Fruit

Starfruit and Surinam cherry are the only fruit I grow.

Starfruit

Starfruit

How much Starfruit  can 2 people eat?

John from http://www.okraw.com shows you a star fruit tree, how to harvest star fruit, how to cut it, as well as growing information and nutrition information. After watching this video your mouth will be watering for star fruit!



Surinam cherry

This fruit comes and goes so quick some times I don't see them.

It is a very handsome evergreen shrub with copper-pink young leaves. Mature leaves are opposite, ovate or narrowly ovate, subglossy with paler underside.

Published on Apr 11, 2012 by MyInspiredCreation

Surinam cherry aka Brazilian Cherry aka Cayenne Cherry aka Florida Cherry ... with all of these aliases isn't it weird that it's not considered as a cherry?! Lol. I've seen this bush all over South Florida and I'm fully surprised to just find out that it's fruit is actually edible! Thanks to the awesome group in facebook: 'Awesome Gardening Youtube/Gardening Friends & Videos' who helped me figure out what it is.

First Day School

Today is my granddaughters (Lily) first day of kindergarten and the first day of school for many kids in this part of Florida.  So be careful driving out there. Good luck Lily.

That also means Fall is not far behind and then Winter. Oh No!!!!

I guess it's not to early to start thinking about what to do with the plants this coming winter.

Something's need to go. But what?

For me the first thing is to downsize. Do I need 6 or more of the same plant? No, one or two is good.

Do I want all of the plants I have now?

Not all the plants are doing well, so lets get rid of the weak and the ones I don't like. Yes I have plants I don't like.

After I weed out all of that.

Where do I put them so I can keep a eye on them then it's cold? 

For me it's right out side my back door. That space is not large enough for  all of them so the rest of them will have to go on the side of my house.

WOW just thinking about all that makes my head hurt. That’s all for now. Have to think more about it later.

Orthophytum harleyi

A small Orthophytum harleyi in flower.

Orthophytum harleyi doesn't get to big, fits nicely in a 6 inch pot

I have a few Orthophytum's that don't get large, this one and  Orthophytum Brittle Star are my favorite.

• Orthophytum navioides - I do like this also.
• Orthophytum saxicola
• Orthophytum sucrei
• Orthophytum 'Starlights'
• Orthophytum 'Copper Penny'
• Orthophytum conquistense

Also stay small and their probably others.

Close up

Take s good look at what makes white thorn's white.

 

 I didn't know the thorn's were white because of the trichomes.

Looks like snow or ?

 

 

 

 

2012 Bromeliad Society International World Bromeliad Conference

The 2012 Bromeliad Society International World Bromeliad Conference
hosted by Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies in Orlando, FL. is fast approaching. Opening day is  Monday, September 24 but my wife and I won't be their until Wednesday, September 26.

We want to sell some plants at the sale area to help pay for this trip. I don't think we could that many plant to pay for the hole thing, that would be great if that happened. But that’s a lot of plants to sell.

The cost of going to one of these  Conference is getting way to much. The hotel is going to be about $480 for the 5 (I think we're staying 5 days) days plus the  Registration cost of $160 x 2 = $320 for the 2 of us.

All sellers are required to enter at least 5 plants into the show.  So I also have to come up with some thing to enter in the show.

I don't have 5 plants of show equity. I hope to have 2 plants of show equity at lease. So I was thinking about entering a few photos to make up any differences. That’s going to be easy, very good photos are hard to come by what will make people look at more then once.

 
Sellers are also encouraged to donate a bromeliad or bromeliad related article to the Rare Plant Auction.  What to donate what some one will bid on? If it is worth any money I want to sell it and get the money myself to pay for this trip.

I looked and looked at all my plants over and over again and the only plants I can find are the two plants below. How do you grow a Dyckia large enough with-out any damage?
Plus I would have to re-move the offsets.



Dyckia Arizona F2 Black Ice in a 6 inch pot



Dyckia milagrensis in a 12 inch pot

The last show I had dyckia's in, I had a 3D photo, That did not do what I had hope it would do. Few people looked at it with the 3D glasses and those that did could not see the 3D in the 3D. I liked it.

Anyone have any idea's on what I can enter?

I need all the help I can get.

  

One more thing please hit the like button or not.

Euphorbia geroldii

Flowers almost all year. It does take some time off in winter.

Growth Habits: Semi succulent shrub, up to 12 feet tall
Watering Needs: Enjoy a moist soil.
With wider leaves than Euphorbia millii and no spine, it prefers light shade and likes more moisture than other similar Euphorbias.

Cultural Practices: Tends to become leggy. Prune tips to preserve bushyness.

Origin: Northeastern Madagascar

Orchids

Not all Orchids like the hot wet jungles. Some like the two pictured here like it hot and dry.

Eulophia deceocladesa v decaryi Lavr

Eulophia deceocladesa v decaryi Lavr

Can't find to much infor. for this plant (Eulophia deceocladesa v decaryi)on the web.

Wikipedia said: "Oeceoclades decaryana is an orchid species of the genus Oeceoclades. Until recent years known only from Madagascar, it is now recognized to be widespread throughout southern and southeastern Africa."

 

More good infor. on  Eulophia petersii at:

http://www.tucsoncactus.org/html/growing_succulents_in_the_desert_column_Jan_2010.html

New place that sells Dyckia's

Just found a new place that sells Dyckia's here in Florida. I think he's high in his prices but that’s me. I also would like to get what he is asking for when I sell my dyckia's..  

Seabreeze Nurseries Web-site also about 18 videos on dyckia's and other bromelids.

Anyway take a look:

Seabreeze Nurseries
Fort Myers, FL

LEARNING CENTER

http://www.seabreezenurseries.com/LearningCenter.html

Three year anniversary

Photo's from days gone by.

Tillandsia hildae

Orthophytum 'Brittle Star'

Just a few plants

I have been "Blogging" on Google's Blog, 1st way back in Aug. 20, 2009 and then Wordpress and now back to Google's Blog.

This the 569th blog entree's (is that the right word?) total from the two blog's.

I can't believe it's been that long. Three some times long years.

Some times it came easy on that to write about, but most of the time I had no idea that to write about or photo's to post.

In the beginning I was hoping for more input from readers but that didn't happen.

Although the blog get about 30 to 40 (some days as much as 70 or more) hits a day with a total 7131 pageviews (just on Google's Blog), very few people has any thing to say or add. Why is that?

I don't know how long I will do this. I think the end is coming soon.

Have you found this blog?

This person does not  write much (so far) but has a few interesting post and photo's.

You might like to look at.

http://dyckiaberlin.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/it-works/

hypertufa

I came across this blog and although I'm not in to this type of gardening, this topic I was interested in. I thought about make one of these planters for years but never got around to it.

 So if anyone is interested in making a trough planter go check it out. It has detailed instructions on how to make a trough planter out of hypertufa mix.

 The link below is at:

Fairegarden

Gardening on a slope in Southeast Tennessee

 http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/how-to-make-a-hypertufa-trough/

 This blog has also won a few nominations and awards.

Best Photography Blog

Best Eclectic Garden Blog

Best US Blog

Best Tennessee Blog

Garden Blog Of The Year

Best Commenter

Blotanist Of The Year

Dyckia Silver Back original clone

This the original clone of Dyckia Silver Back. I have different hybrids of this plant but it's hard to beat the original.

Dyckia Silver Back original clone

Dyckia Silver Back original clone

 

Fouquieria fasciculata

I am not 100% sure if this is Fouquieria fasciculata. But that's what I'm calling it. If anyone know for sure let me know.

Had this plant for about 30 or 35 years. I pick it up on a trip down to New Mexico. I don't remember where.

I lived in Illinois back then and when we moved to Florida it came with us.

I planted it in the ground maybe 15 years ago and don't think it was got any larger, as far as the caudex. The thin branches have grown and I some times cut them back a little. 

In the back ground  you can see a few Jatropha podagrica leaves that re-seeded them self's around the yard.

I don't know if it flowers, it might but I don't look at it that much.
 It is planted in the shade unfortunately. It wasn't in the shade then it was planted.

The caudex is about 8 x 8.