New Lithops and Mexican Tuberose, and More Dahlias

I couldn't resist buying a few very cute Lithops a few weeks ago. They had no label of any kind, and the store clerk wanted to know "what the heck those weird plants" were! I particularly love the colors of the (presumed) karasmontanas on the lower right:

 L. karasmontana x2 on the lower right.

I've been growing some Mexican Tuberose near the dahlias and geraniums. Here is what the tubers of Polianthes tuberosa look like:

I planted them a couple inches deep in rich but well-draining soil with moderate water and strong morning sun, and about 2 weeks later, I had this!

Single Mexican tuberose are the most fragrant, which is why I chose them over the showier, but milder-smelling Pearl tuberose. They have been cultivated in Mexico since Pre-Columbian times for their spectacular scent. The Spanish fell in love with them and took them back to Europe. In their ideal environment they can grow 2 meters tall! Mine are only about 25cm at this point, but hey, it's a sand dune. They grow best in Zones 8 through 10, so I'm very excited to smell these in another month or so. If they bloom I will certainly post photos.

The dahlias have been blooming prolifically, and I can't say sunflowers are my all-time favorite flower anymore- it's a tie. They never reached dinner plate size, but flowers grown near beaches tend to be dwarfed a bit. And I didn't have the heart to pinch off 90% of the buds as I was supposed to; I'd rather have more, but smaller dahlias than just one huge one:

Now I've got to get some watering and weeding done, and mustn't forget the Tillies...!

Lithops Activity and Weekend Walkabout with Vultures

My long-dormant Lithops karasmontana has finally begun to fully regenerate. Resorption of the old leaves on the second leaf pair has finally begun!

We've had such a hot winter, that the indoor Lithops haven't been getting much direct sun (they scorch in their pots) and this has confused them. The outdoor Lithops are doing better, as they get colder temps at night and can handle the full, hot sun, as they are in the ground, and don't scorch quickly the way potted Lithops can. Ah well.

I had a fine weekend walkabout (well- midweek vacation walkabout) with vultures and herons. Vultures are symbolic of spiritual cleansing and rebirth for quite a few religions and cultures. They are gentle and seem to enjoy meeting hikers. Occasionally, they like to chew on car tires, though, which is a bit rude. Fortunately, they didn't care much for my car. Here is a photo of Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures. Though they are different species, they like to hang out together.

And here's a lovely Great Blue Heron, looking for an aquatic lunch.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lithops of the Month: Karasmontana "Top Red"

One of my very first purchases was also one of my very favorite species of Lithops, karasmontana. Now the naming of Lithops species, as all Lithops enthusiasts know, is maddening on a good day. On bad days, I've been known to just give up trying to figure out which Lithops belongs to which species. With some species, like L. dorotheae, it's pretty easy to figure it out. Ditto "Optica Rubra" and some others that make it easy for us to identify them.

The species L. karasmontana is particularly maddening in that its members often look nothing like each other at all. "Top Red" and "Avocado Cream" belong to the same species??? Gedouttahere!

Here's my lovely "Top Red". It's an easy one to grow, very tough, and gorgeous, too.