The garbage bag

Yesterday, sweeping up the damage from the windy torrents of last week, I pulled out a large garden garbage bag. I stuffed in the prickly bougainvillea branches that had been pruned, dead leaves and other flotsam.

A large garden bag on the terrace does strange things to me. I become inclined to take advantage of it's utility and size-- I began pruning the gardenia. A little on top, a little on the sides. Why not take it down a bit so it will grow in full and in nice form for the slower winter months? The trimming became uneven. It had to be corrected on the left, then the right, on the top around the bottom. It is now a forlorn skeleton of it's former full, glossy self. It will grow back. In a year, it will again, most likely, have regained it's lustre. For now, however, it is slightly melancholic.

An interest caterpillar was knocked from the underside of the leaves. It was quite large and of a light jade color. I have a feeling it's the beginning of a Lunar moth. there are not too many catepilers of that size and color. It DID NOT like being on the ground--nor being picked up. I tossed him under the orange tree into thick, green shade. I don't care if he chomps around. Lunar months are not to be taken lightly. 

Which lunar cycles does my jade green moth belong to? those of the Galilean moons?  

The nature of reflection

I've let things go for a week or two. Totally discouraged by damage caused by the 30+ winds. Plumeria stalks broken, begonias rotten from the gusting torrential rains. I burned two of the small purple bougainvillea by putting fertilizer on the roots which are hair-like and shallow and very susceptible to indiscreet, heavy-handed feeding. I trimmed dead-looking branches, topped off the potato tree, and finally swept up as the days have cleared. Still need to plant the pandora vine which will require a bag of rocks and some soil-- I've feeling quite lazy lately. It's summer time and it's hot down here... 

A bromeliad seen in a churchyard while walking the dog

Echoes of form in strikingly disparate contexts-- here, a red sea anemone.

Dried ox blood and bone meal - food for soil

After days of rain, one sunny day has put a major wilt on several of the plants. I spread some Plant Tone 2 days ago hoping the rain would soak the food deep into the soil. The rain dried up as soon as I fertilized, I waited a day to water in deeply-- I was afraid that I might have burned some roots but after a deep hose drench today after work, things began to look up. The potato tree, from a flacid, drooping mess of thorns and shredded leaves (the wind has been blowing 30+ mph) has begun to regain it's erection. 

As soon as I finished watering it began pouring again. The bone meal and dried blood I think have been well massaged into the soil. 

Where are you now exuberant Moscovites? Keep us posted. 

Pride and prejudice.

It's been raining for several days now. Plants react differently to rain than they do to plain old hose water. The slow hydration provided by dispersed rhythmic drips of rain see to coax the most growth from the plants. [8pm-- serious winds and rain now and lightning, there will undoubtedly be a few pot's turned over]

Tiny sprouts are appearing on the tips of the pruned branches on the Croton. As I remember, as a child, if you broke off a piece of a starfish's leg, it would grow back but WIKI tells me it actually takes months or years. So much for my memory. Well, a pruned (woody) branch takes several weeks. A short enough time to wonder at the magic of regeneration, and in fairly short order, a bushier, more shapely plant.

Solanum Macranthum-- giant potato tree earns its name. 

Celebrating Gay Pride here in the US. Here are some of my picks from the 20th;   Frederico Garcia-Llorca, James Purdy, Benjamin Britten, Vita Sackville-West, Freddie Mercury, Elizabeth Bishop, blah, blah, blah. Western culture would be a dry husk without gay creative ingenuity.

 It's alive folks (I should say, when this pic was taken,  since deceased.)--  Leigh Bowery--beyond genius.
Happy Gay Pride Day 

Just an elegant flower all around

There are a number of magnolia trees in our apartment complex. They are not like the magnolias that grow 60' - 70' tall up north (N FL), I'm guessing that these are magnolia grandiflora 'lil gem'. These are dwarfs but their flowers are large proportionate to the leaf and overall tree size. One  of these blossoms can perfume the air quite a distance-- and it is quite an elegant scent.

It doesn't get too much more beautiful than the magnolia.

From WIKI (of which I am a paying contributor): 

Magnolia is a large genus of about 210[1] flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.

Magnolia is an ancient genus. Having evolved before bees appeared, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles. To avoid damage from pollinating beetles, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are extremely tough. Fossilised specimens of Magnolia acuminata have been found dating to 20 million years ago, and of plants identifiably belonging to the Magnoliaceae dating to 95 million years ago.[2] Another primitive aspect of Magnolias is their lack of distinct sepals or petals: Magnolias possess undifferentiated flower parts for which the term "tepals" was coined.[3]

The natural range of Magnolia species is a disjunct distribution, with a main centre in east and southeast Asia and a secondary centre in eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and some species in South America.

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bromeliad I'm going to leave the pup alone and let them grow up and out of the pot. 

Falling stars

Mango season has come riding in on the coat tails of the vernal equinox (in 4 days time) . I was gifted with a ripe bagful today from a friend. One of my very favorite flavors, along with a very ripe star fruit.
The sun and heat today were significant. The evening, however, has been sweetened by a cool ocean breeze.

Remember to look for hidden jewels in the tree tops, tonight it I hit pay dirt.

An old oak plays a willing host for some (native?) orchids in bloom. Lots of resurrection ferns too, happy for the summer rain.

Leggy croton

Parting the top partially you can see that it's becoming leggy underneath-- it's time to prune. This variegated oak-leaf croton is such a beautiful shrub, I have to be sure to plant cuttings from this plant. Trim judiciously, don't create holes in the outline of the plant.

See what I mean? Time to cut this girl back-- best to do it now that the summer heat and humidity have arrived, the season will kick start new growth. 

Miami heat -- and humidity

The gathering storm-- electricity is beginning to light up the sky [photos: me]

Potato tree is now 6-7' having fully recovered from amputation, also plumeria  (right) has  grown in fully  after a significant cut back. 

Otherwise nothing much happening, overworked and the heat has kept me off the porch. With the summer weather, I've had to pull out the hose and water all round. No more watering cans. Feed everyone next week. I have to mark the feeding cycle on my calendar. YOU MUST FEED POTTED PLANTS, preferably with organic fertilizers that will enhance the soil, microbes, minerals etc.

More B/W

Faded history on a Georgia isle

Nice watering this eve. I've been diluting the fish tea and adding to water. Very pleasant the past few evenings.

The 12th Step in the garden

"having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these plants, we carried cuttings to friends..."

Gifted recently potted cuttings of variegated oak leaf croton to my gardening compadre, A.M., an old friend from NYC. We went on a jaunt in search of Macho ferns. I knew just the nursery which is on the service road parallel to Flamingo Road. NOT Flamingo Road Nursery which I only go to as a last resort. Though I have bought some nice large planters there.. Maybe I'm being too harsh. My nursery is wholesale-like in terms of there pricing. We bought nice size Macho's $6  for 3 gal pots. Also purchased was a beautiful dark green alocasia (shade) for $7. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the place. But, if you get on the service road at Flamingo Gardens and head north, it is the first nursery you'll come to. Don't miss the bromeliades by the check out shed in the front. VERY GOOD deals. I bought my achmea 'Zebrina Surprise' there for $25. That size plant could have easily run $75 or more elsewhere.  

Hot and humid down this way. More later.

No mas nada

Achmea 'zebrina surprise' giving it her all

Chopped off top of Cereus when it hit the ceiling and couldn't support itself. Some small branches have emerged and look as though they'll be able to grab  the ceiling, before the weight of the vine starts bending them down. . 

The fractal geometry of creeping fig. 

 

Eau d'offal

Nice sunny morn here in Fort Lauderdale, sun's all lit up but it's not that humid yet. Was on tennis court by 8 off  by 9ish (need to go to the gym).

Today in the garden, I made some tea. In an empty gallon milk jug:

1/8 bottle SuperThrive Miracle mix
1 qt of Fish and Poop (guano and fish emulsion)
3 oz of iron / soil acidifier
2 oz of copper fungicide

Fill up the rest of the container (using full stream to froth it up- activating enzymes, microbes?) with water.
I put about 3 or 4 oz of this mixed up mess in my 3 gal water cans and went at it all around. Hopefully there will not be deadly interactions in the soup that will harm anyone. It will however anoint someone walking on the sidewalk 4 flights down with some nasty smelling run off.

I'm wondering now if I shouldn't have made sure the soil in all the pots had some damp in them.... It's been raining for a week straight. No good to serve them straight shots when they need some water first.

Pandora vine is deserving of some trimming. I'm going to have to go after some of the legginess on croton and gardenia as well. It's grow time-- we are sliding in quickly toward the longest day of the year. Being in the tropic of Cancer, the sun will be at 12 o'clock on that day, we think.

(later that day..) trimmed 4 leggy branches of the variegated oak leaf croton, stuck the ends in Root Tone and crammed them into some nice moist Miracle Gro potting soil, expensive but full of organic material. Hid them away out of the sun's reach, as per some instructions online, no sun for a few weeks. I hope this dark, humid hideout isn't a den of whitefly that might make lunch of my hopeful cuttings.