Topics

1

Chit Chat / Bham Linda

« on: February 25, 2014, 07:33:31 AM »

I don't know how many of you old timers remember Bhamlinda.   I am not sure if she was ever on this site, but she was on the old one for awhile, and on Garden web...but Spike kicked her and a bunch of her friends off for being too rowdy, and then JB's Pond Forum.   I don't even know if JB's is still in existence.    Anyway, Bhamlinda...Linda Jones...passed away yesterday.   I believe she was 66.    She had liver and kidney failure.    We weren't close friends...she was really kind of hateful to me...but I found her a couple of years ago on Facebook and we did become friends.   Her interests then seemed mainly political and she loved her dog, an adopted greyhound.    Anyway, I don't know if any one here remembers her...would have to be some of the very old members but I wanted to let you know....in case you did.

2

Terrestrial Gardening / Dragon Fruit

« on: November 06, 2011, 09:46:24 AM »

I got interested in epiphyllums (orchid cactus) last year and bought a bunch of cuttings.   I also bought a cutting for a Dragon Fruit...and the seller sent me 3 cuttings.
I planted it in September.   In February, it looked like this:



When the weather warmed up, I put it on my porch and it went crazy.   And it just bloomed.   I wasn't expecting a bloom until next year.    It doesn't show but the plant grows up to the roof and hangs down almost to the ground, and the house sits up about 40".   In warmer climates, it can be grown outside on a trellis...like in southern California, but I am going to have to wrestle it back inside the sun porch for the winter.





You can buy the fruits in Asian markets.   I'm told they taste sort of like Kiwi.   I bought one and planted the seeds...just for fun...and I have about 300 of them about an inch tall now.   Not the best way to grow them...but I just wanted to see how they would do.     This is what the fruit looks like, and the seeds are small like poppy seeds or tropical water lily seeds.   They sprouted very quickly though...within about 5 or 6 days.

3

Pond Chat / Wanvisa

« on: September 15, 2011, 12:54:34 PM »

Such a beautiful lily.

4

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Purple Loosestrife

« on: February 12, 2008, 08:09:21 AM »

I am looking for purple loosestrife.  No lectures, please.   I know it is a very bad problem in some areas.   It is extremely difficult to grow here...Texas Gulf coast.

I had a small clump for about 10 years.  Not more than 8" across.  It lived but it didn't thrive and it didn't spread.  Last year, I let the pond it was growing by, dry up, and tho it was growing in moist ground on the bank, when the raccoons came to investigate the pond, their path was right over the top of it, and from the constant traffic, it died.

I have a variety of plants I could trade....I may have what you are looking for.  Not necessary to trade now, since I know it is still winter where many of you live.   If you want a tropical from me, you would have to wait awhile too.

If you have some and would like to line up a trade for in a couple of months...or whenever, please let me know.

5

Chit Chat / Henry and Edsel

« on: May 27, 2007, 05:43:55 PM »

I am raising two baby armadillos.    They were brought to me because someone was digging a pond, and bulldozed a tree.
Under the tree was their den, and their mother and two brothers were killed.     They are almost big enough to be released.   I am waiting on some rain, to soften up the ground a little.

I put them out every day in a cage that has no bottom and let them dig.    They are digging machines!  I feed them night crawlers, meal worms, and peach or strawberry yogurt.   The rest of the time, they stay in a big pet tote.   They have jibbled newspaper up into little strips and they make it into a big ball and sleep underneath it.    They're very cute.   They are good little boys...not really much trouble.   When they want something to eat, they press their faces to the door on the tote.

Henry is a little bigger than Edsel.   Edsel just didn't catch on as fast as Henry.   Henry would be face first in a saucer of  meal worms and Edsel would be looking all over the place for them.

Baby armadillos are sort of pink and look almost like plastic when they are little.   A mother armadillo has one egg that splits to make 4 clones.   So she either has 4 boys or 4 girls. 

I have a culture of meal worms, but they eat about a quarter cup of them at a time and that is just a snack.   I buy night crawlers but I need to start raising them.   I don't think these will be the last armadillos that I will be raising.
The rehabber who used to raise the armadillos passed away last year...and looks like I have inherited her job.   As if I wasn't busy enough with possums.

6

Terrestrial Gardening / Name this alocasia, please...

« on: May 10, 2007, 12:05:08 PM »

I posted this on the aroid forum at GW, but no answer yet.   

Does anyone know the name of this alocasia?

There is a dollar store here called 99 Cents Only, and they sell house plants.   I've bought a lot of neat little things from them for only 99 cents.   I've gotten three kinds of alocasias...Black Velvet and Amazonica, but I can't find the name of this one.   Does anyone know the name of this one?

It is an olive drab in color with slight veining.   The backs of the leaves are a silvery purple.

7

Pond Chat / 'Lindsey Woods' and 'Mac's Blue Heaven'

« on: April 14, 2007, 02:10:38 PM »

Here's one of my favorite purple tropicals...'Lindsey Woods'.   I love the way the petals have a brush stroked look to them.

'Lindsey Woods' was introduced by Rolf Nelson, and named for a little girl who died from cancer, a little friend of his daughter.



'Mac's Blue Heaven' is a Louisiana Iris.   It is an old variety that I have grown for many years.   This one is growing in a tub out by my old greenhouse.   It hasn't been re-potted in several years, so I definitely need to do it this fall.

8

Pond Chat / A little cutie...

« on: August 12, 2006, 10:10:26 AM »

About a month ago, I bought a potted Black Marble taro at a watergardening nursery in Needville.   This little cutie has sprouted and bloomed.   I can't think of what it is called.    Anyone know?   I have had them come up before, and I recall that when I looked it up, it said that it commonly grew in ponds in cow pastures.  ???

I've never seen any growing around here, but I do like it.    It is small and it was a volunteer (E for effort! ),
and it sprouted and bloomed quickly.    If it is a weed, so much the better.

It's not a good pic....too bright.    You can't really see the little yellow stamens.   The leaves remind me of pickeral, altho a little more fleshy.

BTW, the stuff that looks like fish eggs is bladder wort.   It blooms yellow flowers but the   underwater part looks very much like goldfish eggs.