TEA ROOM # 25

You stay COOL chrissy. Lee

G'Day
Don't forget the cryptic up a little bit, here's a hint "How's your Mum Chrissy?"
and an easier one. "Vitus, seed carrier." it isn't what it says it is.
Regards to All

Chrysanthemum
Trying to find some time to throw one back at you.
Steve

Ok Stake. A quick one before I put in a few hours at work.
'Bordering the confused lion was a Far Eastern light'
Flowering shrub. The puzzle holds 2 parts - common name and genus.
Cheers
Steve

Far Eastern Light would be Chinese Lantern, Abut-ilon.
Yes Chrysanthemum.
Try this, "Pulverised Building Divisions" and its near relative "Amphibians seat".
Come on folks get into this while poor old Budgieman is at work.
Regards Brian

Finally, I arrive.
I know one of those Brian.
amphibian = toad
seat = stool
toadstool
The other is a mystery.
Wait a minute.....
Mushroom

Now , having done the puzzles, I can sit down . I have been doing all the usual mornings things plus seeing to hubby so the morning ran away from me. I had to go out and throw a bit of water on a few plants as yesterday was a terrible day. The temp was around 40C here on the hill. the wind odes not help when it's that hot. Poor plants are in shock after the cooler weather we have had for so long.
They will survive.
Hubby is very grumpy with himself. He tries not to show it around me but I can hear him mumble away to himself as he tries to do something. He is still confined to laying on the bed and getting him dressed makes for some of the lighter moments of the day. At least he can laugh at himself.
Being of the old school , he would not lay there without getting dressed, dear thing.
I see you have managed to raid the kitchen cupboards while I was not here. I hope there was enough for all.
sorry Sue, I was so excited at getting the puzzles , I jumped right in on them all, except for when Steve popped in to do some.
Hello PussyKat. How do your turkeys grow?
Have you been beating up any neighbors lately ?
My epis are so large , if you stand on tip toe you can probably see them waving.
Hello Lee. you wouldn't like that job, running around after tourists all day, you would have no time for your plants.
Chrissy, we'll see you later when you have time to pop in.
Sue, I bought 6 of those Zante bulbs on eBay and now that they have opened I can see they were all wrongly labelled with the colors. I have yellow, burgundy, lilac, creamy white, and 2 more to open yet. The lovely black one I had on last year is not a Zante but Arum Palaestinum so comes a lot earlier when the Green Goddess is in flower.
Hello to everyone else, Helen, Sammut, Colleen, Shelly, Mya and any one I have forgotten.
I had better get moving as the morning is gone and I have to go check on the mail and think about lunch.
I have made a spread outside under the shade for any hungry pop ins. No worries about flies, I put up the fly proof screen over the gazebo.
I have tried my hand at a cryptic for you Brian. it is in every garden though not a plant.
'Providing sustenance with upstanding stone'
Enjoy your day and I hope it's not too hot .
Jean

I got the first few, then got stuck on Frogs bum and smashed walls! ha ha. Try this, probably really easy, hope it makes sense. "a bouncing trunk" a popular 70's indoor foliage plant
and "walking stick , get away , (sounds like) but not too far" Another indoor, or fernery, flowering plant
Thats hard!

good afternoon,
very hot today but seems like a cool change is starting to come as the wind has changed direction.
helen - my parrots are going really well still. very excited.
i have listed a few seeds i have in the trade section. please let me know if anyone would like any as i will be packaging some up in the next couple of days. would love to start to 'pay back' some of you lovely people who have sent me stuff.
planted some seeds yesterday in the garden - sunflowers and a cottage mixture so hopefully the cottage mixture will have lots of different things that i can obtain more seed from.
chat soon... shelly xx

rubber tree.
Sue is it right ?
Can't get the other though.
Jean

You got those two 77sunset, well done, but I can't see why you have to stand up to do them.
I can have a rest now while I try to work out both yours and Weed_womans puzzles. I had a laugh when I read the frog's bum bit I can't recall putting that in a puzzle.
Started putting photos of the cacti plantation, that CT & I visited, on the C & S forum if you want to have a look.
Regards Brian

This message was edited Jan 13, 2009 11:21 PM

Sue,
Are there two parts to this question because I think I have it as Cane Begonia but can't figure the 'But not too far away' bit?
I must have been asleep with the Frog's Bum bit but it must be reference to toadstool as that is where a frog's bum would be.
Cheers
Steve

Jean,
Got the answer. You certainly had me thinking so the onset of Alzheimers may be delayed a day. Keep the brain food coming.
Won't post my answer so others can have a go.
Certainly was hot in Sydney today. The sea breeze has set in now and it is very pleasant.
Just a quick 'wow' now. We were at Sussex Inlet on the weekend and some friends came to stay overnight. We took them to the local beach which has some properties running down from the road to the beach. One of them is owned by a well known celebrity who runs hotels and bars in Sydney. In his backyard was a helicopter. We got talking to the pilot, who obviously was not invited to lunch, and he explained he was hired for the day to fly some people from Bankstown Airport and return just for the day! It is amazing to see how the other half live!
Steve

Stake,
Vitus or Vitis on earlier cryptic?
Cheers
Steve

You folks have a different way of thinking to me (or perhaps we know different things) with the bouncing trunk. I thought it has to be rubber but a trunk is either the old luggage thing or the US car boot. So I finished up with a Rubber Boot. I got the "Cane" bit but it wasn't until I saw Budgiemans Begonia that thought of the Be Gone you, I was stuck with shoo or scat. I had not heard of a "Cane Begonia"'. 77sunset I can't get what ever it is in every garden. The provide sustenance ought to be "Feeding" or perhaps "Nursing" as in nursing mother.
Both lot of clues are pretty good so either you told fibs about not understanding cryptics or you learned awful fast.
Regards

Sorry Budgieman Vitis as in Vitis vinifera.

Stake,
Think a little laterally with Jean's very clever clue as in maybe a form of sustenance provision but the main clue is in the 'upstanding stone'
I have started a Cryptic Gardening thread so these don't get lost in the general chat. There is an easy one there for you.
If it is vitis then i'm going out on a plant extract limb and saying Grape Capsule.
Cheers
Steve

Hello Jean and All, Jean, you are probably correct about my not liking it due to having to run after tourists all the time. I'm not a very social person anyway. Give me my orchids, cats and other creatures, and gardening and I'm perfectly content. Often, I've though, I could become a hermit in the truest sense.
BRRRRR, it's cold. Only 26F(-3) and for the next couple days the temps aren't expected to rise much above freezing if even that high. The lows will be near 10F(-12C). As I try to stay warm, I wish all you the best of luck staying cool.
Jean, I have seen that your husband has been not well but I hope he is improving.
Just heard the most awful commotion on the north deck. It was 2 raccoons fighting over the cat food I had put out for a little cat we were never able to tame. Scared me, the noise they were making and the clambering about. Thought someone was breaking in and the pistol is in another room. Now that my dog is gone, I've not alert system should a person be up to no good. Owen's sleeping as soundly as a mummy and is even in the mummy position. When I woke after only 4 hrs. sleep, I quietly opened his door and peeked in on him. 20 yrs ago, he had a heart attack and takes heart/blood pressure meds. and I check on him out of habit.
Today, I think it will be too chilly here in this room to water the orchids and that suits me just fine. The humidity is high enough, 64% and that should do 'til the cold weather passes. We have our Canadian neighbors to thank for the frigid temps. Some of you are having temps in the 40C range. That is what our temps are like in August combined with 65-75% humidity. Like a sauna. With this asthma, it's difficult for me to breathe so I get my gardening done before 10am to avoid the heat/humidity.
Will run and check out other threads/forums. All take care and stay cool. Lee

For Brian cane begonia ..
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/98625/
Just looked in for a minute back later whew 42C here today
chrissy

77sunset, Are you happy with the cryptic being moved? I can see Budgieman's point but I thought it added a bit of fun to the Tea Room to alleviate the seriousness of eating all those highly nutritous foods.
Isn't that Begonia what we used to call Angels Wings Begonias ?
Regards

This message was edited Jan 14, 2009 3:20 AM

Hi all, I'm only just getting to check out what's happening. I'm not going to rattle my brain over the cryptics!LOL!! You are all so logical in your deductions, too much for me, in the heat of today. There is a nice breeze coming through now, so it's not as bad, for the evening. My MS doesn't like the heat, but the new Air con I had put in, is wonderful!!
Jean~ a lovely parcel arrived this morning. I am so excited!! So many beautiful succulent bits, some I had never seen!!! Thank you so, so, much!! I will pot them up after dinner in the cool. I hope hubby is Ok, & dealing with his confinement.
Lee~I will make sure I give you fair warning when I visit? Don't want you to think I am an intruder!!!??? Sorry, you are suffering freezing conditions. Lucky, Owen is curled up & comfy, and, has you, to take care of him.
Awchid~Thank you for your suggestion of Standersing my Parrots, I will answer properly on the parrot thread.
Shelley~I'm pleased your Parrots are going well. I'll check out the seeds you have, could be interesting!!!
I hope all the other Parrots are chirping along!!
To everyone else, I hope you are all well & Happy.
Must go, the surfies (16 year old boys & mates) are home for food!!
Bye for now
The Parrot Sheila Hahahahaha!!!

Stake - Angels Wings it is.
Don't mind where the cryptics are. I was having trouble finding them going back after I read everything else. General consensus will rule.
Cheers
Steve

a further clue for Brian.. a podiatrist's nightmare.
I am feeling great at having made up a good puzzle.
Having fooled Brian . I now have to think again and find something to really stop Steve.
I have never liked cryptics but I guess my mind works in reverse. I think of something then work on a puzzling clue. It is easier than the other way round.
Hubby is still lying down and quietly complaining. I don't blame him as back pain can be so debilitating.
Aha, just thought of one. Probably not a hard one. The ladies that know me should get it.
'hirsute goddess'
Better see what I can get for tea now. The cool change has slowly arrived but the air is still humid .
Jean.

I like to see the puzzles here but I guess some may miss them among our chats. The Tea Room is for anyone to come in and chat and the puzzles do add to the entertainment. I can always move the thread when it gets too long. I am so pleased that everyone seems to like coming in while still using all the other threads for more specific garden questions.
Whatever Brian wants to do as he is the puzzle man except that now he has us all going.
I had a look at those cacti pics Brian. You would have had to be careful where you were walking there. I bet we see your garden getting so full of cacti we may never find you .
I would like to make a cacti place as I seem to have accumulated a few, but there is really nowhere to put them other than where they are. At least the lack of room will stop me adding more. Ha ha.
Jean.

Thanks Jean.
I have been enlightened.
I innocently googled hirsute goddess and my son caught me on a site for Hippie Godesses.
Really! It was the first site that appeared! I am not blushing. Just got a bit too much sun today!
Now back to my cryptic thoughts.
Steve

I love this Jean.
Was looking at your Podiatrists nightmare puzzle and googled 'Toe Jam'
Came up with 'Toe Jam Bottlebrush'
This must be it! A Podiatrists Nightmare!
So far tonight I have learnt about Goddesses and Toe Jam.
This is indeed the lucky country.
Steve

We are looking for a fast growing hedge for the pygmy fences at Sussex Inlet because if I here 'Hey Steve, what ya doin'' again I will scream. Nice neighbours but we enjoy our space.
Was looking at 'Cheetah Lilly Pilly'. Does anyone know of or grown this plant?
Steve

Steve, the 'podiatrists nightmare' was a further clue for the cryptic I put on earlier.
I thought Brian may need an extra clue to
' providing sustenance with upstanding stone'
Time I went to bed. I'll see who solved what tomorrow.
Jean.

Steve get Brian to ship a semi load of nice tall prickly cactus down ... the farmers in my district use big cactus hedges to keep the critters out.

Hi Chrissy,
I was recently reading about the spread of Prickly Pear in NSW and one of the main reasons was in its use as a hedge to keep critters out. I'll use anything as long as it stops prying eyes! I'd like to see a cactus hedge. I can't picture it.
Steve

Good morning everyone sorry only short chat today ...my brother is waiting patiently while I have come in to show you what I found this morning while watering ...oh ...my ...goodness!
Love her to bits!
Meet Alistairs "Lipstick" ...adorable!

I got it Jean. The hirsute goddess. Very clever.
She comes in many colours when there is moisture in the air.
Morning coffee got the brain juices flowing.
Cheers
Steve

After all that heat (I have her in the shade) just look at her ...only a new plant 2ft and this ...wow!

oops sorry I don't have times for puzzles enjoy your day everyone
back later! here comes temps from hell.

wow chrissy- that is just gorgeous. beautiful colour.
what is the last one you posted - love love love that.

a lot cooler today. we were lucky and didn't get the extreme heat yesterday that other places got. my mum got 44 and said she about died. we only got about 33.

shelly

Good morning all. I won't say send the temperatures back but you have it hotter than we do! I hope it doesn't blow up this way. What we haven't had is the promised rain...I think it stayed in NQ. Usually it comes up and across from SA gathering moisture but I guess there aren't many cold fronts around at the moment.
I am trying to do a stocktake of my epies as they are all over the place and don't have the wonderful epi palaces that their cousins in Merino do! (Most are named Jean XXXX unk!!..so you are immortalised, EpiQueen..I think there should be a real epi hybrid named in your honour!!!) So I made brightly coloured tags on the computer and double laminated them so the printer ink doesn't run eg, laminated the whole sheet, guillotined individual tags then laminated again to seal the edges, then guillotined in the spaces. It seemed a good idea at the time and so far so good. I know the colour in the paper will eventually fade but it is quite visible now..bright orange was as opposite to green as I could get! As I have broken bits of epies shoved in pots all over the place, I am tagging the most likelies. I thought the tagging would take an hour..haha..plus I get distracted. I do keep finding the kicked over empty pot (turkeys) as their modus operandi on potted things is to knock them over, disembowel and destroy, trample, peck the dickens out of the roots..especially gingers and things with fleshy corms and tubers and an aroma and leave the battered corpse to dry in the sun or wither and fade unnoticed under a plant stand. Who invented turkeys and why? I'm sure there must be a use for them somewhere in the food chain..but I don't even think the snakes feast on them as turkeys are too fast and cunning..and I've never even seen one as road kill!
Anyway, the sky is a glorious blus and the birds are singing instaed of those portentous cicadas! Stay cool down south and stay warm, Lee! Cheers and ciao, Kat

This message was edited Jan 14, 2009 5:26 PM

Hi all.
Technical questions about succulent plants.
Took this cutting about 18 months ago and finally have some young.
My questions are:
1/ Is it technically correct to call this a leaf? (might sound like a dumb question)
2/ Do I dig it up and cut off the new ones then replant the main?
3/ Can it be identified from the bit you see?
Thanks in advance
Steve

Good morning all. After the last 2 days of heat we are back to a very cool morning.
Steve, I am no expert, but I have a plant like yours and I think it is a Gasteria. Brian may know more.
I just take leave mine to clump.
I see that the cryptic thread is growing. I find it fun especially when I can stump someone more expert like Brian.
Hubby is moving a bit more but still in a lot of pain so is staying in bed.
Shelly, that brilliant color is one of Chrissy;s bougainvilleas. They are so bright.
Chrissy, you must be so thrilled with the pink Angel. She is quite beautiful.
Steve , I won't even think about what was on that hippie site, the mind boggles. You have to be very careful what you type in on some places. I innocently typed in a question on a plant one day and this huge warning came up on the screen 'Danger, danger, unsafe'. I thought I had been invaded by the robot from 'Lost in Space'
Kat, you are a marvel with all your cutting ,chopping and laminating labels. I have a hard enough time printing out a letter let alone labels.
I am pleased to be immortalised in your garden though.
I have a lot of seedling epis . As they are from unknown parents and are now mine , I can name them.
I must get off here and go do some shopping. I will leave something nice here for everyone . Hello to all I have not mentioned. I am not with it so much at the moment with seeing to hubby, it has put my routine out of synch. Have a great day and I will pop back in to see the puzzle thread later.
Have some Chocolate Mint squares.
Jean.

G'Day
I agree that it's a Gasteria possibly G. brachyphylla but there are heaps of Gasterias that the experts can't decide the name of so we have little hope.
Photo of mine that looks similar, the shape of the end of the leaf can help in identification.
Regards

Have a look at "This is a fun one" by Kell on the Cactus & Succulent forum.
They really look like Triffids.
Brian