A new helper in the garden

 "Olive"

night time is the right time

1. Hylocereus costaricensis

night blooming cereus early am soon to fade

look here my heart

Hot n humid, demands some dedicated care for the family. But oh my, look at this seagrape and parrot vine.

It's time for growth and I've begun weekly foliar feeding of  emulsified kelp, MiracleGro and some SuperThrive. Applied Organicide for proactive bougainvillea protection. A serious white fly swarm on the orange tree begged for another treatment this pm. 

Don't spray Organicide on begonia leaves. They'll burn under slightest sun. 

The bougainvillea cuttings (1" thick) prepped with root tone SIGNIFICANTLY faster to growth than not. 

Ricky, 2004 - 2015, a part of my heart has died

Rest in peace old boy, you will be sorely missed.

A very fine friend indeed

Had to move purple bougainvillea away from wall adjacent to neighbors with the 2 poodles. The dogs eat the fallen bracts and throw up, blah blah blah.

After un-potting the root ball of this bougie, I trimmed down main branches. Like plumeria, bougainvillea trunk (1.5 - 2" dia. x 8") can be stuck 2" or deep into some good soil, kept evenly moist-- if the gods are with you, after several weeks it will sprout. The first 2 cuttings I simply didn't want to through them out, and poked them in two planters with no root tone. It's been about 3 weeks and tiny leaflets have begun to form. I've used both plain water and "vitamin" water (miracle gro spiked with some kelp concentrate- good for the roots as per orchid growers). Further cutting down of main branches yielded several more planting sticks which I "root-toned" and planted in each of the seagrape pots. What a fabulous picture-- big seagrape with bougainvillea clambering over it. Planted root ball of the original plant into a 15"x15"x15" square planter. There are 2 main branches coming out of ball, should be good. I love purple. I have a cold. More later.

Tropical agogity

I caved and bought large 24" underliners for 5 of the large containers. Definitely not the most elegant look, but I feel much more comfortable giving them long draughts of water. Summertime has arrived in zone 10b and not a whole lot of rain so far, but a few storms are beginning to roll in. I'm out of town right now ( in the bosom of the Blue Ridge Mountains-- the clarity of the cool air and bright green of the trees is medicinal), I can only hope that everyone can hold tight for 4 more days.
The first real storm of the summer season brought with it the hot, humid tropical air. The sea grapes were agog -- the MiracleGro probably helped. Puce colored leaves which quickly become the size of bread plates are beginning to cover trunks / branches.

I purchased a drip irrigation kit from Gardner's Supply, the 25' 1/4" main feed tube looked like a green garden hose, blah blah blah. I sent it back unopened, they have a very friendly return policy, I would feel very comfortable ordering from them again. However, I want to try to piece together a custom kit, that will allow complete discretion in its placement (is this correct English?).

Harangued

Harrassed by the neighbors downstairs, I've begun to water lightly but frequently. I've put pans under the bonsai'd bougainvillea to ensure reasonably consistent moisture.

With a break available from studies, I'll cover the terrace with plastic in the next weekend and clean out 2 of the large pots and separate out the bougies that will be repotted in substantially smaller pots -- or something like that.

The new goal will be toward fewer plants, the square planters currently crammed to be planted with a single orange bird of paradise with a low, slower growing ground cover.. though some pandora vine as a companion might be manageable.  Easier to clean, caretake.

Octopussy

Caught naked as sin in Fairchild Botanic Garden

I've remembered fertilizer, the seagrape seems to put out new leaves overnight with a spray of MiracleGro and seaweed.

Goodbye

I've never come across a blog that ended with a goodbye. They dissipate overtime, as has mine. Ghosts of posts past (the last ding dong of doom). Well, imaginary readers, it's time to wrap this up.

Good bye. xoxo

[I purchased a 3l pro sprayer last week and laid on 2 days of a MiracleGro and seaweed tea, The sea grapes responded immediately with some fresh shiny, greenish-ocre leaves. The bougainvilleas always respond well to a meal. I'll post pics asap, still studying for exam 2 of CPSM.  More Later
Here's a fun site: Planet Natural -- lots o' organic fun for container plants!

WInter 2015

 It's been wetter than normal this winter. A moisture laden front comes through it gets cool (50-60's) it warms in a day or two into the 75-80's.

I had my bonsais in a pot saucer to keep them moist while i was out of town.. With this weather I'm a little afraid that it may have kept the roots from drying (breathing).

The bonsai are 'pixie' bougainvillea, the flowering appears as tight clusters of the colorful bracts. Is it the cool weather that is causing bract to drop in clumps along with limited yellowing of leaves?

Using the slow soak

Studying for exam II of CPMS. I love the subject matter luckily. Also luckily it has been cooler and overcast many days now which offsets the neglect I've shown the garden. A day off today, I watered all in slowly. Then came back around in an hour or so for another slow soak. Fed Sea Grapes with some Alaska Kelp Emulsion and threw light handfuls of Plant Dynamite on bougies, begonias, etc.

It is surprising that although I haven't been in the garden for almost 2 weeks, everyone looks well fed and rested. Mmmm.

Back from a visit to islands

St Thomas; a park whose name escapes me.. I'll post later. Seeing stands of royal palms on this island, blowing in the trade winds, is most romantic.

A fixer-upper on Dominique. I could make it work. 

A gaggle of schomburkgia? I'll check itinerary for location-- god, i can't remember anything any more. 

Green Sheep

The bougainvillea all of them have been pretty much strippd bare by something.. catepillar? moths ?

We've had a unseasonably wet cool season so far. I don't mind as I've been studying (successfully) for exam 1 of 3 for the CPSM certification. I'll be able to ship / warehouse / and pay duties on any and all plants in my supply chain.. yeah that's right.. google it. 

I thought the Sea Grapes were going to be monster growers busting their pots, but they are restrained though with beautiful salad plate size leaves.  The dragon fruit is doing quite well on the middle rail, it's pretty much across now with 2nd and 3rd fingers sprouting at the joints. They are pendulous (with some weight) have very sharp spines along their 3 sides (triangular bodies). 

The variegated oak-leafed croton is noticably bleached out. Not sure if this is because of winter sun exposure.. iron deficiency (i watered recently with chelated palm food for iron). 

We're going on a cruise for 10 days. A babysitter will be here for Ricky, hopefully she'll do the needful with watering the plants. 

The begonias have begun blooming. The cane has large pink clusters, U402 is sporting its mini pinkish white flowers, Selph's Mahogany has begun sending up spikes, as rhizomatous begonias are want to do. He usually blooms a little later in the year.

More later and happiest new year to you my imaginary readers.

A western sky as seen from the rooftop at workplace

CPSM

Finally got out and did some watering. The past week has been cool (50's) and dry. By today there was noticeable wilt in several pots. The orchids have been neglected-- to my defense there had been some cold, wet days a week or so which I hoped hydrated them enough.. Bonsai, sea grapes and bougainvillea the biggest bang for the buck as I'm tired of studying for the 1st of 3 exams for Supply Management. Like I said I went out and watered-- the bird of paradise, the burle marx, colusia, bougs, begonias. I'll give them another gentle watering in tomorrow. I need to find someone to clean the terrace floor once a month. I'm too tired. The cane begonia is acclimating to it's cozy spot next to the colusia and is doing what a happy cane can do, beautiful pinkish red racemes hanging down from silver highlighted jagged leaves.

colusia n' cane

Thanks.

Two and a half weeks (and some nights) straight through at the office finally over. Ridiculous. 

I guess I should be grateful to have a job. The bird of paradise are growing in, new growth has emerged. Really looking forward to the controlled, tropical structure of the orange bird. The jack fruit threaded through the handrail as a curiosity has become a gaggle of heavy, green arms with short piercing needles down their sides, their very strong growth is cause for alarm. The longest arm is 4' - 5' from the neighbors below. I've been neglecting the orchids, only wet weather keeping them hydrated. My chicken wire orchid tower is a success holding vandas and teretes tight -- the bark filling keeps roots inside hydrated.

 (see below)

The half- ass gardener

I bought a gallon pot of orange bird-of-paradise for 14.95 at Living Color nursery- seems awfully cheap to me.(I hope they don't turn out to be white which would be a VERY inappropriate choice). There were 3 nice plants coming up in the gallon container. I finally got around to planting today, which I did rather sloppily; separate the plants by splitting apart snake-like roots from one another. It hurt me probably more than the plants. 2 birds into large square planters, one per, already crammed with wart fern red bougainvillea and sanchezia. I watered in well. The desire to live is very strong in plants. They will probably out grow the pot in a few years. The 3rd replaced a tall (too) leggy plumeria in a large rectangular planter one half of which is overflowing with burle marx. Below is a 'Pixie' bloomer with small, double magenta bracts. A charming type of boug for a bonsai.. Remember imaginary readers, that beautiful bonsai was purchased at Richard Lyons Nursery.. I think I paid $50, great deal for that thick trunk.

First bloom after getting the bonsai chop-chop. Slow raining Saturday does not get this wizened old boy down.