Yesterday I saw a squirrel who's behaviour made my eyebrows raise, and sent me careening out into the garden after him. This guy had willful intent on some vine destruction! Not just any vine mind you, it is Hawaiin wood rose vine I started from seeds I brought back from Kauai Botanical Research gardens. You could tell that the vine was irritating the heck out of him...and he grabed it and was yanking on it with all is squirrel might. Right now is peak wood vine activity as it is a winter bloomer, and while I may never see blooms from it, this is the most promise it's shown to date. Before I helped that little guy find out what he's going to be in the next life...I just put netting around the Castor been giant tree that hosts the wood rose. Matter of fact in this post http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4047240 you if you look to the top of the picture you can see the vine hanging down.
I know by nature squirrels dig things up, but it's just a usually unintended by product of storing winter food...but this...eeewww...anyone else witness this behavior?
Touring Jungle Heights, Rj's tropical garden.
I'ld be after him too! My Mom has daylilies under a Chinaberry Tree, and I had set seed pods on several last year! Some pesky little squirrel ate them....left the empty pods and my tags on the ground nearby! I was so mad!
Thanks...now hopefully you'll take alot of eden back with you!
I know...if I wasn't so worried about that particular vine...it actually was pretty dang funny watching him get all angry and just having a fit trying to pull the vine off the trunk
Yes! I can't wait for Sat. to get here! Oh I'm go-ing to the jun-gle....the beautiful, beautiful jun-gle (tune to the Huki Lau song)!
This must be the Houston RU....
Noooooo, just going to visit Randy Sat. There's a RU over at Mercer Sat, but not going this time....maybe another time!
Sounds good...
that has always been a dream ..to build an arboretum...In the mean time I hear there is a new one here in town I have to go check out.
Yes, Jeanne is going to help me thin out plants...winter is coming, and I have no more real estate left, although I am eyeing the front yard...
When you plant by seeds - there are all those extras...then there was the plant swap..and there was a big load of plants left.
Then there are the cuttings..
It's a growing labratory, and sometimes I don't think I'm that prepared for success!
And these clerodendrums...even the philippinum - grew over 6 feet..they are all space hogs ..
Very nice tour through your jungle, rj. Man, you sure can grow a lot of plants in Houston. A real inspiration for me to start my own when I get there. My brother, who lives in the area only grows what apprears to be crab grass in his yard. That will all change if I have my way. I'll start him with a plant or two and maybe a seed will be planted in his head. teehee
Glad to be all of the assistance that I can! We aim to please! Just consider our yard an extention of the Jungle Heights! LOL Mi casa es su casa.....su flores es mi flores!!!!! Mi Amigo! I will be very glad to take care of any extras that need a home! Gracias Senor!
My jaw fell with envy over your not so bit of Eden, RJ. If only I could have just a lil creative botanical wizardry skill of yours RJ..
You are amazing!
Let me know when you get in town!
Thanks,
Nature was very cooperative this year...especially the rain, it was like the Central American rainy season!
No kidding....I thought we owned lake front property....oh my mistake, that's the backyard! It finally did drain, dryup....but my goodness!
My gosh!! your garden is heaven!!
Good morning! Having a cup of coffee and salivating over your garden again! Gosh!! Beautiful RJ.
Oh oh! DH just woke up, got to minimize this, he warned me not to have any ideas!
RJ your garden takes my breath away! So lush and gorgeous! Now, I know a similar look can be achieved using containers...I've seen it....but I just don't seem to have the knack of combination. Your garden is my inspiration....heck i LIVE in the tropics! I SHOULD be able to do that! That pellet you talked about sounds perfect - but 40 lbs?! I wonder if they sell it in any smaller amounts for shipping purposes? I am going to check out gardengeek.com!
I had a running battle with the squirrels up in Colorado. One (or more, who knows) got so mad at me for putting capsasin in the bird feeder that he litterally chewed up one of my patio chairs! I was always finding things chewed or broken....they are smart and mean!
Thanks Shari, at first I had to garden like that because the back had 2 more tree's shading the garden, and so I moved the containers around with the sun throughout the year..I had one tree removed, and Hurricane Rita had the other one (in my neighbors yard) removed. I felt bad for him because it was a 100 year old pecan tree, that his kids swung in growing up..It split in two, one half grazing the corner of his house, the other half landing right in between our houses (in my back driveway). Even though it landed on my car and took out the fence, it mostly missed the house. When we opened the blinds to the bedroom, the branches were litteraly resting on the windows!
.it's a bit crowded and that is why Jeanne is going to come over and lighten the load. My next lesson in the labratory garden is going to be landscaping. I did begin the transition this year, but the rain this summer sort of slowed that process down.
Re the pellets, I always have a bag of that around, I suppose I could put some in a freezer bag and mail it? it is good for the potted plants.
I have to go tidy up after work tonight...Jeanne will be there tomorrow to pick up plants...I told her to plan more trips..I'll probably be tossing plants in her trunk when she's not looking..LOL!
No problem here.....How much do those trailers rent for at Uhaul? Oh, I don't have a trailer hitch on the back of the car! Darn the luck! haha
Hmm U haul the..forget the trailers...
Well Rj .....I was off to bed at midnight....until I stumbled across Jungle Heights!......your jungle is beautiful ......tropical ...romantic...just stunning!.....you know when I look at yours I hear soft Island music.........I love my Jungle ....however when I look at mine I hear Tarzan calling! and Elephants stampeding.....not exactly what I planned... but I love it's wildness anyway.....your jungle is a dream......how does it feel to live in a dream? congratulations!
you and Tm and a handful of other Tropical enthusiasts.....super heroes the lot of you!
goodnight...at 12.45 am....Sunday morning.....7th oct.
A special thanks for the tour of Jungle Heights! nice things to think about while falling to sleep.......
In the jungle ....the mighty jungle.... the lion sleeps tonight.......weeee......aaaa whimmmma... way......
rj - your jungle is AMAZING - and I am suffering from 'jungle envy'. I really know what you mean about 'no such thing as a small _ "...you fill in the blanks. Heavy pruning going on here too!!!!! And chopping the bloomed gingers down to add more soil and fert....if not they become the plant that at Cleveland.
rj...you are gifted!!!
Carol
Carol, it is ever bit as AMAZING in person! Just breathtaking! So tranquil and relaxing! It is a wonderful garden! Randy is such a wonderful host, and so generous! The garden art is phenomenal! A wonful display of beauty both in plants and art! Totally Amazing!
Randy, DS and I had such a fine visit. It was fantastic! Thank you for everything! It was great! Thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon!! Thank you so much!!!!! Hope to see you again!
I hope your lovely plants like it in my yard as well as they do yours! LOL
Thank you!
The pictures say it all! Gorgeous! Randy is just adorable. So friendly, has a wonderful since of humor, so kind and thoughtful. It was raining when we first got there, so we sat and visited. The rain lightened up and we were able to tour the garden. We went out on the deck and looked onto the pond. It is just so tranquil, just so peacefull. You forget that you are in the middle of Houston.
You are just in awe of the heights of the plants in the Heights! Unbelievable! Then we walked thru the garden and Randy explained to me what each one was. There is such a lovely rock path thru the garden (I want one). Everything is so lush. So healthy, green, tall! Truly amazing! We rounded out our tour. Randy had alot of plants ready to be adopted. So we loaded the car and bid farewell, and came home.
It was such a lovely afternoon! Randy is just a wonderful gardener and host. He is so generous and kind and thoughtful! Just a sweetheart! We really had a good time. He's a dear! He is so knowledgeable about each plant he has. I will forever be asking questions. He is so kind to share his wisdom and knowledge! Hopefully a friend forever!
Randy, hope you don't mind my bragging on you!
Jeanne
Randy ... your fan club is growing!!!
My goodness, such praise! RJ, are you blushing dear? Can't let DH read these last couple of posts, or he would never agree to go visit such an icon! Ha Ha! Bet Mike might have some problems in that area as well! Well, Mike and JB can commiserate together while Christi and I pommel Randy with all the questions we will have about how you grow such gorgeous plants! Should be interesting!
RJ.....what a beautiful tropical garden!!
You were talking about that squirrel, and it made me laugh and remember something one of our DG members said on the ORVG Coffeebreak thread. She recently acquired this parrot, and is just learning what all he can say. His name is Ozzie. I will copy and paste what she wrote the other day about him and a squirrel. So funny!!
"Got a good laugh out of ole Oz man first thing this morning...One of the squirrels got a peanut out of the dish, and brought it down the slope near the door to bury it...Oz saw him and started screaming **PUT THAT BACK!!*** Scared the bejimminies out of the poor squirrel and he hauled tail over the woodpile...Must have scared him real good, cause he hasn't been back yet..LOL "
I laughed myself silly! I could just see that bird scaring that squirrel!
He may have scared him away for good!
How funny! Now see RJ, all you need is a trained parrot to sit out there and guard the garden. Solves all of your problems with the squirrels! LOL
LOL. That's funny about the squirrel.
Super garden RJ! You and TM do more with your pieces of land than I do, and I live in the tropics!
Been trying to access "gardengeek" all morning.....lots of sites but none of them that sell anything. RJ is there a trick?
Yeah....me too? I don't get it!
Just had to jump in here for a sec. I think you may be looking for yardgeek.com
aah..thanks guys...I am blushing.
I had jam packed garden chuming weekend. When Jeanne arrived Saturday, it poured for a little while, then we got to touring and plant chat. We had a great visit, and then wrangled some plants into the car. Alot of them were rather large..Jeanne is a sweety.
After she left, I re-arranged the west portion to maximize the changing sun exposure.
Sunday was burgers over at a friends house who has an internet plant business, and there was a small gathering of plant enthusiasts. It's fun going over to Waynes house because the back yard is where the green house and all the plants are at, so we all inspect everything and delight in the fall blooms of exotic plants.
Since I live down the street everyone wanted to come by and tour the garden, so I said give me 10 mins and ran home to tidy the squirrel dammage (loved the squirrel story) of nuts and leaves. We had a great time, it was fun watching them run around checking it all out. We're all alike when we see new gardens, we have to see every corner!
One of the gentlemen that I had met at Waynes previously has an astounding garden, and to boot he is an accomplished artist. We are going to be visiting his garden in a couple of weeks. I think we need a botanary term for hanging out in the garden..like gardenizing or something like that.. Anyway I think you guys will enjoy his web site as much as I do...!
http://mikenature.com/
Seems like alot of us here like the Jungle theme!
This weekend we are headed to another Jungle, Jerrys Jungle where he has a sale 3 times a year, and I obtain my rarer plants. All of us are meeting up there next weekend.
http://jerrysjungle.com/
Needless to say. I slept in today
ooh..sorry about the yardgeek.com
I do that repeatedly. I suppose my mind thinks it should be gardengeek
Yes, some of those plants were kind of big....yep they were! Boy was I surprised! But we managed! They all look pretty good. It didn't torture them too bad putting them in the car! Thanks Randy! I really do appreciated it!