Oh, he had a good time. Even when my mother called DH less than an hour after we got home . . . a house two houses away from them was engulfed in flames, and they were told to get out! DH took son with him, and they were there for a good 2 hours . . . DS was talking to a young policeman, and they were just talking about fires, and how it's the firemen's job to put out the fire while keeping other people safe.
Turns out the people had been frying a turkey in the backyard, and while it was cooking thought it would be a good idea to leave it alone and go take a shower. Not that they're being in the backyard would have done much . . . when hot oil touches an open flame, there's not much anyone could do.
OT - September Outside Beauties #2
I bet your son loved getting on that motorcycle! Sad about the fire. I can't imagine leaving a turkey alone like that.
Well, it did give my mother a wake up call on getting renter's insurance . . . The important thing is that everyone made it out of that house (gutted, by the way), and the 1-story duplex next to my mothers 2-story - only a corner of the duplex next to the house got some damage. Nobody was home there . . . and the fire department got the dog out. That's how the lady that lives there found out . . . they called the number on the dog tags.
How adorable! I even remember him from being here. That is precious.
Lin, I took a few pictures today in Rockport for you. Betty and I went to her son's house in Rockport to swipe some plumerias. As it turned out, the only ones in the sun were yellow and white..........I already had those, but I took some pictures for you.
I want you to see what you yellow esperanza will look like in a few years........The orange ones are beautiful bu don't seem to be as hardy as the yellow.
I just saw your post, Syrunami and so glad no one was hurt.
I don't know what kind of plant this orange one is but it is beautiful.
This was the prettiest pink oleander I have ever seen.
I don't know what this shrub is but the white blooms are exceptional!
Look at the size of this potted epi! Because they are not there except on some weekends usually, the plants don't get enough water to bloom like we would want them to.
There are no freezes on the water and take a glance at the size of the trunk of this (some kind of) jatropha.
My jatrophas aren't this big (LOL)
Their ixoras didn't seem to mind no water while they are gone..........
They are only 20 miles from my house and what a difference in our winters. Does your Croton grow this large (smiling as mine sure don't)
Those are some great pix, Gail!
I just remembered . . . once DH got over to my mothers street, he called and said the smoke was pretty bad . . . I went into the backyard . . . at least I know which direction my mother's place is!
I don't know if this one will be better or not. Keep in mind, I think my mother's place is about 3 miles away . . .
Wow, that was a big fire Syru! That smoke is amazing if it is from 3 miles away. So glad no one was hurt. That was a very stupid, dangerous thing for those folks to leave a turkey frying while they went to take a shower!
Gail, Wow! Those photo's are Awesome! I can't believe the size of the Esperanza! I wonder if they will get that big here? I have never seen them here in my area and will love it if mine get anywhere near that size!
I sure am curious as to what that shrub with the white flowers is! It is really nice ... love the foliage and the flower!
I have an oleander like that pink one. Have a dark pink one and a white one also. None of ours are blooming right now. I should give them a shot of fertilizer as the white one is looking a bit chlorotic. My Croton's are not planted in the ground, all are in containers. If they are in the ground and we have hard frost or the rare freeze it would kill them. Farther south in the state they get huge like that!
edited because I must have hit send twice!
This message was edited Sep 29, 2008 4:01 PM
Aaaah, the end of September already, I can hardly believe it! This year is flying by. I did yard work today and after mowing I walked around the yard watering some things and found another orchid blooming!
This is one of my $5.95 Wal-Mart buys ... a Better-Gro orchid. One of the ones that come in little teensy pots in the plastic bags. I had to go search for the name (I saved the card that came with it showing the picture!)
The label reads: EPICATTLEYA EL HATILLO 'PINTA' HCC/AOS
Oops! I guess you can't edit out the picture. Sure hope y'all don't mind seeing it on here twice!
I love seeing it over and over and .....................I am going straight to Walmart tomorrow in Portland, Aransas Pass, Rockport and Corpus if I have to ..............I had no idea they carried orchids........
Gail, Our Wal-Marts don't have them now ... they have cleared out the indoor garden center for Christmas stuff! Yeah, not even October yet and they are setting up the indoor area for Christmas!
Check Home Depot if you have any near you! They sell the Better Gro Orchids in the bags. I am going to HD tomorrow for Perlite and Orchid Bark and I need to get some of the wood baskets for transplanting a couple I have had growing in rattan baskets! Last year when I bought these I forgot to get the wooden baskets and was too lazy to drive the 1/2 mile back to Wal-Mart or Home Depot so I just put them in moss inside some old rattan baskets I had around. The baskets don't hold up too long with watering every week! I had one basket hanging in the tree and the bottom actually rotted out. The orchid roots were attached to the sides of the basket, so I had to carefully cut the sides of the basket with roots intact to transplant into the wooden orchid basket. When I'm there tomorrow I am going to check out what they have in Cattleya's in the little bags! If I see this one I might have to buy a couple more! I just love the color. I have another that according to the label has really pretty orange colored blooms, I'm hoping it will set some buds soon! I just fed these about a week ago so it's so good seeing buds and blooms. I have a purple one and a yellow one with buds getting ready to open. I can't remember what kind of orchids they are though. I think the purple one is a dendrobium. I want to some day get one of the vanda orchids ... I like the way the foliage grows on them and the flowers are pretty too.
I plant all of my orchids in clay pots with peat, orchid bark and the plant..............except for my Vandas. I am nervous about a trade I made with Amy where she sent me so many orchids.............worrying that maybe I should have put the smaller ones in 4" orchid clay pots..........oh well..............we shall see..............
The vandas require a lot of attention...........that is........water every single day which of course I Don't do every day so once a week I put them in my bath tub for a good 2 hours in fertilizer diluted.............it really helps them.
These are my 'outside beauties' that are in bloom now. Quite a few of the orchids I have came from those bags sold in the big box stores. It takes a few years for the small ones to bloom. The larger ones around $12 bloom for in the following year. I finally stopped buying orchids, because between them, the hoya I've become addicted to, and now gessies, I'm running out of room. Inside the house the light is not good enough for plants. DH put that stuff on the windows to keep out the sun and heat and the two good windows I have facing north, have windowsills just a few inches from the floor. It makes is difficult to see any plants I put there.
Just about all my plants are outside, either under roof of lanai or within the screen enclosure. I finally put the orchids out under the lychee tree. They are doing so much better out there. I have a few vanda, but don't recommend them unless you remember to water them every day, which I don't. They bloom sporadicly for me.
In the picture are a min dendrobium, a NOID dendrobium, Blc 'Hawaii', a Phalenopsis 'Sylvia's Dream', and a gloxinia Brocade dbl pink.
Oh my gosh, Eileen ... they are stunning!
Thanks, Lin. I have over 50 orchids and they were not doing well in the screen enclosure so they got moved outside. They seem to be doing better. I just wish they would bloom more frequetly. One of the catleyas has a bud sheath for over 3 months. I am getting impatient. Once a year blooming is not enough for me. I want more. Although I do have a dendrobium hanging off the rail of the enclosure that has been blooming all summer. It's in the sun. Go figure. LOL
... I had to shut down the computer for a little bit ... thunder and lightning! We got some nice rain for a short period too.
I had my orchids on my screened deck and they were getting way too much sun so last spring I moved them all out and hung them in a tree in the backyard. Unfortunately the birds and squirrels had a field day with the moss in some of the baskets. Every label was out of the pot, scattered all over under the trees. A few orchids were out of the baskets under the trees on the ground ... and even three orchids are completely missing! I said maybe the squirrels wanted to beautify their nests with pretty flowers but someone said some orchids are edible and that maybe the birds/squirrels ate them! Danged critters! A couple of weeks ago I moved all the orchids to another tree over by the screen room and so far, so good ... haven't seen any squirrels messing with them in the new location, maybe because one or two cats are always out there in the pool area!
Wow, you have a lot of orchids Eileen! At one time I had maybe 25 but I'm down to probably 15 or so now. A lot of mine came from the clearance table at Wal-Mart and I got a few in trades and the bagged ones I bought at Wal-Mart. Since I am not an orchid pro I can't see paying $25 or more for a plant that I might kill, LOL. I prefer going the cheap route ... $5.00 - $10.00 would be my limit!
Wow...orchids outdoors in warm climates. Beautiful! We have to be taking in everything pretty soon as the nights are getting so chilly.
I have seen those bagged orchids at Lowes and didn't know if they were any good but now I see I should give them a try!
If anyone wants begonia cuttings from my post above (#5591512) let me know. I'll send them free for exact postage ($4.80) I should be able to share a dozen cuttings. I'll offer them in lots of 3 cuttings per person.
There are some advantages to living on this black farmland where you can see nothing but ugly for miles. I keep my orchids and begonias on the porch all winter with the poly wrapped around the porch. The poly goes on about the 3rd week of December. My orchids go crazy with happiness in the winter out there.
I have a problem..........hope someone knows the answer. I have two upright growth patterns of what are both called Nematanthus Tropicana..........now look at both plants and the bloom is different. Maybe it is a good thing I took the 4" pots off the DG Marketplace until I feel better.
Lin, you are a good researcher..................I have a guess that this one is marked wrong but what are you all guessing?
Gail, the first photo looks like like this picture of Tropicana: http://www.gesneriads.ca/nemata25.htm and a close up of Tropicana flower: http://www.gesneriads.ca/nemata24.htm
I'm not sure about the second photo, it doesn't look like Tropicana to me. Maybe this one? http://www.plantworld.org/gallery2/main.php/key/gesneriaceae?g2_itemId=4280
edited to say ... forget about that second link, that doesn't look anything like your flower! LOL, I am sooo not good at comparing photo's sometimes, especially when going back and forth from one to another.
This message was edited Oct 4, 2008 5:46 PM
YOu are definitely right on the first............I have a regular goldfish plants and that is the second picture you posted...........I think one of mine is an old plant and one is a new plant and they are the same.
I am now convinced they are both tropicanas.........thanks so much.........back to the Texas game or take a nap..........big decision ........