Archive for July, 2021

Everything Loves Brugs

Monday, July 26th, 2021

Often the first clue is leaf damage.

Brug Leaf Damage

Some insects are so camouflaged it can be difficult to see them. Even when they are quite large.
Wormy Guy


Datura Progress

Sunday, July 25th, 2021

Harvested seed planted in a flat March 14, 2021.

Normal Leaf Appearance

Datura Leaf Scale

Datura Leaf Scale

Abnormal Leaf Appearance

Datura Leaf Damage

Datura Leaf Damage

Damaged, but still very beautiful.

Datura Flower

The plants have a pungent odor; the flowers have a delicious fragrance.
Datura Flower

Datura Developing Seedpod

Eventually the seedpod will become sharp enough to wound hands.

Datura Seedpod


Gulf fritillary Butterfly

Friday, July 23rd, 2021

The Gulf fritillary was visiting the Passiflora and resting on a Salvia.

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Gulf fritillary

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Gulf fritillary

Gulf_fritillary at wikipedia


Nigella damascena

Friday, July 23rd, 2021

Love-in-a-Mist ‘Compact Red’

Nigella

Nigella

I purchased the seed from Select Seeds.


Woodpecker

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021

Melanerpes formicivorus (Acorn Woodpecker)

Visited our 40′ plus oak trees yesterday morning. I heard it before I could sort of see it. Really too far away to get a photo. Even though the photo isn’t great, it records when the woodpecker visited the garden.

Woodpecker

Cornell Lab

Audubon


Snagged my Attention

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021

Beautiful find when I exited the hospital. I had just completed a pulmonary function test. Feeling a bit high from the albuterol, so I decided to wander around in the parking lot a bit.

The shape is nice.
Cercidium-Parkinsonia

The bark is an amazing beautiful green.
Cercidium-Parkinsonia

The flowers are cheerful.
Cercidium-Parkinsonia

When I did a google image search, I hit on Cercidium-Parkinsonia. The images do appear similar. May or may not be the correct identification.

Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute at Cal Poly

This is on my list of nurseries to visit.
Las Pilitas Nursery (Native Plants)


Romneya–Matilija poppy

Monday, July 19th, 2021

It is common to see large Romneya growing between fields and roadways on the California Central Coast.

I purchased a 1-gallon Romneya plant. Popped it in the garden; it died. Purchased a second plant. Same thing happened.

After purchasing chicken grit for a soilless mix to transplant succulents, noticed a large Romneya growing near the parking lot, behind an office building. It clearly wasn’t cared for. Trash all around it and definitely multiple years of growth.

Snagged several seedpods with the hope of germination.

Romneya Seedpods

Romneya Seedpod Pair

The plan will be to soak the seed in Super Smoke Plus.I used the product when I was growing protea.

Cape Seed Primer

This is a fun shot of one of the seedpods. Looks sculptural.

Romneya Standing Seedpod

Haven’t decided when I will start the process. The seedpods are so beautiful, I am feeling a bit hesitant to crack them open.

Romneya at Calscape.org

Romneya at Wikipedia


Surprise Find

Monday, July 19th, 2021

Last night I cleared the spent Evening Primrose from a patch of garden. I found this–

Surprise Buds

The succulent is about to bloom for the first time.

Surprise Buds


Passiflora and Datura

Friday, July 16th, 2021

Passiflora

Passiflora

Datura Tonight

Datura

Datura


Common Swallowtail

Friday, July 16th, 2021

How can something so beautiful be common?

The Swallowtail visited one of my potted milkweed.

Butterfly

Butterfly

Papilio zelicaon
Wikipedia–Anise Swallowtail

Images of the Lifecycle of the Anise Swallowtail