Windowsill Menagerie Redux

Taking advantage of the light's incoming direction to capture
the seasonal light availability.

Shaving Brush Tree's First Bloom Of The Season - Psedobombax ellipticum

Since placed in the ground several months ago this S. American tropical is
showing it's gratitude.

Knowing that it likes it's feet wet and last year's wet year, this spot stayed wet
for days. Only thing else holding it back is Florida's potential freezing temperatures.
Nature can only hold back some of mankind's follies.



Earlier this afternoon witnessed a Mocking bird, our state bird sample a native
and ancient potted Everglade tomato. These tomatoes are no bigger than a small
blueberry.

Don't mind sharing with nature as long as it's one for nature and three
for me.

Windowsill Menagerie Settled In

It didn't take long to establish this indoor landscape.

Those land shells verses sea shells I believe to be of the native type,
Florida Apple Snail. Found nearby and needless to say, there was nothing
still living inside, but now there is. Drilled a drain hole at the underside for
drainage.

We shall see how time and attention will see this menagerie through.

Windowsill Menagerie Startup

Menagerie of cuttings (African violet) and juvenile plantlets (Peperomia) to miniature

(Mini African violet) to more cuttings (Parsley aralia).

Last but not least (Pilea peperomioides).

Of all the time I spend at this kitchen sink I might as well put it to work, and for my gardening enjoyment.

My Three Italians

These three italian cypress trees scrub up well after a minor clipping, hosing
down and good shaking. Loosening up any dead debris that any mites can use
to get a foothold. 

These specimens can succumb to mites quite fast if not for some minor annual
maintenance.

A Cardinal and Brown Thrush (birds) took advantage of the wet foliage as they dodged
in and out like they were taking a sponge bath.

This Year's Faces Of Spring

This Amryilla collection has my first collection beat when it comes the year's
first blooms. These are my latest from seedlings to and hoping to spy an
interesting one. So far these have come true, or close to their parents,
they haven't disappointed.

TEsting TO SeE IF I tRANSfered THis BLOG FroM G+ 2 BLoGgeR

Hope to have some curtains hung up in my studio soon to see if I can influence the
acoustics.

My fictitious name will be Cla(y) Ke(e)land, pronounced Clay KeeLand. My last
serious recordings were in '93. Ten of them.

We shall see and listen.

Leaning Tower Of Lemon Grass

Sheared in time for the new growing season. Never really took to this lemon
flavored grass but it makes for a great ornamental grass.

Scenes From My Spring Garden - Enjoy!

My Cacao Tree Is Still Transitioning

Still another week of below sixty temperatures for the lows. While it is in the middle
of a flush of growth I'm hauling it back and forth from the outdoors for this pampered
specimen. This time however I've been keeping it in the kitchen and leaving the lights
on all night to give it an extra push.

Next day or two I will disrupt it a bit and give it some new soil at the base and a top
dressing in order to take advantage of this existing pot, while trying to get a couple of
years more growth with out going to a next size pot.

Candelabra Cactus Gets Repotted

A nice heavy clay pot will come in handy with this top heavy specimen.

Due to our high temperatures is doesn't pay to keep clay pots around but
this is an exception.

How To Truss-Up A Dragon

Now that's one fat head. It took nearly a year to see any growth on this Dragon
Fruit and now this.

Rainy Daylight Cara

A daylight mugshot.

A nice soaking rain to help settle this Cara Cara orange seedlings in it's transplanted
planter.

Roll Out The Barrel

Or I should say, dig out the barrel. That's an Agave barrel of fun.
That living barrel is close to hundred pounds.

Plan, like my first one is to dig to the tap root and severe it. This one is
a year older than the last one and has more fibrous secondary roots that
I have to excavate through to get to my target. Instead of rolling
this off to the backyard, I hope to split it in half or quarters. Ambitious?
Perhaps, but I always said you got to set your goals high.
Nothing like a gardener's challenge to brighten the days' mood.

AsI post this, there's the sound of a nice steady rain. Welcomed after yesterday's nineties
temperatures. Hope there will be gallons of rainwater to collect.

Sweet! Just collected thirty plus gallons. That's a lot considering we are in our seasonal
dry period.

Couldn't Wait for Morning To Take This Plants Mug Shot

The plant that almost made it to ground.

In my long standing gardener's goal to get all potted specimens in the ground.
This Cara Cara citrus from seed was going to be put in the ground in the front
side yard, but as you can see it never made it. Not only will it be years before
it even bares fruit, let alone if it will be of good quality and worth the wait.

But hey, that's what we gardeners do.

This One's For You

First time blooming ever ...perhaps. This bed of Amaryllis that were started from
seed are still in the process of revealing their first blooms, ever. That's the beauty and
frustration when starting plants from seed.

To commemorate Bob's passing into the either of the unknown. Here's another salute
and a salute to Life's new beginnings.

This is my second earlybird Amaryllis blooming this year. Early, being a relative term.
This time of the year I usually have them all in their different stages of blooming. So
these two loaners are actually on time, relatively speaking, again.

A Salute To An American Army Veteren Of WWII 1927-2019

It's smooth sailing from here Bobby.                   I salute  you!

Long Time No See - Loquat - Eriobotrya japonica

First time fruiting for me since I last heavily pruned this specimen.

I take full responsibility, what with my form over function sensibilities when it comes to
gardening. Not only are these well within reach of this human and not have grab a ladder
to get these delicious morsels. Generally the birds just stab these once and for what ever
reasons, go on their marry way.

Started this from seed and knowingly knew that the chances of what was to produce will
be just as good or better or even the possibility of it being worse. That's the odds when
ever your start something from seed. I this case they came out better than the original, in
that they are bigger.

There's a reason these aren't found on your grocer's shelf. Their window of ripeness is
short and they don't last long once they are picked.

A welcomed edition to my edible sustainable urban forest.

Loquat  - Eriobotrya japonica

I will have to make regular visits on these low hanging fruit. Not that I mind sharing with

the birds and squirrels. It's time they share the first batch in years.

These taste as good as they look.