Chit Chat - Everyone Welcome - Part 116

Houston, we have manure....

Spread manure on top of the entire garden, and turned it in. Seems like a lot of dirt for so lttle manure, but that's what the 'experts' say to do with it.

I actually have enough to do it all again, but I think I'll save it for planting, put some in each plant's hole. It's well composted, about as old as I am.

Steve

I got my pictures from Jeremy's Rain Barrel Roundup

#1 Cherokee rose (which I loved)

#2 Molly, Rob, and Jeremy's zoo friends

#3 Molly's friend Gail

#4 Pink Perfection, another one I just loved!

#5

#6

And last but not least My rain barrel

Forgot the picture

Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Little Baby Bear....

I woke these ole boys up when I raked old bark mulch up from the garden. They were nestled deep down under it - they must have been hibernating.

Time they got up and earned their keep, anyway...

I don't know why the one on the left is lighter...female, maybe?

Steve,

Those are some really back side ugly toads!!!! What are they?

My little Florida greenies have come out to catch the moths. I have some on the house out back and of course the ones that live in the GH under the window shutters.

I am so envious, you have the varig. Alo mac. I sold a bunch a long while back and the mother plant died. I tried to find some more to buy last year, but the onlines sales are way to expensive. Okay, I am not hinting......well maybe I am, but later in the summer after they have had a chance to multiply. If my stingrays come back, maybe we can swap them.

I finally have a single white bloom on one of my azaleas. Looks like more will come soon. I think they liked my green pool water I fed them the other day.

Oh yes, and Jeremy, if you are still out here, my wisteria are now blooming. I didn't even know it because I've been leaving in the dark and returning in the dark for the past three days. So that rooted cutting you have may show a little something for you soon.

Molly

Molly,

Of course you're welcome to an alo mac pup. This plant will be huge in no time, once I get it into the ground. I have other variegated EEs I can share, too. You've done a lot for me, Molly - you're welcome to whatever I have.

I don't know what the derned things are - I'm not from around here. I thought you would know. Whatever they are, there's a snootful of them - they're everywhere.

Did you read my Dmail about the Bougainvillea?

Steve

Here you go They are Southern Toads.
http://enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?source=&parkid=&searchText=&allSpecies=&shapeID=1056&lshapeID=0&curAbbr=&lastView=default&lastGroup=7&lastRegion=&lastFilter=4&lastShapeName=&trackType=&curRegionID=2211&size=&habitat=&fruit=&color=&sortBy=family&curFamilyID=®ionSelect=Florida®ionZIP=&curGroupID=7&lgfromWhere=&curPageNum=4

Our Azaleas have been blooming for about a month.

I over did to day. Fixed up a potting area, moving the large pvc pipe bench was not hare but moving the stepping stones killed me but I am happy with they area.

I have buds on three on my epiphyllum plants and on the Easter Cactus.

I also finished another plant bench here is a picture of part of it.

I did way more today than I thought I would. Moved some stepping stoen to the front yard too. I recycled today some old tires Tommy had in the shed ( from car we no longer have) and made to planters along the stepping stones, one with dark purple petunias and the other with strawberries. I got a hold dug next to my pond where i will put my bog garden that I am relocating from my deck ( which is severly bowing now). I also planted some canna, ginger and black EE next to the pond. Found an ideal spot for the bat houses..but stillneed to get that 15' pole home( still figuring out how to do that). And helped Tommy chop some wood for the fire pit. Man is was hot today. Supposed to be a bit cooler this week

I got to see the shuttle launch today too. That was awesome!!!

We saw it all the way over in Naples too :-)

Good morning (yawn)

Mornin Hetty

good morning.

Looks like we are losing our huge Water Oak. It is dieing. I think I am going to have my brother leave the trunk which is close to 20 feet tall. I may have him build a roof on it or drill holes in it to use as a planter and/or hang bird feeders on it.

Sandy

Good morning, all!

Steve - Thanks for your D-mail inre mortgage dilemma. I have an extra (or two) of Buddha Belly plants (Jatropha podagrica) which I will happily send you. The only drawback on that is that I am the world's worst at ever getting around to boxing and mailing plants. I have a few seed trades I need to catch up with (or risk bad feedback for being so slow), but hopefully I will be able to make a swoop of plant mailing sometime soon.

I envy your fat toads! I once had quite a few toads, but haven't seen so many over the past couple of years. There once was a very fat female toad (females are generally always bigger than males in the toad kingdom) that sat on the very top of my back steps. That was when I was feeding a cat on the steps and the cat food would attract palmetto bugs which gave the fat lady toad a steady supply of food. She would defend the top step from any other toad that would try to take her territory. The cat eventually died and so I stopped putting cat food out there and Ms. Toad also left in search of better hunting grounds. It makes me almost want to put cat food out again just to get some toads back.

Great pictures, Darla, of our DG get-together for rain barrel making (except who is that withered old prune of a man in the green shirt? No one I recognize. LOL) Maggie of Mandarin came by yesterday and took three barrels for her engineer DH, Jack (who was at our get--together) to turn into rain barrels. So, out of the 12 barrels I bought, I ended up with two which was perfect because I wanted two for my house. Thanks greatly to all that participated! It was a lot of fun. Once I find the time (or am overpowered by acute inspiration), I will proceed with decorating my rain barrel and post the results.

If I can find a steady supply of 55 gal drums, I may try to venture into decorating and selling the rain barrels as a new business: Le Beau Art Baril Is that correct French for those that speak French? Or should it be, "Le Baril Beau Art?" The online English/French translator suggests "Le Bien Baril d'Art"

Sorry about your water oak's demise, Sandy. You may want to give Larry Figart at the county Extension Office a call. He is the county arborist. He might have some tips to see if the tree can be rescued.

Monschi - I need to learn your trick for keeping Achimenes in bloom all the time. They are splendid looking! Mine are in the ground and remain dormant up until about August/September, then bloom for a month or two. I should dig up some of the (tiny) corms and see if I pot them up if they will grow and bloom year round. I don't know where my Achimenes came from -- they just showed up under some ginger plants, so they may be the legacy of a former gardener or were hitchhikers in a pot of ginger.

I have a Master Gardener talk to do tonight at a local garden circle, so I will be preparing for that the rest of today. I have too many appointments and commitments this week to get much of anything done at home (bummer!). The pvc tent project was finished according to the design I was holding in my head, but I found a way yesterday to correct another slight design flaw and enhance the flat eave of the roof edge. It now has a life of its own. LOL

Jeremy

Jeremy,

Thanks so much on the offer of the Buddha Belly. I'll pay shipping - I insist. Don't worry about a timeframe - whenever you can get to it. Let me know if I have a plant that you would like.

I'm actually worried about the toads. We have a Yorkie, and he practically lives in the back yard. It's completely enclosed. I haven't seen him mess with toads yet - maybe there's an instict coming into play that tell him to stay away.

He catches the little lizards, and they end up dead - from licking. He literally licks them to death, then brings them into the house. Turns out that they carry salmonella - one more thing to worry about. Put it on the list.

Steve

Jeremy The tree is close to 50 years old and they only live 50-60 years. It is oozing ( a sticky orangey sap like stuff. Both from the branches and the trunk so I am afraid that there is nothing that can be done with it. One of the reasons to leave the trunk up is all the roots would be impossible to get rid of. I just feel bad for the flying squirrels that come to the feeder attacted to that tree.



Sandy

Those fat toads may be Bufo marinus, bufo toads. They can kill a dog very quickly and very painfully if the dog grabs it and holds it in his mouth. They have glands on their back where they secrete a toxin. They are exotic, from South America, I believe. They love to eat dog food and cat food and can grow as large as a dinner plate.

No problemo on mailing the Buddha Belly, Steve. I actually may have more than one around here to give away. I stuck some around my Pony Tail Palm in order to have a "caudiciform" (fat footed) plant garden, but they are not really needed there. I have one Buddha Belly Jatropha that has been in the ground for several years and is still doing well. It is in a more logical spot with the rest of my Jatropha species (about 4 or 5 of them).

I keep threatening to invite all my local DG friends over for "Boxing Day," not for fisticuffs nor to unseasonably celebrate the Canadian holiday that follows Christmas, but for assistance in putting plants and seeds in boxes, addressing them, and getting them mailed. It is the only way I may ever get caught up on long ago promised plants and seeds for postage offers. Now that our first rain barrel making workshop is done, I may soon announce the date for "Boxing Day."

Jeremy

What a good idea!!

Thanks, DutchLady! I think it would be fun and would make a lot of people happy and finally satisfied on the receiving end of the packages (and possibly totally shocked that a package is coming from me after, literally, years of waiting!! LOL)

I would probably have plenty of whatever plants or seeds I'm shipping, so the mailing elves could also take home anything they wanted from the shipments.

Jeremy

I GET BUDS!!!!!! Some of my epis have buds. Now have 5 buds on 4 plants. doing the happy dance.

Sandy

Charisma Amaryillis

A beautiful pink Ammie

Oh I like that one. some of the ones I have growning in the yard are getting ready to bloom.

I think I need to plant some fancier ones, all the ones in my yard are the plain ol' red with one exception.

Jeremy--I sent you a d-mail the other day--please check it!!! I can help you with mailing as well.

I will have a couple days of non-gardening trying to resolve some issues that just cropped up---I hate that I can't get out and play in the dirt!

Will try to pop in for a few minutes this week as time allows.

Linda

Hi! Paul what solid black snakes live in north florida. I was thin about 2 1/2 feet long and moving fast. LOL

I have more epi buds.
Sandy

Jeremy, the Alchimenes goes dormant in the fall and I put it in a corner of the yard (they are in pots) with no watering or any other attention until right now when the first leaves sprout again. Mine bloom all summer, they like shade and water. They are seasonal bloomers and I doubt they'll bloom year round.
Have had mine for many years and made many new pots and baskets from it, just dividing the little corms

My Achimenes are still dormant too. They should be coming up soon!!

Rene what are you doing up at this time of night???

Just not sleepy yet, but am getting there. We had a great time in St. Agustine!!!! Missed you!!!

Thanks, monschi, for the info on the Achimenes. It may be that since my zone is quite a bit colder in the winter, they stay dormant longer. I will dig up some of the corms this year when the leaves appear and pot them up. I would really like to be able to increase their numbers.

Jeremy

I heard you did. We had a real good time in Davenport. I am coming over tomorrow to get some marigolds from Lillie.

O K I have to go to Bartow tomorrow afternoon to pick up my MRI I have an app't with an Orhtopedic Dr wed with my shoulder,

It will probably be late afternoon before i get over there. I have to go to Lake Placid and pick up 400 caladium bulbs. We worked our rears off in the yard today getting everything ready to put them in the ground.