Archive for August, 2020

WTH is Happening to Our Country?

Friday, August 28th, 2020

The current administration is vehemently against the removal of confederate sculptures, but supports denigrating the sacredness of our White House, our Washington Monument, our Capitol, and our American Flag.

Milt and American Flag


Fungus Found in Soil of Potted Plants

Tuesday, August 25th, 2020

Today I found fungus growth in a few of my recently repotted plants. The potting mix is a combination of peat, bark, decomposed granite, and pea gravel. The potting mix for a few plants that are not succulents, had the addition of a manufactured cactus mix.

Fungus

Fungus

Fungus

Fungus

Removed From Two Potted Plant

Fungus

Fungus

Evening–Found more potted plants with evidence of fungi.

When I opened the soil bin, this is what I found.
Fungus
Did not see the fungi when I used the cactus soil as part of a soil potting mix.
Just finished repotting every plant that I used the soil potting mix.

Gosh, it was a lot of work to clean the plants and scrub and disinfect the pots, make a potting mix, and repot all of the plants. Good that only a few plants were potted up the day I used the soil potting mix.


Thistle Silk

Monday, August 24th, 2020

Thistle Silk

Thistle Silk
Thistle Silk


Drimiopsis, A New Leaf

Monday, August 24th, 2020

Drimiopsis

Drimiopsis New Leaf

Gift from a friend received and potted 7/23/20.


A Little Bit of Yellow

Sunday, August 23rd, 2020

Detail Dietes Flower

Dietes

Aphids on Milkweed Plants
Yellow Aphids

Yellow Aphids


The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Visited the Garden Again, Today

Saturday, August 22nd, 2020

Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary

The draw to the garden is the Passiflora.

Passiflora

Wikipedia–Gulf Fritillary

A Gulf Fritillary caterpillar found in the garden in 2019.

Gulf Fritillary caterpillar

Its chrysalis–

Gulf Fritillary chrysalis


Crassula capitella Red Pagoda and Mealybugs

Saturday, August 22nd, 2020

Nearly all of my Crassula capitella Red Pagoda have these–

Pagoda Insects

Wikipedia–Mealybug

I cleaned the plants and placed them in the plant hospital in the upstairs bathroom. Plan to give the plants a little time to see if more mealybugs surface. If they do I will dispose of the plants.

Crassula capitella Red Pagoda

The day I brought the Crassula capitella Red Pagoda home in 2018. It is the plant on the right.

The Echeveria Black Knight today–

Echeveria Black Knight


Morning Glory

Saturday, August 22nd, 2020

Morning Glory


Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

Friday, August 21st, 2020

Attempted to take a photo of a Gulf fritillary butterfly that visited my courtyard garden.

All of the photos were blurry. Wouldn’t pause long enough to see its wing detail.

Gulf Fritillary butterfly

Just as I put my phone in my pocket, it flew around my head and landed on a Passiflora leaf. I put my hand down next to it.

Its antenna stroked my finger. Much cooler than a photo!
It is important to live in the moment, to contemplate something beautiful.


Senecio jacobsenii Weeping Jade

Friday, August 21st, 2020

Weeping Jade

Weeping Jade

Weeping Jade

Weeping Jade

Weeping Jade

Weeping Jade