Thursday, July 30, 2015

Gardeney Goings On...

This is my Melocactus matanzanus, those pink bits have been appearing (and disappearing) for weeks now. Some days there's nothing resting on top of that orange cap. Some days are like this...

The orange cap is called a cephalium and according to an article I read online once the plant develops a cephalium the rest of it ceases to grow, and only the cephalium continues, getting taller and taller.

You're probably wondering about the flowers? Could't tell you. Haven't seen a singe one. Only the pink bits. Now I'm also wondering (thanks to a cropped photo that takes me in closer), are those black dots seeds? .... (investigating)....Yes! They are. I broke open one of the pink capsules to find lots of tiny black seeds inside.

Remember my desire for a big mound of Symphytum x uplandicum 'Axminster Gold' foliage? Got it.

The new growth on the Leucadendron 'Ebony' is nicely variegated. Nice only as long as it doesn't stick around. I want black.

This is the Agave victoriae-reginae I picked up at a sale in Spokane last summer.

It's got me feeling a little paranoid. I thought I noticed a significant change to the center of the plant. I've been staring at it trying to decide.

See how it looks like a Hershey's kiss? Like a cone with a melted base? I'd convinced myself it was getting ready to start pushing out a bloom spike, but now - looking back at the photos I took when it first came home - well I'm not so sure.

Across the patio a Bromeliad bloom has busted out!

Such a strange thing.

Andrew compared the blue bits to satin ribbon and I had to agree with him.

This was an interesting discovery. Do you know what it is?

A Leafcutter Bee's nest cell.

I found it on the lawn and thought maybe it had fallen from a branch of our big-leaf Magnolia. Reading up on where they build their nests that's most likely not the case. Where did it come from? Dunno.

Whatta ya got there mom? Is it something for me to eat?

The little cap is my favorite part.

Blooming Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream', a pretty picture before moving on to an ugly one.

I dug these Agave americana pups last fall. They're still in the container I potted them into, as I've been too busy to properly deal with them (plans, of course I have plans). Anyway I noticed something had been gnawing on a couple of the leaves.

Ugh.

Little bastard!

The culprit.

This is my Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida'. On the bottom is the darker, old foliage. On the top, well - it's had a bit of a growth spurt this summer.

Old foliage...

New foliage.

It looks quite different!

That knobby knuckle is close to the top of the tree. The obviously broken bit on the right was my fault, broken wrestling the unplanted tree into the garage when snow, ice and super cold temperatures were predicted. The new growth is surging up from the far right stem, out of the photo range.

Taking off!

The side that's not growing.

And that's my report of gardeney goings on...

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

30 comments:

  1. Such interesting gardeney goings-on there! Are you saving those cactus seeds? The only goings-on lately here are raccoon destruction. That's raccoons destroying plants, not me destroying them (I wish).

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    1. I hadn't saved any of the earlier ones but I am now. Want some?

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    2. Oh, I'm so glad I came back to check out your responses to this post! I would love some seeds if you're willing to share. I love that cactus and its funky orange hat.

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  2. Nice mix! And that variegated tip on the ebony, is that usual! If not you could be on to something there and it might be worth snipping and rerooting.

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    1. I am afraid my skills are such that it would be snipping and letting die. Not something I want to take part in.

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  3. You're going to grow some cactus seedlings, right? (I know you're not a seed person, but cactus from seed is cool!) The bromeliad bloom is so strange, I'd love to see closeups of the blue parts. So blue! Also, I had no idea any caterpillars ate Agaves. Great.

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  4. Lots going on. But then, you're a patient observer.

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    1. Am I? I don't think of myself as being terribly patient, but I do notice details.

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  5. There are worms that eat Agaves?! Oh no!

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  6. ooh, cool developments! I wonder if that leaf cutter bee pod had baby bees in it?

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    1. I bet there are, I kind of want to break it open and check it out but that seems wrong.

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  7. Better than watching a science show on OPB.

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    1. Indeed! We gardeners have the best "shows" right in our own backyards.

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  8. I didn't know that about the rest of the plant not growing anymore once the cephalium grows. Do you think you'll try growing any from the seed? The leaf cutter bee's cell is so cool. I love thinking about all the work insects put into building their nests and cocoons, bit by bit. Lila cracked me up as usual (with the accompanying caption).

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    1. I doubt it. I just don't have a great place to do something like that (cactus from seed). If I had a real greenhouse maybe.

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  9. Such cool goings-on. The bee nest is the coolest. I've never seen that. Love that oak, too.

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    1. I'm pretty excited about all that new growth, you can see it from inside the house now.

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  10. I feel like I'm on a movie set. Are these all real or just really cool props? Where's the plastic sword?

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  11. I found a leafcutter bee cell in one of my succulent pots! It was wedged under an echeveria on the edge of the pot, a little dug in. I had no idea what it was when I found it, so took it apart. There's more than one of those round leaf cuts on top, and in between each one. They looked like they'd been made with a hole punch. Nature is so weird and fascinating!

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    1. Lucky you! I've put it where I can keep an eye on it, hopefully I'll get to see it after the little ones exit.

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  12. Everything is beautiful!! I'm in love with melocactus since I saw them in the wild in Peru. Too bad I missed the opportunity to buy one here in Spain...I must look for one. Do the pink seed pods last only one day? I thought they lasted longer. Ohhh and those leafcutter bees keep messing around with my arbutus unedo and cut up all the leaves. I think they make smaller nest cells here in Spain.

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    1. I have't really figured out a rhyme or reason to how long the seed pods last. I need to try and pay more attention. I do wonder if some of them haven't been eaten as I find no sign of them anywhere.

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  13. Great goings on! Your oak is way fab! I was going to guess elaborately rolled joint to celebrate Oregon's new law but the leaf cutter bee's nest cell is much cooler. Certainly you didn't let the agave eating bastard slink away.

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    1. The bastard was dealt with. No worries there.

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  14. I've never seen one of those leaf-cutter bee nests before. Cool! Those nasty green caterpillars will eat anything. I've found them on several different plants in my garden. Go eat the wild plants! I have something chewing on my Mitraria coccinea and some other plants, but I haven't been able to catch it in the act. It's becoming incredibly frustrating. Sigh...happier thoughts, happier thoughts. The Leucodendron and bromeliad are gorgeous. Love them both!

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    1. I've noticed several leaves with damage the last couple of days, and don't ever manage to catch anything in the act either. Smart of them, but frustrating.

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  15. Those melocactus pictures are great. The top looks like an orange cake with pink candles!

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