Saturday, July 30, 2022

Three Eye Witnessed

 

   This flower wedgie has three eye witnesses. 

 

   The first most obvious one is obviously the perched brown anole lizard. Hopefully a bug or two 

will have been enticed by this bloom and wandered in for closer inspection while the lizard gets the 

prized meal, only after the bug gets a sip or a nibble before it to gets nibbled on.


   Next eye witness, is it I or the camera's eye?


Florida's Native Coontie Cycads - Updates

 These fine lads are sporting two to three branches a piece since being planted from seed. 

      The makeshift squirrel guard helps keep the large seed from being foraged if that was

even a possibility, also a great deterrent from the squirrels from planting their own stash here

that can have a devastating effect for us constant gardeners.

 


 

                         Bottom of the pot wedges for air cooling effect,,,,,I hope, now that we are getting into

our Florida heat season. I must of been an engineer in another life...hehe.

  

Yesterday Was Also A Lucky Day

 

Whenever I see one of these green anole lizards, perched on the end of this potted Clivia. Not

only are they a rare sighting in this yard but are now unofficially known as and now as our 

Lizard of the Greens. 

 

     There sighting gives a me a thrill to see that they are still around and frolicking among us 

constant gardeners.

Today Was My Lucky Day

      Went out to check on my umm tree, not saying what it is. I don't want the squirrels to find out.

To my dismay, but not shocked to find said fruit gone. I still had hopes of finding it on the ground

close by. Had a squirrel find it, it may not know what to do with other than to sample it, perhaps.

Not knowing that we humans love these roasted and with a dash of salt.

 

     Exhibit  ' A ' and no banana for scale.

Inspired by my monumental find, I thought that I would set out and go on a mid Summer

fruit and nut expedition.

     Starting at the center and spiraling counter clockwise of said collection, we have the conspicuous

red and black caped seed known as Abrus precatorius or Rosary Pea.  The next colorful pale purple 

fruit is from the Callicarpa americana or American Beautyberry. The pea sized pearly white fruit is 

from the Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa or  Red Rhipsalis Mistletoe Cactus. The one still attached to a branch

is a sacrificial acorn that is from a hybrid Live oak tree, genus Quercus.

Top and center is the fruit from our Podocarpus macrophyllus or Buddhist Pine.  The mammoth of 

bunch, is a cone from the Bald Cypress tree, aka Taxodium distichum. Not to be mistaken as a Pond

Bald Cypress,which like to the standard Bald Cypress tree does not need a pond to grow in.

   Up this point, the mysterious smooth shelled fruit belongs to the genus, pretty sure that it is the

Macadamia integrifolia, smooth shelled....drum roll....psst, it's been revealed in the binomial linius 

nomenclature and it's origins are from Australia and not from Hawaii as the Mauna Loa nut company

might want you to believe...and now for the reveal...


                                                               it was lost and now it's found

I have no doubt that this year's rainfall is above average. So far this far into the year and all my rain 

barrels are topped out and manually filled to by yours truly.  Did I mentioned That I have nine,

fifty-five gallon, food grade drum drum drum drum druuuuuuuuuuuuums.






 

 









Thursday, July 28, 2022

Rescue or Folly


 These volunteer Popcorn Tree Cassia senna didymobotrya seedlings at the top of these

potted succulents were just a wee little size, just over a week ago. Didn't want to waste the 

opportunity to relocate them in order for them to thrive just like any other living thing. 


All the while preserving the Originals to inhabit this choice potted spot and recovering in a 

spot with less intense light, so that some cuttings that strategically placed can repair.

 


                                                                   Interlopper free...yeah.

 


 

This the sunniest spot in the backyard and I hope you thrive and entertain us with your beauty,

but not without some of that over abundant rain water that this season has brought us. While

digging in this spot, it was dry as a bone. 

   Hauling over buckets of that wet stuff will be my 

pleasure, indeed.



Veggie Pots Update

      These Eggplant are a poppin.

These night time pics can sometimes capture some night creature snackin away on my

prizes veggies. There already has been the ubiquitous leaf miners that have done their 

damage.



 



Monday, July 18, 2022

Rescue Or Folly

Yesterday as I pondered what do with this slowly diminishing, languishing, red leaf azalea plant.

         While today's rain that gave a break in heat gave me a pause and the idea to make a rescue,

which brings us to this point.


 Nothing much more traumatizing to a plant than to essentially be ripped from it's foundation and

then to be transplanted it to another foundation, we call a potted foundation. On top of that, this

 specimen is not in the best of health either, but hey. 

      It's not like the plant can just walk to another spot, at least not yet. Perhaps in another million

or two years they will have evolved to this ability, but for now it will have to rely on this human to

do it's thing.

       Rest and recovery along with some ....you got it.....time.  


                                                                  Rescue crater for reference.