The Brugmansia are enjoying the cloudy weather. This one is Equador Pink.
The coconut wireless - chat thread
I was surprised that I had caught a carpenter bee (or a bumble bee, not sure) in this picture.
A Plumeria...
This poor little Brug has been under constant attack from potato beetle for weeks now, but is starting to look a little better - she is a shy bloomer but is one of my favorites, her name is Desiree.
Oh Jennie, I would be ever so grateful for the cutting. This time it will go into a very large pot to stay. Not taking any more chances with the kind of winters we have been experiencing. Strange, but I have 7 or 8 brugs reappearing and they are all yellow. All of the pink or pinkish froze. I have one plumie that is about to bloom. Will be its first time and I have had the stalk for 4 years. Have no idea what color it will be and don't care. Just as long as it blooms I am happy.
Haven't gotten much done planting wise this week yet. Started to on Sunday before family arrived but when I got down to the shed and opened the door, there was a huge spider there, legs and all bigger than my palm. He wasn't budging and I don't like spiders. He won. lol. Then a little bit later I was coming off the deck to do something and looked to my left and there was a snake. My first thought was someone rolled out the hose but the hose was on my right. l started screaming to my parents to grab a camera because this was no black snake and he was big!! At least 3 feet, maybe 4 feet long. So needless to say I haven't gotten any of my containers started thanks to bugs and reptiles deciding to sun themselves where we don't want them. lol
Oh my word, Amanda! I am deathly afraid of a snake of any size. What are loosely called "grass snakes" could be a baby python as far as I am concerned. They are ALL DEADLY. I will have a heart attack if confronted with one. Be careful, sweetheart.
PK
Oh I am. lol. He was very calm with all the commotion going on. Just sitting there sunbathing it seemed like. I don't mind the snakes being in my yard as long as I don't see them. Give me a lizard any day. Actually saw one of them too on Sunday. My nephew spent all day looking for it. lol
We have had a huge number of Chameleon lizards this year. I love the little stinkers. So happy to see them.
I'm with you Christi, lizards are OK.....snakes not so much.
Sounds like everyone had a great Mother's Day! My youngest granddaughter brought me two beautiful orange and white amaryllis. I'll have to get their picture.
I have managed to get some rest. Mom has another Dr's appt tomorrow. They may fit her with a portable heart monitor for 24 hrs. She does not have good circulation to the brain due to narrowing arteries / veins and is starting to have some confusion. She is still rather weak, shaky, and dizzy from her fall and mini stroke. We don't like leaving her alone. It is good that my sister is there with her for now.
My banana trees are making a comeback. These are all new sprouts. All of the 60 big ones bit the dust. They just turned to mush. So no bananas this year, again. It's OK, the foliage is so pretty!
The plumerias are leafing out. Even my babies from seed. A couple have forked. I think they are due to bloom next year. There is over ten of them! Daylilies are in bloom also.
My hut is still on DS's todo list.....can't wait to see your pictures Christi!
Have a great week everyone!
Jeanne
Hi, everyone.
Being a snake owner, I know that my snake is a gentle, very tame, sweet and well brought-up baby. That is how she was brought up. Wild snakes,although they are not necessarily out to get you, have to be given a wide berth and a fair bit of respect. But if a snake came near me outside, my long-handled shovel will be used in unconventional ways, I tell you what.
I saw a TV documentary on python hunters in the Everglades a few months ago. For the record, pythons are not venomous. They are constrictors. I had to laugh at how inept those guys were. What a bunch of certified wusses posing as big-time wilderness adventurers!
They walk the fields in a narrow formation, in groups of 6 or more. They wear no protective gear, carry no weapons and they're as skittish as squirrels. So, they walk the fields and one spots a python. It's an 8-foot specimen sunning itself. He yells "python" and everyone converges on him. I still can't figure out why they need to all be together like that. I guess there is security in numbers.
The guy bends down and picks it off the ground as if he had dropped a salami at the grocery store. That is all the action there is to it: bend down, pick it up, show it to the camera. The snake does what comes naturally and coils around the guy's arm for support. It also wrapped its neck around the guy's neck. It wasn't an attempt at strangling or biting. He was just looking for support. You could tell this was a good baby. I would have adopted it on the spot.
They then carry the allegedly evil snake to a holding cage on the back on their truck. No chase, no attack, no wrestling with an enraged reptile, nothing. It was as boring as watching paint drying. They don't tell you what fate awaits the snake, but no good can come of all this. I know they are an introduced species that does untold and virtually unchecked damage to the Everglades echosystem. I just have a propension to take the snake's side because nobody else seems to root for it.
In other news,,, I have 2 adenium obesum (desert rose) that I started from seeds. In February, my cruising buddy said: Let's repor those. I agreed, seeing no arm in it. We only had one terracota pot, so we repotted one, leaving the other alone. We then forgot to buy terracota pots and left the other one undisturbed. The repotted one lost all its leaves. I now have a caudex at ground level with an 18-inch bald main stem sticking straight up and 2 quasi-microscopic newly-formed leaves at the top. Those things are so temperamental. The other one will stay in its pot until it manages to grow enough roots to crack it. Adeniums are known to do that. Ah,the heartbreaks of gardening. But the plant is not dead; it just looks mighty poorly. I'll give it a good shot of orchid bloom booster today. It will perk right up. I include a picture of adenium blooms.
Take care, all.
Pu'ole, a.k.a. Sylvain.
I think mine could use a boost too. It's also tempermental. I figured it was tired of being inside so I stuck it outside where it looks like it's deciding whether to live or die. And I thought my cats were tempermental. Sheesh! lol. I still like it though.
That's so neat, Pepper. All of my plumera are just one stick with a few leaves on top. Well, a couple have y'ed but nothing like yours. Great.
A glorious day to allof you.
Pepper, I wouldn't worry about your adenium dying. They are the plant world's drama queens extraordinaire. You brought it outside and that is a good thing. I would recommend acclimating it slowly to being outside by placing it in a dappled shade area at first and slowly moving it to full sun conditions. Those things require full sun. And they are borderline gross feeders. I just know it will perk up soon.
We saw a recipe for rum & coke BBQ ribs on the Today show a couple days ago. It looked easy enough to make. I tried it. Don't even bother! They couldn't serve that to prison inmates for fear a riot would start. Bland, can't taste the rum, can't taste the coke, a waste of time and resources. I just thought I'd warn y'all. We love ribs, but we have yet to find a recipe that will become our standard house recipe. Does anyone have a good reliable recipe? I am open to suggestions.
I can't wait for this drought to be over. There must be some brush fires nearby because for the last 2 days, we have had this smoke odor outside, almost full-time. I am sitting outside with my snake and my morning coffee. The snake doesn't like the smoke odor. I guess instinct tells her that smoke is bad news. Anyhow, my baby just can't seem to relax as she sits draped like a lei on my shoulders. She's got her tail wrapped around my left hand and she's holding tighter than usual. Poor thing, I'll bring her back inside now, where she'll fee secure again.
Take care, all.
Pu'ole, a.k.a. Sylvain.
sylvan,
This terrible fire is no where near Carol is it? I thought that she out that way.
Hope she is safe.
XXOO
Good morning. Mike is going to give you his recipe for ribs. He has even won first place in a bbq cookoff with them. Later.
Got to go check out the garden to see if there is any damage from last night's storm.
Hello again, everyone.
Nancy, I have no idea where the fires are.
Princess, I will gladly try his recipe. I have been known to cook a slight bit. Some things just escape me completely. For example, for about 20 years, I couldn't come up with a decent recipe for baked beans if my life had depended upon it. Then, I found an old cookbook with a baked beans recipe in it. I tried. It worked and that recipe is now part of my recipe arsenal. I hope it works for me.
There many things in bloom here today.
First, let me share this plumeria trio with you. On Jeremy's advice, I planted in a very large pot and they've been doing well ever since.
Pu'ole, a.k.a. Sylvain.
Then, there are these heidichium gingers, who are blooming for the first time in 2 years. I told them I would rip them out of the ground and use them to start a compost heap. Works every time.
Pu'ole, a.k.a. Sylvain.
Edited because I can't spell like an earthling this morning.
This message was edited May 12, 2011 10:29 AM
And finally, there is that orchid, which has been putting on quite the show for us in the last 2 weeks.
Pu'ole, a.k.a. Sylvain.
I need to transplant it to a different pot before I move it. The bottom of this one concave and it doesn' t balance well. New pot then I'll move it after it has a chance to get used to the little bit of extra room.
One of my newly done up containers. Lantana, mini petunias, a coleus and a dormant elephant ear in the middle. Since I didn't separate my ee's over the winter so that I knew what was what I have no idea what it will look like when it comes up. Will be a nice suprise. lol
Hi, everyone.
If there were a topic set for this thread, I would seriously off-topic. However, such is not the case. I won't take much of your time.
I usually think I look good while wearing a hat. Cowboy hats, baseball caps, dew rags, feudoras, party hats... you name it, I'll wear it.
Now, there is this famous hat going on the auction block soon. I'm having trouble deciding if I should bid or not. Gail tells me it wouldn't suit me. I think it's the color, somehow. Please check out the picture and let me know how you feel about it. Warning: this is not for the faint-hearted.
Take care.
Sylvain.
Good morning everyone,
After a rather rough day yesterday I got lots of sleep complete with the splint boot and five dogs.
I need to pot up some seedlings and plant some more of my new seeds.
Later:
I got some of the seedlings potted up and my supplies organized, which is always at leasst half the abttle. It's warm and sunny and ever so peaceful.
Will check the arroyo and see how the tangerine trees are doing.
hugs, kb
Sylvian - the hat needs a vine - could you put a pot under it?
b
sylvan,
It suits you to a QRSTUV
XXOO
Dahlin', you look magnificent. Much better than the little princess. Another picture to add my Sylvain Album.
Looking good Sylvain!!
Po'ule, it's just you, darling! Much better than on Princess Bea - don't bid a lot for it though will you, it will take a special event to carry it off - anything special coming up? You crack me up! The orchid, ginger and plumeria look very nice - it must smell gorgeous in your garden!
Katie, glad you had a good night's rest despite the boot and five dogs! I am still hoping you will get a camera and post some pictures so we can see all the work you are doing around your place - it must be looking good down in the arroyo after all the hard labor that has gone into it...good luck with the tangerines, it looks as if it is going to be a poor year for me with the citrus.
It looks as if that pot you planted is going to be very pretty, Pepper, especially if the ee comes up. I checked the "for sale" plumeria and they were only as big as your middle finger so I cut some off my trees - they are on there way to you. Sorry for the delay, but I had to go over to the airport to get them inspected before mailing. I hope you enjoy them.
Christi, package is on the way to you too - a couple of surprises included! Looking forward to seeing Mike's prize winning rib recipe - give him my love.
Hope all of you are safe from the awful flooding that is going right now - the weather channel is becoming a horror to watch and we feel so lucky to be here - at least for this week in time...
Aloha to all.
I don't know how I will ever pay you back for all your inconvenience, Jen. wish there were something in my garden that I could send but they are so picky about plants going into Hawaii, with good reason.
I have many Texas natives that are invasive right here in my yard. I can imagine what they would do in the rich soil of Maui. You will die. I am once again petting a small pot of bougainvillea and for the first time, for me, it is re-blooming. Will never forget that magnificent fence. We are waiting to open the doors for another sale of the belongings from Mike's mother. We had one sale at the house on the lake and had lots left. Have carted it here and going to make one more attempt. She has no antiques or collectibles. She lived near a kitchen discount store and in the seventies must have gone wild over Corning Ware. We have 3 complete sets and all the accessories. I got several pieces at my wedding showers 50 years ago and they are very difficult to use. Burns everything you put in it. When you try to scrub it, it makes marks. Good idea that didn't work out so well. About time to open for business. Later, everyone.
Good morning everyone,
Corning Ware is great in microwaves and the Visions pieces are vey collectable now.
I have seeds to plant and cleaning/organizing in my outdoor plant room.
tony is here and we are both enjoying that the critical neighbors are gone for the summer. I really like both of them, especially Dana, but they are both very critical and it's depressing. Reminds me of most of my family.
My foot is much better. Don't know if I'll be well enough to go see Amma who will be in LA on June 10.
My friends Sharon and Jon, Scout's owners, have broken up. Sharon is working in Malibu and can't have a dog there. She thinks Jon is in Canada, no idea when he'll return. He only talked to Tony about leaving Scout here. Scout is doing fine; she is very serious while all the others are still playful but she has always been this way. She follows me around some, like the others, and helps to remind me why I like dogs so much. I missed saying goodbye to Dana and Tom's dog Amioga who is a good friend (to their jealousy as she doesn't normally like "others")
I checked out the beach yesterday. There is only a little seaweed. Don't know if it's too early or too late for the big piles.
Back to clean-up.
hugs, katie
Rain and a cool front ! We can hear the sigh of relief. Busy busy, working overtime on some of my vacation and off to Colorado for my Nephews graduation. I think I might get a hold of Sharie and husband for a visit in Denver.
Poison arrow
Tree fern made it through another winter. I'm not sure why nurseries don't jump on the C. Australis, much better suited for zone 9 climates and may be even lower.
Oh gosh, Randy. Didn't used to be able to see the greenhouse for the foliage. Hope that doesn't mean that it is all gone, just maybe hasn't come up yet. Because of the cool spring, I have lots of things that are just now pushing through the soil.
The sale was just so-so today. The price of gas has deeply cut into the budget of we garage sale people. Had more than one looking for children's clothing. Buying just the basic of life. Not enough income for ANYTHING frivolous.
Just reading about the opening of flood gates all along the Mississippi River. So sad. Have any of you ever heard of so many natural disasters in your life? I haven't and will be 70 years old in October. Born just before Pearl Harbor and instead of getting better....things are much worse. I personally am safe and have a wonderful environment but so distressed for others.
Going to meet our son tomorrow for a Texas Ranger baseball game. He lives some 275 miles from us and we don't see him often. He is bringing some customers to the game and invited us to join him. Cautioned his daddy to tell me that he is 45 years old and I should not treat him like a child in front of the customers. What do you think? I may be nice, maybe not.....I can be a scoundrel at times.
Hi, everyone.
We finally got the big downpour we all prayed to get. It was a violent thunderstorm but no damage. Florida produces such unbelievable storms with thunder that sounds like a whip snapping and lightning that run horizontally in the sky. Maybe I have had a shielded youth, but I always saw lightling as striking vertically. Anyhow, the spectacle from under the carport was worth seeing and the rain felt so good. It was as if I could hear the plants go AAAHHH!
Power did go off, as it so often does here in storms. I sometimes wonder if those wires are real electrical wires, or licorice strips strung between the posts. We do run out of power very often. The surge protector on the computer earns its money, I tell you.
In such circumstances, I have 2 candelabras always ready. One of them is a 5-candle "silver" classical contraption like Liberace used to have on his piano. The other one is a menorah, given to me by a dear Jewish friend of ours years ago. I have a good thought for Rhina every time I light it. Those were two of the prized possessions I couldn't bear to leave behind when we moved to Florida. These 2 devices produce an appreciable amount of light when all the candles are burning.
But, having suffered a fire when we first got married, I am weary of candles and they do dirty the ceilings. We have 2 battery-operated lanterns and at least a half-dozen LED flashlights in our hurricane supplies. I just have to swing by Costco and buy 3 OR 4 12-packs of D batteries in preparation for the hurricane season. So many things to do...
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
We, too, have had storms this week and this is our tornado season. The weather is so unpredictable. We are now having lows in the 50's and highs around 70. Not normal for this time of year. The garage sale wasn't so good yesterday. Still have most of MIL's kitchen items and I certainly don't need anymore of my own. Mostly Corning Ware and Corel, and some silver plate serving pieces. All from the seventies. No demand for cooking supplies from the younger crowd. They eat out or bring in prepared entrees. Whole different world.
Love to everybody, PK
Some of the stuff is growing back, I removed the rest. I have been minimizing. I removed everything that was on the side of the garage, put some of it in front, and some along the back driveway.
Hi Friends,
Thanks to Sylvain, I have been lurking here for about a week. My, oh, my, I know you all. Long time no see to many of you.
as Sylvain said, we had quite a storm yesterday. No damage, but all the babies are singing this am. Have been cutting down on my garden space for it's just getting too much, but enjoying fully what there is.
Love to all,
Hap. (Nancy)
Hey Hap!
We had a storm on Thursday, the first time since the end of January that it has rained here.
It was followed by a cool front with a nice low 80's high and mid 50's low...very nice.
We got that cool front also. But our temps went down to the 50s for a high!! Today we just reached 51 for a high. And a bit of light rain every now and then. I want the 70s back!! lol
Rj, your garden still looks good despite the mimizing.
Thanks, I think so too. It took me quite a few weekends to haul out the dead stuff, and two big trash days to get rid of it all. I wish I had a wood chipper.
Hey Pepper....I finally did put that large cattle drinking trough in my green house, and it does the trick in keeping it humid. I put mosquito fish in there too. In the summer it serves as a water back up in these dry times here.
That's great!!