This is our version of a light dusting of snow.
Also, for real aka Florida Snow and if you look real close they can have a slight
pink hue. Also called Large flower Florida Pulsey, but is a unique variety and
has origins from S. America, which I suspect this one pictured here in my front
yard is not our Florida native variety.
I am enthralled with it , where others, you know who you are, are not and it's a
weed. It is considered to be an invasive one at that, who knew.
luck of being in the best spot in the yard.
I only know of two similar trees in our fair Florida city. The first tree was discovered
while with a fellow yogi friend and driving to her house she ends up taking a back road.
Having been down this road several times on my own but being the driver and rarely the
rider gave this constant gardener and opportunity to scan for unique plant specimens and
low and behold. Not only did the striking foliage stand out but this tree had several fruits
in the different stages of growth. This area I was at was what I would refer to as being
at the edge our city and there for possibly more subjected to a few degree temperatures
lower than my location would be subjected to.
Needless to say I spoke up and asked to turn left to confirm my finding my first live,
in the wild, mighty fruitful Jackfruit tree. This specimen was not even twenty foot tall,
which was quite encouraging. Only a few years later that I discovered a local public
garden had a JF tree that was easily thirty-five feet tall and with a massive trunk to
match, but no fruit at that time only to find out later that one of their attendees
were coddling a fruit that could be over twenty pounds. At which time I asked if
they would save some seed for me, not that they were obligated.
Fast forward two years, still no seed but there was a local grocery store having
their grand opening and guess what they were selling? Fresh whole Jackfruit.
Needless to say I had one in my canvas bag quicker than you can say Jackfruit.
This beauty got this year's Christmas lights treatment, whether is liked it or not and
ended up being my base model for this year's Christmas Doodle.
wrapped in electrified plastic coated wire pulsating electric field. Who knows maybe it
grew an extra inch...hehe.
Happy new year Jack.
fresh Blueberries and some already prepared Sorghum with dashes of ground Ginger
and Cinnamon.
The other dish has additional Hemp Granola and Cacao Coconut Granola.
Yum...Yum.
a season to grow in the ground. With my diminishing available sunlight, growing
in the ground at this time is not the best option. Stay tuned.
This once anemic looking and in reality it was hurting for nourishment and for
the available sunlight to be dialed back a bit. Not to mention enough water...blah,
blah, blah. However the good intentions were, it does'nt help a living thing, plants or
people for that matter. This rescued Florida Avocado is as green as an avocado and
now needs repotting. Amazing what some essentials can do.
lot better than this state of Florida and our United States in dealing with this
unprecedented Pandemic. I originally named each of these divisions after the
first five countries with worst number of cases. Now they look all the same
because they are knee deep in deaths and never to be the same survivors. Unlike
these plants that are thriving like the individuals that thought for themselves
and Science and keep reminding ourselves this is unprecedented times that require
unprecedented measures to protect ourselves and our fellow human beings.
Whew...as i jump off my soapbox.
These are back and had a neighbor walk by to ask about these beauties. This variety
of Crinum even has a gentle fragrance to accompany it's gentle beauty.
My containerized menagerie of edibles, two of which, will be featured in this parade.
This little gem is one of two over as many years. A seedling from dwarf Mexican
Petunia. Almost as rare as my once in a great while volunteer seedlings of a Prickly
White Poppy, another gem of a temporary garden visitor.
black. Surely a sight to see whether in a desert or not.
Always good for a spot of color that was once a stow a way in pot of a larger
specimen. That specimen only survived about four years and yet this survivor
lives on.
This trailing African Violet cutting was given to me by my next door neighbor and today
it gets it's roots in a new environment of something more solid than water.
to start a plant. Let me introduce to you, the Bulblet.
The ripe red berry is from a Clivia plant and when pealed it's bulblet is revealed.
It is my understanding that I will have to peal off the thin skin off the shown
here, after an over night in some water and then plant the bulblet in some potting
medium and off we go and with time, we shall see.
to catch this picture of two house geckos doing a stare down or perhaps a no, after you,
no, after you I insist. While this long legged, long winged, long bodied insect
doesn't seem to be phased at the least if it has a future.
By the time I get a picture the gecko on the right crawls off to it's regular hiding spot. So
now there is just the one gecko on the left on a stare down with the long legged, long winged,
long bodied insect that still doesn't seem to be phased at the least or perhaps just paralyzed with
fear of being a snack for this night creature, perhaps feeling lucky it wasn't going to be torn apart by
two night creatures.
I wasn't about to stick around to see what direction their fates take flight.
This rather average looking cat has some above average vocal abilities. This cat likes
to call and respond with me and either of us can equally be the initiator.
This Bougainvillea needs an intervention.
plant volunteers growing amongst it's self and it is I that will intervene.
So now the Bougainvillea can breath a little easier. As Winter's shorter hours commence,
there will be blooms.
a wee lad and lived to reminisce about and didn't know any better.
Oncidium 'Gold Dust' is the variety of orchid shown above.
that cares not to be hidden ? I guess I'm lucky there is just the one and is making it's
self known with it's exotic coat and usually come in hoards and it is said that if you give a listen you can hear them munching away on whatever you may have for them to munch on.
Today and the day before Tropical Storm Eta I gave of Aspirin (salicylic acid) to see
if the therapeutic dose does it's magic. Twice because the first dose probably got
diluted from the soon to come tropical rain that delivered it's copious amounts of
rain, enough to top and fill up any barrels of needed rain water. Cannot miss an
opportunity like that.
Tomatoes are beginning to set , thanks to the drop in temperatures that it needs
in order to do so. I've been pushing this monster for the last too months with some
newly found chicken manure fertilizer and couple doses of some orchid fertilizer
just because, why not.
Time will tell once again.
Some mid sized beauties already set and just have to keep the bugs and such away
long enough for me to take a bite out of them.
Now a days there still are somethings one discover at a health food store, even if
now a days your grocery store may be stocking the same thing and making most
health food stores obsolete but then again there's a whole lot of healthy choices
missing from our grocery food stores.
Over the years our grocery food stores have been dropping healthy items because
they are not selling like those proverbial 'shitty, no fiber no nutritional' hot cakes'.
It's still unfortunate that I still have to drive forty miles to get something that is
not available in my home town. Amazon can go you not what it's self/ Our conutry's
lax laws and letting the Amazon's of this country grow to what they are today is
a sham and it's only going to get worse before it gets better, if it does get better.
good neighbor gave me some heavy duty stakes that I have tied some home grown bamboo
to. Plenty of blooms and hot temps in the nineties is whats failing.
I did have one, just one tomato set that showed signs of tomato end rot. So needless to say
I couldn't let it grow and had to discard same. Mean while I will continue in spoiling this
with lots of fertilizer and rain water, what else is a constant gardener to do?
acquiring roots. A trailing African Violet cutting from my neighbor.
Here's to new beginnings.
I get this I Robot bloom from my new orchid purchase of last month to bring
this time of year, an amazement and a spectacle of life.
So be amazed and look around for what would be your spectacular spectacle.
Lime to sweeten this composted Bald Cypress needles fresh off the carport and some
new organic packaged Chicken manure fertilizer to fast push the growth.
Why pots you ask?
Sure beats the sand we Floridians call soil. My composted Bald Cypress needles is the new
Black Gold.
Just added a new staple to feed these voracious beasts. Adding cooked fresh green beans
to the already staple of organic fresh Spinach and Broccoli.
Today's meal brought to you by the Bachelor Cafe. Artichokes in water, fresh sliced Cucumber,
fresh cut Baby Bellas mushrooms, fresh cooked Greenie Beanies, favorite Marinara Sauce, Lemon
zest and a ton of Garlic powder.
Mangiare!
my Yogi friend, name is unknown at this point in the game of name this plant. It could
be months before it reveals it's true identity.
This Hawaiian Ginger is a sunset on a stick.
Close your eyes and take a whiff and let it's fragrance take you a way.
both once thrived less than a mile where I live. My garden has many memories attached, many
still thrive while some pass as all good things will do.
It's been said many ways, how our life is how it's traveled, because we all know the destination.
I will also make a point to make that journey as beautiful as possible in the most unimaginable
ways.
Isn't that right GrandMa!
This Angel or Devil's Trumpet not only has an intoxicating beauty it will fill the night air
with it's passionate fragrance. It also has the toxicity to kill, so now that you have been
warned.
One of many varieties of Lady Finger style bananas my neighbor from our north streetside
neighborhood shared with me. Him and his wife have been enjoying bananas off this big little
producer for years.
Time will tell if I can reproduce some for myself and share with my planthead buddies. I've
had past successes with growing these beauties. They are hungry, thirsty beasts.
Small price to pay for this constant gardener. Barrels of saved rainwater, nothing but the best.
A bag of organic chicken manure, thank you for your service.
and what a bute it is.
I went into an orchid show last year hoping to find an orchid that is totally unique.
Not knowing that there might be other things sold other than orchids. Well here
I am a year later and realizing my orchid is not an orchid. It couldn't be further
from it's origins. Almost as beautiful and most likely a night bloomer too. It
looks like there could be other blooms and will have to see for my own eyes
if it is a night bloomer.
This s what a cactus blooms looks like when it was up all night.
First bloom time for this year old, to the day since in my care. Once this cactus opens, is
when it will truly reveal it's self.
I looked over my shoulder and staring into the darkness wondering what might
be staring back. Hoping it shares the same wonderment that I share with my backyard
urban jungle.
Look ma, no roots. This African Violet's performance has been lacking, so
severing it from it's depleated potted root ball is severe and yet has proven
successful in the past seems appropriate.
