Intermarkets' Privacy Policy
Support


Donate to Ace of Spades HQ!



Recent Entries
Absent Friends
Bandersnatch 2024
GnuBreed 2024
Captain Hate 2023
moon_over_vermont 2023
westminsterdogshow 2023
Ann Wilson(Empire1) 2022
Dave In Texas 2022
Jesse in D.C. 2022
OregonMuse 2022
redc1c4 2021
Tami 2021
Chavez the Hugo 2020
Ibguy 2020
Rickl 2019
Joffen 2014
AoSHQ Writers Group
A site for members of the Horde to post their stories seeking beta readers, editing help, brainstorming, and story ideas. Also to share links to potential publishing outlets, writing help sites, and videos posting tips to get published. Contact OrangeEnt for info:
maildrop62 at proton dot me
Cutting The Cord And Email Security
Moron Meet-Ups





















« Thread before the Gardening Thread: California Report [KT] | Main | Ace of Spades Pet Thread »
June 09, 2018

Saturday Gardening Thread: Landscapes and Plant Portraits [KT]

insvhndclmn.jpg

The Invisible Hand sent in some great photos for us, including the one above, taken from his back door. We get quite a few nice plant photos here at the Satorday Gardening Thread, but not so many members of The Horde seem to think of taking landscape photos. I was really taken by the photo above. Well, I like the others, too.

You may or may not be able to see lights strung from some of the garden scupture and trees. So this scene looks good at dusk and at night, too, I would imagine.


The Invisible Hand and his wife "who does all the work" live in San Clemente, California. Catalina is "on far right in haze" in this photo. Wow.

invsblhndcatln.JPG

Kaz is our cockalier 11 year old pup.

20180601_123508.jpg

Kaz' silky tail sets off that lovely white Bearded Iris in its dark pot. Even the pets do their best (ahem) to enhance the garden scene chez The Invisible Hand.

The larger original photo shows the purple markings on the scented geraniums (pelargoniums) in the pot to the left. Good climate for scented geraniums.

No table in the greenhouse creates more excitement than the one that contains scented-leaf geraniums. These pelargoniums have leaves with tempting aromas of lemons, apples, roses, oranges, even coconuts. The most common question about these remarkable plants is: "How'd they get that way?"

Meanwhile, their other pup, Darla, brings some calming earth tones to the scene below. A nice contrast to the exuberant chartreuse shades of the Euphorbias and whatever plant is behind them on the right. Don't you just want to be her friend?

pupdarla.jpg

Darla does not seem to me like one of those dogs that chews on strange plants. But if you have one of those dogs, keep it from chewing on Euphorbias, including Poinsettias. You may also want to wear gloves while working with them. At least wash your hands afterwards. Don't get the latex in your eyes. Some species are more toxic than others.

We have more photos from this garden for later. Fun.

Carnivorous Plants

For some people, gardening is all about the plants. This is especially true for people who become interested enough in a certain class of plants to become experts. I was happy to get the following from our own carnivorous plant specialist. I have done a little formatting and editing, but I think I got the information pretty much straight.

My name is Tony Litwin and last year I sent you some pics of Carnivorous Plants I grow. Well my plants have come back up from a very cold winter ( which they need ), and I thought I'd like to share some of them with everyone. Right now I probably have over 500 plants if you count up the growth points (they divide like crazy) but I picked some of my best ones to show. There are several things I like about these plants, two of which are their beauty, and the fact that I have no bugs to bother me. Anyway, I hope people enjoy them as much as I do, and thanks for showing them.

I asked Tony for a few details in case anyone else was interesting in trying to grow some of these plants.

I keep the plants in my backyard. The ones I have now consist of:
  • Pitcherplants/Sarracenias - all 9 species plus hybrids
  • Butterworts/Pinguicula's - all 6 southeastern species
  • Sundews/Drosera's-all 5 southeastern species
  • Bladderworts/Utricularia's -only the 3 terrestrial southeastern species
  • the monotypic species Dionea or as it's known, the Venus Flytrap.

I grow the plants in a mix of pure Sphagnum Peat and Perlite mixed and I set the pots in tubs of rainwater since the plants need a constantly moist to wet medium. The only time I allow the water to evaporate alot is during the winter when the plants are asleep, otherwise the tubs are kept constantly full to the drain hole I make in the side of the tub to allow excess water to drain out.

A and B are Pitcher Plants with A being Sarracenia Leucophylla Green

A-)Sarracenia L.jpg

B is Sarracenia Flava Rugelli. Both A and B top out at 36 inches tall and will get taller.

You can see why people would be interested in hybridizing these plants. They really have some beautiful markings, plant forms and other features.

B-)Sarracenia F.jpg

C is a Butterwort: Pinguicula Planifolia.

The Butterworts are found worldwide from near the Arctic Circle to the bottom of South America, they like wet places as well, although there are a few that grow amongst cactus in the deserts of Mexico. In the USA, they can be found from Coast to Coast. Here in Florida where I live, there are 6 species of Butterworts, one of which is considered one of the rarest plants found in the US, Pinguicula Inonantha. They are very unimposing plants that have a star shape, lay flat on the ground and eat small flying and crawling insects. Back in the Middle Ages, folks used to use them in Europe to curdle Milk to make Cheese.

Bladderworts are in another genus in the same family, Lentibularia, are really the most unassuming of the group with many that grow in water and also underground and the only time you know they are around is when they flower.

So, Butterworts were used to make cheese. Have you ever wondered what cheese tasted like in the Middle Ages?

C-)Pinguicula P.JPG

D is a Sundew: Drosera Cunifolia.

Sundews are another group of mostly unassuming carnivorous plants that also have large members of the family like D. Filiformis Tracyii, which can grow almost 2 feet tall and D. Regia which can grow almost 3 feet tall. Then there are the pygmy Sundews from Australia that grow smaller than a dime with some of them the smallest flowering plants on the planet.

I always liked the look of Sundews.

D-)DROSERA C.jpg

I asked Tony about the possibility of growing a carnivorous Bromeliad indoors. Like some other Bromeliads. Maybe not:

E is a Carnivorous Bromeliad: Brocchinia Reducta.

As for the Bromeliads, only two count as being carnivorous, B. Reducta and one that grows here in southern Florida. B. Reducta by the way is found in parts of South America and both Reducta and the South Florida one are rare in collections. As for growing them indoors, unless you grow them under lights, the best place to grown these plants is in full sun ( at least 6 to 8 hours ) a day so they attain full size and coloration, and they feed themselves.

E-)Brocchinia R.JPG

F is a pot full of Venus Flytraps: Dionea Muscipula.

Have you ever bought one of these? How long did you keep it alive? Bet it didn't look as good as Tony's.

F-)Dionea.jpg

I hope I have answered your questions about these interesting plants, and I wish I could show you all the diversity these plants exhibit. Aside from their propensity to enact revenge on the insect world for all the plants bugs eat, I love their coloration and shapes and sizes as well as the plain fact that they are amazing to watch especially when they are about to eat a wasp or grasshopper ( although I have some that can and do eat lizards and tree frogs).

In a lot of places where these were once found, their habitat is being destroyed to make golf courses and the like, and they need all the help they can get from people trying to keep their genetic diversity alive for the future, including possible replanting efforts in suitable habitat. Especially here in the US, ultimately, some will only be found in either collections like mine or in Arboretums like the one in Atlanta.

Thanks for keeping them alive and letting us see them, Tony.

Garden Pests

Speaking of "carnivorous, there are carnivorous hammerhead flatworms invading France. They eat our friends, the earthworms. Some of them are pretty dang big. There's a blue-green one in one of the territories that may be an new species.

wormmy.jpg

The Edible Garden

Hank Curmudgeon says about a greenhouse that grows oranges in the snow in Nebraska:

Crude implementation of a great idea. I could see these being sold as complete kits.

Might want to get going on this one if you want to finish it before winter.

Gardens of The Horde

Bonecrusher says this flower "thrives on neglect". It's one of those newer designer daylilies. Probably stays open longer in a day than some of the older ones. Incidentally, if you are looking for a hobby that's less demanding than growing carnivorous plants, breeding your own daylily might be one.

20180603_092216 (1).jpg

Weasel has an idea:

Here's a suggestion for Garden Thread content sometime - interesting fauna observed in the garden. I spent a couple of days at WA just hanging out and continue to be amazed by the diversity of wildlife there. I identified several species of birds (Cornell U. has a great app) and two different kinds of lizards just sitting quietly and enjoying the outdoors. That's in addition to all the trees and plants and bugs and small mammals.

Sounds like a nice feature any time to me. What do you think?

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at g mail dot com

Include your nic unless you just want to be a lurker.

digg this
posted by Open Blogger at 12:44 PM

| Access Comments




Recent Comments
All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes: "A Naugahyde grimoire sends you to Satan's wood-pan ..."

Way,Way Downriver[/i][/b]: "Fleming was a "poor relation" of the Fleming's Ban ..."

SpeakingOf : "That Youtuber just uploaded another video, intervi ..."

Thomas Paine: "Reminds me of when I brought that human skin-bound ..."

Dr Pork Chops & Bacons: "I don't think the stated rationale is the real one ..."

JTB: "Not sure how (too many rabbit holes to keep track ..."

All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes: "I'm winding up my Wind in the Willows tale "Toad T ..."

Why yes, I am this paranoid: "[i]They are being steered towards reading practica ..."

I'll choose a new nick later-Certified Dangerous Radical: "Books I read in the last week? The continuing saga ..."

SpeakingOf : "189 But mostly to shake the money tree for lucrati ..."

Dr Pork Chops & Bacons: "Reminds me of when I brought that human skin-bound ..."

Dr. T : "I am finally reading "Dune." Also started "Here O ..."

Recent Entries
Search


Polls! Polls! Polls!
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Top Top Tens
Greatest Hitjobs

The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon
A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates
Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny
More Margaret Cho Abuse
Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny
Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman
Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format
John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia
World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading
Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree
Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears
Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed"
Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility
Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips
They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan
Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq
Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town
When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool
What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means
Wonkette's Stand-Up Act
Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour
Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider
My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty
Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA
An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear
The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report!
Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet
The House of Love: Paul Krugman
A Michael Moore Mystery (TM)
The Dowd-O-Matic!
Liberal Consistency and Other Myths
Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias
John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate
"Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long)
The Donkey ("The Raven" parody)
Powered by
Movable Type 2.64