Garlic! Oh good! I'm about to get after whatever's after all my greens! I was so proud and then something's come along and made Swiss cheese (or worse) out of them ;=(( grrrrrrrr
Here's one of my surprises today. Looks very much like a tiny Caladium, but I just planted the first Caladium that I know of that's ever even BEEN on this property - about 1/2 acre away from where this one came up. It's about the size of a golf ball in dimension.
This message was edited May 13, 2009 8:49 PM
Cajun2, what!?! I didn't think those things ever spread. At least they don't around here. I have to re-plant every year, even for the ones I want to come up. It sure looks like a caladium. I hope mine come up in the next few weeks.
Anyone have caladiums from corms that have come up in the DFW area yet?
Oh, and regarding garlic, I've had pretty good results using Garlic GP http://www.garlicgp.com/ (a local Texas company's product) on crape myrtles, but remember, that it's not systemic like some of the commercial fungicides, so you have to spray it where you see it, and keep up with it, not letting any white stuff get out of hand.
I'm so glad for this thread cuz right now not much is bloomin' in my yard. My hostas are just about to bloom though. I'm confused. I thought they were supposed to bloom in July or Aug. Well they aren't all bloomin - just 2 so far.
How well does that Garlic GP stuff work on aphids and thrips?
This is one hosta with buds.
silverfluter, I haven't targeted any bugs with the Garlic GP, just the white powdery mildew and lawn fungus. The stuff I've used is the lawn version, which isn't marketed as an insect repellent, but I talked to the guy in email and he said you can use it on crape myrtles, too, not just lawns. I see that their new AG Pro 3 is claiming to be an insect and pest repellent, but I haven't seen it in the stores, and I don't know what kind of efficacy they claim.
The hosta is a great surprise. My hosta in back is coming up like gangbusters with leaves, but no sign of buds or stalks yet. The hosta in the front yard didn't come up this year. The one in front I'm going to thin out and spread around, I think, but I haven't done that before.
This is a surprize visitor in our yard from earlier this week. It would not stop jumping from limb to limb; hard to photograph. We have identified it as a Magnolia Warbler.
Beautiful!
Carlo, I have caladium bulbs that are coming up, about 120 of them. Almost all have pushed through the soil; about half have unfurled at least one leaf.
I noticed today that my callas that I thought I killed in the gh are coming up, but only 2 of them. I took them out of the pot in Feb and planted them near a rose. I figured they would get better care there.
The Garlic GP is supposed to be available at a nursery here locally, so I'm going to check it out.
Cajun2, I spotted one caladium on Friday and another today, so maybe it's time for my caladiums to come up, too!
frostweed, I think that may be a day flower Commelina erecta in post #6541699, but as I read the description, I'm not entirely convinced. I see one damaged bloom on one of the plants, and it looks very similar in color, but it's tough to tell what it's shaped like. I'll keep an eye out for more blooms.
You have to go and check them in the morning, they close by noon.
No blooms this morning.
That's cool, Carlo! Mine has a second leaf unfurled. Not much bigger, but I'm hopeful!
Cajun2, I put about 20 small caladium corms in the front and back yards. So far, I've only had these two come up, but I'm really excited about the color they're hopefully going to add to my shady areas.
I know what you mean! I got 3 or 4 in a trade and am anxiously awaiting the show! Do you have to dig them up every fall there? I never had much luck with mine coming back in FW.
Cajun2 wrote:
Do you have to dig them up every fall there? I never had much luck with mine coming back in FW.
Ok cool. Well good to know.
And guess what? In keeping with the theme here, I found that 3 Caladiums came up in a little bed his mom had planted a year or two ago (about an acre away from the 'stray' I found-above). So I guess I won't HAVE to dig them up every year here!
More good news! I'll try to take pics tomorrow.
They don't freeze here - which is the problem up north. But they do tend to rot away, and although you may get a show the second year, they'll decline until you only have a few here and there, then nothing. I had great luck with 'White Queen' - planted in 2006 and a great showing in 2007. But only a few in 2008, and I think I may have seen two out there this year. Others I've planted didn't do as good - no second year show.
It's great to find surprises in the garden. I love dragonflies but it was a surprise that I was able to get close enough to actually get a viewable photo before she moved on... (my camera doesn't zoom!)
But she was much more beautiful in person!!
Nice shot for no zoom!
These mushrooms growing from this stump might be more interesting that surprising.....
Looking down; another view.
Mushrooms allways surprise me. Here today gone tomorrow.
Interesting mushrooms. I think they're some kind of stink horn.
Here's my latest surprise in the garden. Taken last night through the window - this is under the bird feeder.
very interesting mushroom!
love the dragonfly!
and how precious those little baby squirrels are!!!!
Squirrels? You think those are squirrels? You're pulling my leg, right?
Ugh - rats! Ever since my backyard neighbors (and their 8 cats) moved away, I've been seeing rats scampering along my fence almost every evening at dusk. They give me the creeps!!!
Carla
Maybe you can train them to act like squirrels!! My first thought was rats, too. Ick!!!
lmao! ok my perception's off then! can i take that comment back altogether?! lol
sorry but that's what they looked like... then i thought maybe moles/voles.
so ick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I wonder why rats and mice are more repulsive than moles or any other rodent, is it because they multiply fast and get into things?
And have fleas and carry diseases, and eat holes in houses and screens and chew on all manner of wiring rendering the security system, etc useless, and gnaw on the sprinkler heads too. Plus they are dirty and leave droppings and stink to high heaven.
My fault - I saw 2 babies last year and the babies were so cute jumping around on the rocks...This year I saw 8 and thought hmmmmm, and then I took that picture and I count 16! And that probably isn't all of them.
They can reproduce at 3 months with a gestation period of 21 to 23 days, giving birth to 5 to 8 babies. 3- 5 litters a year. Let's see - if half are female, that is 8. 8 x 8 = 64, and at 5 litters a year, 8 females can reproduce 320 babies. And then those babies, at the ripe old age of 3 months - if half are female, that is 160 x 8 x 5 - oh, it boggles the mind!
Anybody got a snake?
Those rodents do not seem to concerned about predators do they!? Well, a good ferrell cat or yard cat will run off those mice too. We have hawks, owls, snakes and all that out here but our little cat keeps them away from the house!! They are a terrible problem especially if they decide to come in the house and start chewing on everything!!
This is one of those times I'm truly thankful for living in the country with 'hawks, owls, snakes AND 6 dogs!!!
Not much will get by that lot, I tell ya!
For sure Cajun2!
I did find a really nice surprise today. This wild rose bush was hiding but I noticed the blooms...and it has lots of buds. I think maybe it's a Rosa setigera.
I think you are right, did you check to see if it is thornless?
Thanks frostweed. It does have some large thorns.
Well, the Rosa setigera we have at the wildscape is thornless, although it says here that it has prickles;
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ROSE2
so I don't know, but the flower sure looks like it.
We do have another one Rosa palustris Swamp rose, that one has thorns, and the flowers are very similar with thorns
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ROPA
but of course there are so many, it would be hard to say.
Was I clear as mud? Anyway it is a lovely rose, enjoy it !!!
EEEk!!! C.J. that is just creepy!! Where do they go during the day?? I think it is time for setting some traps late at night. That or get some good mouser cats from the shelter. Are they rats or field mice?
Yeah, my husband and I seriously considered a good mouser... but apparently my front yard dogs got wind of it and had a better plan - do it themselves.
Anyone know if mousers also chase down moles/voles too?
