The Hot! Loud! and Proud!

HOT...makes me think of YELLOW!!!!

I'll bet Connie lit it up back in the day!!!

LOUD...makes me think of NEON YELLOW!!!!

PROUD...makes me think of YELLOW...

like a bright yellow Lamborghini

Diablo VT 6.0 on Palm Beach...

that's PROUD!!!

So, obviously, I HAD to report on my

HOT! LOUD! and PROUD! Yellow Lily Pads. 

Yes, I'm blessed to have these tropical hotties

on my very own pond. 

OUTSTANDING...don't you think?!?!

The pretty bulbous bloom is the product of the Spatterdock plant, Nuphar Luteum or the Yellow Pond Lily.

I've never seen this bloom completely open up on my pond. 

However, this link shows an open flower.

This is what a spent bloom looks like.

Spatterdock is a native water lily

that grows in fresh water ponds, lakes, slow streams and canals.

The  thick leaves grow up to 12" across and can be round

or heart shaped (mine are heart shaped which makes them even HOTTER!).

The leaves float on the waters surface until the water level drops

due to tide or dry periods when they reach up past the waters surface. 

The long stalks are attached to rhizomes deep underneath the underlying mud.

The large lily pads provide precious cover for aquatic animals including fish,

insects, frogs, snakes, salamanders, and crayfish from hungry predators. 

Beaver and muskrats eat the rhizomes,

although these critters don't seem to inhabit my small watering hole. 

The leaves provide the perfect spot for frogs and insects

to lay eggs and provide a welcoming resting place for waterfowl.  

So if you'd like more HOT! LOUD! and PROUD!

blooms and foliage, head over to my friend Noel's blog,

 A Plant Fanatic in Hawaii! 

He's ALWAYS got something HOT going on!!! 

Asexual Lipstick

Admittedly, not everyone is interested in lipstick, let alone the latest colors this season has to offer.  Aside from the various manufacturers, one must decide between the diverse finishes as well...shiney, sparkley, matte, long lasting, dry, moist, etc.  Then, of course, there's the application...a thick crayon shaped stick to a thin wand or brush. Let's not mention the multitude of lip balm, gloss and liner.  It's really overwhelming. 

However, there IS a lipstick that can be appreciated by all...the lovely Lipstick Plant or Aeschynanthus radicans.

This plant features beautiful tube-shaped bright red - orange blooms

that hang from graceful stems and arching foliage.

HOLD THE PHONE!

(ps - one of my favorite movie quotes EVER...can you guess the movie?)

The lipstick plant is an EPIPHYTE!!!!...

or a plant that lives in the trees obtaining nutrients from fallen leaves and twigs

that get caught in the crevices of branches. 

It's apparently native to Malaysia and prefers plenty of indirect light.

My friend, Africanaussie wrote about her lipstick plant,

"Aeschynanthus radicans 'Crispa'" in her post titled,

Can Anyone Grow a Lipstick Plant?  



But on a REALLY fun note, here's some songs with lipstick in the lyrics...
Lipstick by Elise Estrada
Hit Me with Your Best Shot by Pat Benetar
(she puts another notch in her lipstick case)
Red Lipstick by Kesha
Lipstick on Your Collar by Connie Francis and remade by The Saints in 1977
Lipstick Lies by Pat Benetar in 1977 and remade by Saving Alexis in 2010
Lipstick on the Radio by Neal McCoy
Lipstick and Bruises by Atomic

Can you think of any?

A Gift!

My orchid friend, Makarimi of Orchid De Dangau, has honored me with the gift of a blog award!

I've never considered my simple blog 'stylish', but I am so glad Makarimi thinks it is!  I am sincerely honored with this gift!  Thank you, Makarimi! 

A few quick notes about Orchid De Dangau...Makarimi's orchids are really fabulous! If you enjoy growing them or just looking at them, you  must visit this blog often!  Secondly, I've learned that Makarimi and I share another interest...poultry!  Although my little chicks are still small and won't produce eggs for a while yet, Markarimi is experienced and well versed in this arena.

In accepting this award, you should:

• Post linking back to the person that gave you the award.
• Share 7 random things about yourself.
• Award 15 recently discovered bloggers (admittedly, most of mine are not 'recently discovered')
• Drop them a note, and tell them about it!

So, a few random things about me that I haven't divulged previously (you already know I love gardening; plants and more plants; all varieties of music; the Chicago Bears; speed [boats, cars, jets, rides, etc.]; and my family so it's no fun to talk about that stuff again):

1.  One of my favorite foods in the entire world is Lou Malnati's pizza in Chicago. The sauce is amazing...the crust is to die for...baked to perfection...and the entire combination is heavenly!!!  It's been six long years since I've sunk my teeth into one of Lou's scrumptuous, tantalizing pies.

2.  I try to be a bit more sophisticated but can't always hide the red-neck blood running through my veins.  I'm a huge fan of 4-wheeling, truck and tractor pulls, pig races, bull riding, county fairs, the smell of freshly cut hay and alfalfa, the warm sweet smell of a dairy barn, and a fresh bowl of soup beans poured over corn bread.  There...I said it!  You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl.

3.  One of my favorite things to do is comb the beach for the perfect shell...no matter the size, large or miniscule.  The perfect shell might not be unbroken and it definitely has amazing colors and interesting patterns.

4.  I love handbags - sheer bliss!  Purses of any type...large, small, square, oval, plain, shiney, leather, crocheted, expensive or cheap...love them!!

5.  One of my favorite reads is The Shack...I still ponder it.

6.  I'm a fan of all things "clever"...a play on words or accentuating the obvious in some unique fashion.  My favorite print ad of all time falls in this category..."'ingle 'ells!  'ingle 'ells! The holidays aren't the same without J and B" written by famed Diane Rothschild for JB Scotch.  I think I've discussed this before, but it's well worth mentioning again.

7.  If I could choose one super power, I would like to fly.  I think flying must be truly amazing in every way. (I must mention my friend, Charlotte, who recently posted about flying in her Life in a Day blog - beautiful photo and quote!)


OK...so much for me.  Now I'd like to pass on this fantastic award.  (By the way, I realize that not everyone does awards, and if that's the case, I'm sincerely not offended.)


Orchids of Greece - a blog I just found this week...really cool and different blooms!
The Rainforest Garden - Steve loves quirky and unique tropicals, as I do! He offers great info and always knows the names of his plants!!!
A Plant Fanatic in Hawaii - Noel's Pacific Island blog and photography is well worth a stylish award
AfricanAussie - a wonderfully tropical blog in Queensland, Australia
The Lazy Shady Gardener - an enjoyable blog / blogger in Austin Texas who just celebrated his first blogging anniversary!
Southesast Florida Evolvement - Ami has a beautiful garden that is continuously evolving
South Florida Challenges - Sanddune has an engaging blog and is a huge inspiration to me - he discusses the challenges and benefits of gardening organically under the hot Florida on a big pile of sand!
Aarons Gardening Blog - Aaron is a young gardener in Malaysia who always blogs about something interesting, tropical and beautiful!
A Day in the Life - Gary's blog is a joy because he's a guy that just seems to enjoy life and what it brings. Awesome!
Frangipani Passions - Frangipani - need I say more?!
Nature Digital - My friend, Costas, shares life in Greece. His photos are beautiful!
Curbstone Valley Farm - Clare posts about her farm and chickens (Clare is my mentor with my new brood)...her property is also a Certified Wildlife Habitat!

All of these blogs are very stylish!
Hope you'll check 'em out and enjoy as much as I!

 

A Bevy of Barter Benefits

Once upon a time in my very diverse career, I was employed by an international bartering firm where I created and distributed their bi-monthly newsletter.  It was a fascinating job as I was exposed to the age-old system of barter, or the exchange of goods and services for other goods and services.  People would trade anything!  Items were both new and used but of the utmost quality; service providers were licensed professionals who guaranteed their work; travel companies offered exclusive vacations...not just 3-day hedonism jaunts; luxury vehicles, homes, apparel, etc. were offered.  In other words, barter was not for the unfortunate lacking funds to obtain what they needed to exist...it was for anyone with something worth while to trade who needed (or wanted) something of quality in return.  

Barter is still a successful economic system, alive and well in today's society!

I recently reaped the benefits of the barter system. 

I received a couple of plants on my "hot" list in exchange for plants on my friend's wish list.  I have to admit, though, I received much more than I asked for!  My friend not only made my day with the two plants I'd requested, but with a bevy of additional surpises that sent me for a loop! 

Holy Succulent Heaven!!!

The two coveted specimens...

the Pencil Cactus, or Euphorbia tirucalli. 

As it's a Euphorbia, it's not a cactus at all but a succulent. 

and the Zig Zag Cactus!

Other names include Cryptocereus anthonyanus, Selenicereus anthonyanus
Anthony's Rick-Rack, and Fishbone Orchid Cactus.
I found photos of Zig Zag in bloom too!!!!
 (scroll down toward the bottom of the screen if you click on the link)
 
Absolutely awesome, aren't they? 

I first saw them last year at a local botanical garden, Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens. 

The pencil cactus I noticed was a TREE!!!
CRAZY! 
I fell in instant love! 

Then I rounded a corner and noticed the ZIgZAG cactus
in a planter on a bench and was overcome all over again! 
Actually, at the time, I had no idea what it was...
I referred to it in my previous post as a "succulent fern".
These two succulents made my head spin with their uNusual shapes. 
And now, I have two of my very own!! 
I can't wait for my young starts to grow into such
spectacular displays as seen on my garden tour.

But my good fortune did not stop there. 
I was blessed with a plethora of succulents! 
I won't pretend to know the names of them all...
I'm still conducting some research. 
However, I wasn't the only one excited to examine and plant
each scrumptuos succulent...my daughter
had to get in on the fun, too.  In fact, she designed this container....

Aside from my two grand prizes, this one is my favorite. 

I love the colors and patterns, especially in the matching pot!

(not to mention the lovely  model, of course!)

This one is so fun...it's soft, fuzzy and velvety with a bumpy underside!

I believe it's called Kalanchoe beharensis, Felt Plant, or Velvet Leaf Plant.

It beckons to be pet!

And this one has beautiful contrast and architectural structure!

This one is very dainty with petite rosettes spreading about...

And this one is even softer with it's grassy leaves and pretty white flowers...

(reminds me of gold sedum)

Another gorgeous rosette with burgandy hews...

Then there are the majestic, statuesque type...

I imagine this guy will grow tall!

This one has teeth...

These next two are similar in their nubby form but different in color!

LOVE IT!!!

This is the smallest...

I wonder if it has a spreading habit or if it will hang over the side of the pot?

And this one is the largest in regard to sprawl...I curled it around into this pot.

I like the flat pancake or paddle leaves.

These are all starts at the moment...

I wonder how big they'll grow given light, care and space?!?!

What FUN!!!!

The best part is not just the physical prize,

but the intangable prize of building relationships with other gardeners!! 

I'm so happy for these friendships and look forward to seeing them grow

as well as the plants we share!!! 

THANK YOU!!!!! 

Orchids for Valentine's Day!

I awoke this morning to a lovely Valentine's Day surprise...

one of my phaleanopsis orchids gifted my family and I with a gorgeous new bloom! 

It's the first of the bunch so there's more to come,

but this bloom is special for Valentine's Day.

This photo isn't the best,

but you can see the full plant and the blooms to come!

I love the variety of gold, yellow, pink and purple in this single blossom! 

And the petals shimmer in the light. 

Beautiful!

Happy Valentine's Day, all!

Pullets in Paradise!

The Garden in Paradise cheerfully welcomes new residents...

3 sweet little pullets, or baby/young hens typically less than a year old.

Now we have Pullets in Paradise!!!

These lovely little babies came to join us when they were just 3 days old. 

At 1 week, they were already quite active and demanding! 

Many of you know I come from midwest farm country.  However, my family engages in crop production, dairy cows, and hogs...not chickens.  Although my husband has enjoyed a 'farmette' with goats and chickens, I personally had to conduct a bit of research to find out more about our feathered friends.  Here's the scoop:

Rhode Island Red - Penny
Loveable little Penny was my personal choice...she's the larger of the three girls and is very sweet and calm.  I read that Penny will be a hardy producer of brown eggs, even under the worst conditions, and would be a wonderful mother if permitted to have chicks.  Quite popular, this breed is probably the best known in the world and is the Rhode Island state bird.  Mature hens grow to be about 6 lb and roosters can grow up to 8 lb, which explains Penny's larger size.

Black Sex Link - Gina
Research tells me that Black Sex Links, or Black Stars, are hybrids...a cross between a red rooster (Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire) and a female Barred Rock breed. Black Sex Links are typically friendly chickens and very productive brown egg layers.  I don't know if speed is typical of this breed but Gina is quite fast, even at her early age.

Ameraucana - Cameron
This adorable ball of fluff resembles an owl, doesn't she?  After some research, I've found that Cameron probably isn't a true Ameraucana, but rather a breed that does not conform to any specific type, which is also also known as an Easter Egg Chicken, since they lay green and bluish eggs.  This breed originated from blue egg laying chickens, but has 'evolved' into primarily green egg layers. Regardless of her pedigree, Cameron has a friendly demeanor and seems a natural leader of the flock. 

These little ones are growing much faster than I expected, although my more-experienced husband knew better.  They are outgrowing their indoor pen as I speak, forcing my hubby to build an outdoor pen/coop.  We live in a farm-friendly community so the girls are not unexpected or unwelcome by the neighbors.  However, we'll have to keep a keen eye out for raptors as well as fox, coyote, bobcat, and even raccoons...all who might enjoy the girls as a tasty meal.

As a side note, the dogs and Lola seem to enjoy the new additions...no one feels disregarded!

Epiphyte Epidemic

Ephiphyte Epidemic?!?!  Yep...Steve at Rainforest Gardener is spreading Epiphytic Fever to the point of an epidemic.  It's CONTAGEOUS!!!! 

Steve is such a lover of ephiphytes that he is hosting a meme focusing on anything that grows in the tree tops! Gotta love it!

I've always had a soft spot for such plants primarily because they scream TROPICAL to me.  Coming from the midwest, I never attempted orchids and kept only the hardiest of tropicals as houseplants.  My homes were usually too dry and too drafty for such delicate plants.  However, when I moved to South East Florida's coastal zones in 2005, I began to realize these previously considered sensitive beauties are actually remarkably hardy, given the proper environment...just like most of us!  My yard is now littered with air plants and scattered with the numerous orchids that I have "planted" in the trees.

These tillandsia grow naturally here in zone 10.  So cool!

This poor oak tree is so covered with tillandsia (ball moss, I believe...can cluster up to 50 plants!) that I wonder if they are actually suffocating the poor tree!

This is a close up of a single tillandsia that covers this lone tree. 

Here's another type.  I think it's tillandsia utriculata, but I've read that the utriculata is a protected species which would surprise me since I see it everywhere...gives me reason to believe I have misidentified it.

I showcased many tillandsia in a previous post of mine titled, "Tree Dwellers" - there's a nice photo of a Tillandsia Bulbosa that I planted high in a tree on my new property.

Bromelaids tend to grow up tree trunks as well.  I was permitted to take a clump of broms ( Neoregelia Spectabilis I THINK) from an estate sale recently...amazingly beautiful in the trees, don't you think?

Here's a photo of the new addition with some naturally occurring tillandsia that have made this sabal palm.

Staghorn ferns enjoy the trees too.  I'd never heard of this plant before moving to the tropics. 

The sterile leaves grow around a tree trunk / branch (or anything you might provide such as a log, rock, etc.) to stabilize itself and gather nutrients.

This fern is rooted to the trunk of this saw palmetto tree...

The fern base is fuzzy like a caterpillar...

This tillandsia resembles pine needles...

I'm hoping I will stumble upon more tillandsia, bromelaids and various epiphytes as I continue to clear my new property.  The discoveries thus far have been so much fun and encouraging for an epiphytic fan such as myself...and Steve!!  I can only hope I have more to share with you in the future!!  After all...it's very CONTAGEOUS!!!