Mesembs on a Windowsill

I've kept these plants now for more than four years. Some change, some just...stay pretty much the same. Mesembs evolved in some of the harshest real estate on Earth, much of which has sadly become actual real estate and no longer supports these exquisitely weird little plants.

From left to right, they are Gibbaeum (likely heathii), Titanopsis, Pleiospilos nelii, and Argyroderma. None of these grow well outdoors in tropical Zone 10, but inside a not-very-humid house, in quartz chipped soil in a sunny eastern window, they're fine. They get some water every 7-10 days.

Adromischus cristatus (Key Lime Pie Plant) and New Ceramics

I finally had some time this spring to work on new ceramics inspired by peacocks, a very ancient symbol of resurrection and renewal. And what plant better to pose with the new bowls than the most popular plant on my blog, Adromischus cristatus, the Key Lime Pie Plant:

New Pots and  Key Lime Pie Plant, M Robb, 2015

I used terracotta clay, then washes of light green or black underglaze topped with 3 coats of Amaco Bluebell and Aquamarine opalescent. They came out well. As you can see, my Key Lime Pie plant has sent out a few new plantlets from the top, and I'll get them potted up eventually. Have a great gardening weekend!

Weekend Walkabout: A Marsh Rabbit in the Sun

Ah, the Marsh Rabbit, one of my all-time favorite lagomorphs:

Marsh Rabbit in the Meadow, MRobb, 2015

Sylvilagus palustris

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

 

Oncidium, Phal Portraits, and Lego Pottery

Oncidiums are not as glamorous as Phal orchids, especially when it comes to color. Oncidiums tend more toward golds, earth tones, and pastels. The flowers are generally small. They are often scented, however, and can bloom in great profusion from a single inflorescence:

Oncidium in Bloom, MRobb, May 2015

I've been working in some new styles of ceramics, inspired by traditional Japanese tea ceremony styles. The motifs on this vase are based on Mishimade pottery. But I used Legos instead of stamps! Legos are indeed incredibly versatile....

Lego Vase based on Mishimade pottery, MRobb, May 2015

Oncidium Blooms!

Not one single Lithops bloomed this year. Most regenerated without incident, but I do miss Lithops flowers. I'm not sure why, the Ways of the Lithops are mysterious.

Didn't happen this year, sigh....

On the other hand, the African Violets and orchids have been blooming like crazy, as have the Haworthias and Aloes.

Succulents in Bloom

This lovely Oncidium, a rescue, is having a great bloom:

Oncidium 2015, MRobb

They have a soft vanilla fragrance. The flowers are so pretty with their gold and brown shades I had to paint a watercolor background for their official portrait. Enjoy your gardens and have a wonderful weekend!

It's the Quiet Ones You Have to Watch Out For....

So They (meaning people with way more education in meteorology than I have) said it was going to be a Very Quiet Hurricane Season this year. Hmmph.

This blob, perched outside my eastern window, is probably going to be christened Ana in a couple of days....

Soon-to-be-named TS Ana? MR, 5-2015

And before she's even named, and nearly a month before the official start of Hurricane Season, she has the discourtesy to dump 10cm rain on my newly seeded herb garden! No gentle rain, just a big wall of water poured out of the heavens onto my little seeds. So the herb patch is all flooded out and when it dries up, I'll just do it all over. Hmph.

Interestingly, about 24 hours before "Ana-to-be" flooded my garden, all the snakes who live out there were out of their burrows, their heads held high and sniffing the air. Then they all made for higher ground, or, since we have no higher ground here, the old wooden fence and the lawn furniture. Seems they have more education in meteorology than humans do. Always pay attention to your snakes!

An Alert Southern Corn Snake

 
But here's a lovely flower photo (an orchid of course, they're blooming all over the house right now) to make it all better.

The Joy of Tillies in Southern Gardens

I love American southern gardens. They are big, languid, humid, and full of Spanish Moss. Yes, you can sweat out every water molecule in your body and still only manage a brief promenade around the bromeliads, but it's worth it.

One of my favorite southern gardens is the Leu Gardens of Orlando, Florida. They have lots of Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides):

This particular Tillie has been used as mattress stuffing for centuries, possibly millenia. It's soft and cushy when dried. But alive, it absorbs all sorts of junk, including heavy metals, from the air. That's why it's being used in living curtains in Asia. Mostly, it's just a beautiful, romantic plant.

I hope you are all enjoying your gardens this week!

Mummified Catasetum

I received a request from an Alert Gardener- what exactly does a Catasetum look like when it is dormant?  Here it is, I call him Mr. Mummy:

This photo was taken in the winter. I'll be sure to post when Cat blooms! I went to our local orchid show today but was disappointed because they only had two Catasetums for sale at the most outrageous prices. The poor Cats were bedraggled, their leaves creased and torn. So sad.