Bird of Paradise

1. The croton was so infested that i cut all affected areas off. Of course this left me with a bare branched un-identifyable. I was going to toss it so I pulled it out of it's large pot. It had been overpotted, with damp compacted soil-- no wonder it was so susceptible to the virulent attack.
I temporarily moved it to a smaller pot, not planted, but with loose soil around root ball to hold it until I buy a tighter cheap pot for it. Over-potting just doesn't work with containers it seems. Unless your talking about a banana whose roots will fill up anything.

So, in the crotons former home a 26" brown plastic pot, I planted a white bird of paradise.  The orange were too expensive for me today. It is a lot more appropriate for the space than a banana.The trunk lends itself to be grown against a wall. The larger stalks can be cut as it's trunk becomes leggy.

It is a gorgeous day with a nice breeze coming off the water in the 70's. I gave everyone a nice shower in the morning, they've gotten great sun all day.

I replanted a rhizomatous that had been planted in a low glazed cobalt bowl to a shallower terracota bowl. It was not going anywhere in the bowl, though far from rotting. It has a peculiar mottled leaf, it may turn out to be a bore, a friend bought the mother plant and i tore a piece off, so I don't know much about it. My space is limited, so I can't just keep growing begonias because they are begonias.

After looking at pictures of the virginia creeper, it looks just like poison ivy, and i'm just not sure.  ivy or simply more creeping fig might be more elegant. if there is anyone reading this that knows of a interesting clinging vine, i'd be grateful if you'd post a name.