinse the rotted portion and give the effected surface a dusting of
rooting hormone, which has some fungicide. While it never occurred to use the
stuff but just happened to have some on hand that a budding gardener had given
me. Ever since the one and only time I did use the stuff, it was a total fail.
Using a rooting hormone is not a guaranteed success if you don't provide
the all the necessary requirements for success.

So here I go with chapter two with the heroic measures and see where it goes.
If only to provide some hope in a hopeless situation.

What's Your Name?

Being the constant gardener that I am, I can never refuse and opportunity to
add to my collection of plants. Having the internet's resources at my disposal and
usually nailing a plant name can sometimes be challenging. The search for it's
identity is not clear this go round.

So I'm going to go with Tradescantia pallida or I think a close cousin at least. Once
and if it flowers can most times bring it closer to identifying this mystifying specimen.

Cacao Tree Takes A Staycation

Placed outdoors to take advantage of the few days we are given some
balmy temperatures.

My Winter Managerie

The patient, also known as an African Violet is now just one of the guys. After
changing out it's well of tap water and added minerals via an orchid fertilizer
with a sodium free carbonated mineral water. I feel I had done all I could and
now it's just a matter of moderating fluid levels and light.

While the other Winter residents are taking in the artificial light and warmth
and in a sense keeping each other company.

One other observation is on the African Violet leaf cuttings. Although a different
variety than the one under the dome. I also replaced it's water with the mineral
and fertilizer mix and and notice an increase in hue of it's leaf stems. 

Now the race is on to which AF will develop roots first. Let the games begin.