Gardening with a Not-So-Angry Redhead

Sunflower Seed Collection

2011-08-22T10:11:00.000-05:00

For the past couple of weeks, my husband and I have been looking into purchasing land which has been keeping us a bit preoccupied, and yesterday while I was sitting outside pondering financing and daydreaming about greenhouses, I noticed a bird sitting on one of my now-very-sad-looking sunflowers and fiddling around. I figured something must have piqued that bird's interest, and although I dared

Erik's Recycled Wine Bottle Torch

2011-08-12T09:59:00.000-05:00

I found this through StumbleUpon and absolutely love it! I'm thinkin' a lot of gardeners out there will love it also, so check it out! DIY Instructions for making Erik's Recycled Wine Bottle Torch.

Old(ish) Animation

2011-08-03T10:55:00.000-05:00

Sharing a little (random) something I made 5 years ago... You have to click to see the animation. Otherwise Intelligent People by ~AngryRedHead on deviantART

Plumeria Diversity

2011-08-02T09:44:00.000-05:00

To follow up on my Plumeria Love post, I'm showing off the other plumeria in bloom. This is the one that my SO came hopping into the backyard after discovering it at Home Depot during an evening trip for whatever odds and ends we were needing. He was actually a little disappointed that I knew what it was right away. Of course, there was no label on it, so I don't have a name. If I were to

You know you're a gardener...

2011-08-01T10:56:00.001-05:00

when you go to IKEA to buy curtains and leave with nothing but a plant. I discovered that IKEA was selling bonsai ficus plants, and I particularly liked this one: Ficus microcarpa I don't know much about bonsai or ficus, so I'll have to do a bit of research or actually join the bonsai club here in Austin. It's funny where you discover plants.

Documentaries that Gardeners Might Like

2011-07-29T09:50:00.001-05:00

I'm working on a list of documentaries/true story films that relate to gardening at least in some respect. Topics that might interest gardeners are varied, so I'm trying to cover a number of bases based on things I enjoy and common topics I see on the garden blogs. Many of these can be watched online or through Netflix, so if you feel like having a lazy day because of summer heat or winter

Vegetable Garden Update for Late July

2011-07-28T09:26:00.000-05:00

Currently, my vegetable garden continues to do well despite the stress. Or rather the plants are making it through despite being stressed. A few problems are affecting the tomatoes such as powdery mildew and scale. However, they're still producing just at a much slower rate. Given that I haven't fertilized them except when I planted them back in March and that I still water them twice a

One Cereus Bloom

2011-07-27T11:29:00.000-05:00

About 5 days ago, I noticed a bloom forming on one of my cacti. I'm not sure what kind of cactus it is, but I think it's a Cereus sp. So I was on high alert to capture the bloom when it opened... I noticed yesterday afternoon that it was looking particularly full. I checked on it after the sun set and again at 11 pm or so. This morning I saw it was at least partially open, so I thought, "

Plumeria Love

2011-07-26T12:07:00.000-05:00

A couple of my plumerias are blooming, and I've already shown a picture of one for this month's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post. Still, it's a plant that deserves a bit more attention than a single photo. Unfortunately I don't have a name on this one. I think I bought it as a white or a pink or something. I got it last year, and it didn't bloom. This spring I discovered why it hadn't bloomed

Leek and Fennel Blooms

2011-07-25T15:41:00.000-05:00

Last October I planted leeks and fennel, and it's pretty obvious that I didn't harvest things when I was supposed to. Neither plant go particularly big, so it's probably just as well that I let them go to seed and try again in the fall. Leeks have pretty white puff-ball blooms similar to onions which is unsurprising since both are in the allium family. Fennel have yellow blooms which remind

Succulents and Drought

2011-07-22T09:16:00.000-05:00

Mammillaria carmenae San Pedro? Mammillaria plumosa Panda Ears (Kalanchoe tomentosa) Empty Bucket Left out for Rain

Mysteries in the Garden

2011-07-20T10:44:00.001-05:00

There are many odd and mysterious things going on in the garden right now. Ok, so they're doubtful mysteries to everyone, but they're mysteries to me. First is this beetle. There are loads of them around the vegetable garden, and I suspect they're burrowing into the ground and laying eggs. I further suspect their larvae will be chompin' on my veggie roots. Anyone know what kind of beetle it

Want a pro-membership for Instructables?

2011-07-16T09:45:00.004-05:00

I've racked up a few pro-memberships over the past year, and I honestly have more than what I could possibly ever need. It's silly to let them just sit around, and since I love Instructables and think everyone should be doing awesome DIY and sharing their projects, I want to encourage people to join and have fun! Note: I'm not paid by Instructables to do this. I've received these

Flowers and a Cat

2011-07-15T10:25:00.000-05:00

Hibiscus laevis Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus 'Hill Country Red') Leek (Allium porrum) Plumeria Esperanza/Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans) Unknown Kitteh (Felis catus; not mine) I guess there's both Fertilizer Friday and Garden Bloggers Bloom Day today! To see mountains of flowers, go to May Dreams Gardens (Garden Bloggers Bloom Day) and Tootsie Time (Fertilizer Friday

Behold the Power of the Polarizing Filter!

2011-07-14T15:31:00.001-05:00

Recently, I purchased a Hoya Polarizing Filter, and wow, my. life. is. changed. Here you can see what happens without a polarizing filter when photographing a reflective surface: And here you can see what happens with a polarizing filter: Ok, so it's not the prettiest shot ever, but the dirt on the windshield and the dimmed view through the vehicle was impossible to see without the filter.

Plant Review: Daylily 'Challenger'

2011-07-14T10:57:00.000-05:00

I bought 'Challenger' from Plant Delights Nursery last year with the hopes of having a daylily as tall as I am. Unfortunately, it's topped off at around 3' both times I've seen it bloom, and while 3' is impressive for a daylily in my yard, it ain't 5-6'. For scale, the stock tank is 2' tall. The camera was pretty much touching the ground here. I'm quite disappointed, but perhaps I'm

A little birdie gave me sumpin'

2011-07-13T11:14:00.000-05:00

Hannah over at embroidery for ducks gave me this pretty piece of art. Yay for surprise gifts! Wouldn't this pattern make a gorgeous set of hand towels? ...just sayin'... ...in case anyone's reading this... ...you know who you are...

Two Years and One Day Ago...

2011-07-12T17:07:00.000-05:00

we got married.

Make a (Better) Banner for Blogger (Part 3)

2011-07-12T10:47:00.001-05:00

In this continuation of "Make a (Better) Banner for Blogger", I will explain the remaining necessary steps to complete the background/banner created in Part 2 if that is all you are wanting. I do not cover the necessary steps for doing the image map as it appears in my current header. Creating the Official Banner: Blogger requires that you have a banner or text, so this requirement will have to

Knowing Better and Then Doing Something Else...

2011-07-11T19:32:00.000-05:00

True. Story. It just happened.

Make a (Better) Banner for Blogger (Part 2)

2011-07-11T11:46:00.003-05:00

In this second part of "Make a (Better) Banner for Blogger", I'll cover the creation of the background as it is the simplest to create and understand. Also, you may only want a banner that extends beyond what Blogger allows width-wise. Preparation and Decisions: Software: I'm using GIMP which is free to download and a truly wonderful program. You can also use Photoshop, Inkscape, or any

Grocery Store Gardening (Part 1)

2011-07-09T13:12:00.002-05:00

I'm going through my list of plants I've grown from things I bought at the grocery store, and there's actually a lot of stuff! Growing seeds collected from floral arrangements. I bought a few stems of Crested Cocks Comb (Celosia argentea var. cristata) that had already gone to seed, and when the blooms were done in the house, I scattered the seed in the hell strip before throwing the rest on

Ok, what's up with the porn searches?

2011-07-08T18:01:00.001-05:00

Honestly, why do people keep clicking on this blog lookin' for porn? Here's the latest search! The funny thing is it's a "safe search" with Norton so there aren't going to be any actual porn sites in the results cos they're all bugged. A while ago, someone searched for "big tits redhead" and clicked on this blog. Sorry, duders!!! No big tits here except on your side of the screen! UPDATE!

Make a (Better) Banner for Blogger (Part 1)

2011-07-08T09:25:00.003-05:00

This is an update of my previous post on making a banner for blogger with an explanation of how I did my current header/banner which unites the background and the banner. Images Used: There are a total of 3 images in the header. Image 1. The background is the holiday cactus image with "Gardening with a Not-So-Angry Redhead" title: Image 2. The official banner is a 1x1 invisible pixel

White

2011-07-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

Bougainvillea Hibiscus Rain Lily Datura

DIY: Make Pot Feet from Inner Tubes

2011-07-06T08:16:00.003-05:00

When I demonstrated my DIY pot lifter/hauler at a Garden Club of Austin meeting, I also showed how to make pot feet out of bicycle inner tubes, and they were a bigger hit than the pot lifter! I use these throughout my garden, and they're beyond cheap, super easy, and very gratifying to make - they even have a great "hand feel" (heavy for their size and comfortable in the palm of your hand).

Plant Review: Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Shock Treatment'

2011-07-05T11:36:00.001-05:00

I bought Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Shock Treatment' from Plant Delights Nursery at one of their open houses in 2009. It's slowly gotten bigger, and this year it has started to pup! I'm guessing it started to pup because I repotted it this year, and it may have been planted a bit deeper than it has in the past. I suspect a couple of these nodes dropped below ground. Thoughts? The plant is

Pizza Oven Update

2011-07-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

We've been working on the pizza oven for a few months now, and while it's not finished, I thought I'd share what it looks like and how it's doing. The final coats of stucco are on, but we still have to paint to make it look more like a fire-breathing, bug-eyed goldfish. Last night we fired it up for some baking... Fire JUST lit. Fire is spreading. Fire starting to take off...

BATS!

2011-07-03T10:25:00.002-05:00

Holy Batman! I've seen an odd number of bats flying around my street, and the other day, after walking the dogs, my husband showed me a picture he took with his phone of bats emerging from underneath a nearby bridge. I couldn't believe there was a bat bridge so close, and based on the photo he took, there were a lot! Yesterday evening, we went to get a closer look and hauled the camera and

GARDEN DRAMA!

2011-07-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I talked about shaping trees (or whatever your preferred terminology might be), but apparently one of my posts (or rather a comment on a post) is drawing attention over at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Tree_shaping/Proposed_decision You will have to copy and paste. I'm not taking a side, but I find it absolutely

Recommend a Garden Blog

2011-07-01T22:15:00.000-05:00

I'm needing some good garden blogs to read and get inspired. Could someone/everyone please recommend a few garden blogs that I should read? I definitely haven't seen them all!! lol

Vegetable Bed Progress

2011-07-01T10:09:00.001-05:00

A lot has changed in the vegetable bed over the past month. The lemongrass is going absolutely bananas. The tomatoes are nearly to the top of the fence. The variegated basil is chuggin' along with no immediate sign of bolting. The chives are doing well. I've lost a couple petunias and marigolds to shade, but there are still a few stickin' 'round. And thanks to my neighbor, the wine bottle

A Practical Primer to F-Stops, Shutter Speeds, and ISOs

2011-06-30T07:53:00.006-05:00

The goal of this post is to give a practical demonstration of the effects of F-Stops, Shutter Speeds, and ISOs and how they affect each other. I'm skipping over much of the technical information so as not to bog down readers with too much information too soon. I'm a big believer in seeing something work and then finding out why it works once I have a solid understanding at the superficial level

Growing Sunflowers and Monsters

2011-06-29T12:05:00.000-05:00

Only five days after I took this picture, the sunflower opened. I'm amazed at how quickly it happened. And the bees don't seem to mind the rate of growth... To make it doubly better, another sunflower in the patch is also opening at about the same rate. And then there's this behemoth in another bed... This is what happens when you selectively weed. My husband is standing in to give

Tomato Love

2011-06-28T09:26:00.001-05:00

A blemished tomato deformed in the shape of a heart. I think this guy summarizes a lot of how I feel about my garden. I love gardening but not always my garden. Occasionally, I get a chance to appreciate imperfection and rekindle a love for my garden despite all the problems it has. I had to toss a lot of tomatoes because they were badly bitten and rotting on the vine, but I still managed

Little Nipple Cactus (Mammillaria heyderi)

2011-06-27T12:03:00.001-05:00

A couple years ago now, I bought a small little cactus called "Little Nipple Cactus" (Mammillaria heyderi) at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Spring Native Plant Sale, and I planted it in the weird, awkward middle patch in the front yard till we tore out all the grass and rearranged all but one of the plants. I didn't know where to put it, so I chucked it in a small nursery pot and

Budding Sunflower Day 2

2011-06-26T12:15:00.000-05:00

I hate to bombard everyone with such short posts, but I checked on the sunflower I photographed yesterday and was amazed at the progress! I couldn't see the petals at all yesterday! Holy cows, that's fast!

Sunflowers in Bud

2011-06-24T18:24:00.001-05:00

A couple months ago, I dug up the other section of the hell strip, relocated a tansy there, and planted some sunflower seeds. All the plants have dealt surprisingly well with the drought and heat, and the sunflowers are getting ready to open! I forget the variety, but I really think sunflower buds are gorgeous. They remind me of artichokes which shouldn't be too surprising since they're in

Tephrocactus alexanderi v geometricus

2011-06-23T09:42:00.001-05:00

Is there any chance that someone out there has a cutting of Tephrocactus alexanderi v geometricus that they'd be willing to trade? Might be a bit of a shot in the dark, but I was hoping to do a trade on a cutting of it.

Tiger Jaws!!

2011-06-22T12:08:00.004-05:00

I managed to get an invite to a special succulent sale here in Austin a couple weekends ago, and there were loads of plants I'd never seen before. Some were part of the owner's personal collection, but fortunately there was an awesome selection for purchase. Making like a fat kid in a candy store, I bought up! It will probably bite me in the butt, but I buy with the idea that the offer might

Jatropha cathartica

2011-06-14T18:58:00.007-05:00

Phew! I've been busy! A couple weekends ago was the garden show, and I didn't do as well as I would have hoped. Still I'm proud of my plants regardless of what the judges said about them. Here's one of the plants I love (and apparently the judges loved it as well seeing as it got a blue ribbon and a green thumb): This is a Jatropha cathartica (aka Jatropha berlandieri) which got very

Lighting: A Closer Look

2011-05-22T16:39:00.002-05:00

Here's my entry for May's GGW Photo Contest:

Tomatoes!

2011-05-18T13:26:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, I went back over the old vegetable bed that was left fallow and covered in mulch, and I double dug, added 600 lbs of manure compost, mixed in the newly composted mulch, threw in some bone meal, and planted vegetables, annuals, and herbs. The double digging was laborious but fortunately quick with a garden fork. My husband and I installed wire fencing on my neighbor's fence to

DIY Staghorn Fern Mount

2011-05-08T13:21:00.004-05:00

At a Garden Club of Austin raffle, I won a staghorn fern that had lost its mounting board. Really nice specimen but lacking a board or a pot. I put it in a pot, but it looked ridiculous. Plus I already had a staghorn fern in a hanging pot. It overwintered in the garage bare, and it was one of the last plants to go outside. This past month I drew up some plans for a super sturdy mounting

Pictures of Pitchers

2011-05-05T10:43:00.001-05:00

A while back, I placed an order for 13 bare root sarracenias from California Carnivores, a nursery owned by Peter D'Amato. Well, I wound up with 19! Of course, the catch is that none of them were labeled, so I'll have to do a bit of scouting to identify each one. I have pitchers on all of them, but not all the pitchers are mature just yet. Here's one with some mature and immature pitchers:

Flowers for Today

2011-05-04T15:27:00.001-05:00

Purple Coneflower Orange Pixie Lily Gray Santolina Datura Texas Bluebells

Gator Grabber Review

2011-04-15T17:00:00.001-05:00

Back in January, I purchased a Gator Grabber produced by Radius, and while I was a bit hesitant about buying them when I did, I'm VERY glad I bought them anyway. They're awesome! I'd left a lot of litter on the ground until February, and using a rake, wheelbarrow, and the Gator Grabber, I got the job done quickly without backaches and tiny spider bites up and down my arms. The poles extend for

Collard Harvest

2011-03-29T15:13:00.000-05:00

Back in October-ish last year, I planted a couple Georgia Collards, and WOW! They have taken off. I harvested a head and my neighbor's lovely granddaughter posed with the massive leafy goodness. I've been crazy busy repotting lots of stuff, getting plants in the ground, propagating, etc. The yard is absolutely terrifying with all the pots right now. It's pretty gross outside right now or

First Prize Winner!

2011-02-11T12:20:00.001-06:00

I can finally announce that I got First Prize in the Active Category of the Humana Health Challenge on Instructables! I'm quite shocked considering how strong many of the entries were, but obviously I'm quite pleased to get a first place. To highlight another tip from the Instructable, make custom tree hangers! Tree branches range all over the place. They can be close to the ground or really

Desktop Died

2011-02-07T12:57:00.000-06:00

My desktop died a couple weeks ago which is why I've been a bit absent, and like most things, building a new one and transferring my old files didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked. However, everything is back in place, and I'm adjusting to Win 7. Huzzah! M

Spicewood Spines Succulent Nursery

2011-01-24T09:16:00.002-06:00

After a couple weeks of gloomy weather, the sun came out and gave Central Texas a break from the rain, the wind, and the clouds. Seizing this sunny opportunity, I called Kathryn and Mark Rehfield, gathered a few supplies, and made my way out of Austin. Despite the wintry weather, the trip to Spicewood, TX is scenic and offers a gratifying break from the hectic Austin traffic. The landscape is

Pitcher on Nepenthes alata

2011-01-19T15:55:00.002-06:00

It's a nice sunny day outside, and it occurred to me that I should really water the plants in the garage. I've been VERY impressed with how well the carnivorous plants are taking to the relative drought in the garage, and I suspect they're surviving partially because we hang the clothes in the garage to dry which adds a bit of humidity. While I was watering I discovered that my Nepenthes alata

Crazy Garage Overwintering

2011-01-16T21:56:00.001-06:00

I just took this for my 365 Project, but I thought I'd share it on the blog as well: You can see just how crazy it is in the garage, and this only a small portion of the plants being shown. I have 2 shelving units, hooks in the ceiling for hanging plants, and more plants on the ground but not in view. You can see an assortment of aloes, variegated peperomia, coleus, pickle plant, epiphyllum,

The Manual of Practical Homesteading

2011-01-14T16:10:00.003-06:00

I bought The Manual of Practical Homesteading by John Vivian (Rodale Press Book Division, 1975) this past year for a whopping $0.96, and the title pretty much sums it up. I haven't read the whole thing, but it's no-nonsense and direct which is kinda refreshing. There's an entire chapter devoted to slaughtering and dressing animals: There are also many chapters on general chores from

Flowering Amaryllis and Red Blotch

2011-01-10T17:08:00.002-06:00

My Red Lion amaryllis bulbs were infected with red blotch which spread to all the rest of my amaryllis bulbs, and there's really not a whole lot that can be done. I'm trying to treat the bulbs and hacked them back HARD to remove as much infected tissue as possible, and I let them soak in fungicide for a while. I have no idea if they will recover. I've cut myself off from purchasing more

Tillandsia sp. in Bloom Plus Photo Tutorial

2011-01-05T14:07:00.001-06:00

This is another tillandsia with no name, and I just discovered it in full bloom today. While photographing it, I decided to go ahead and do a full tutorial on creating a black background in photography. You can view it on Instructables.

Free Admission to Wildflower Center

2011-01-04T08:30:00.001-06:00

Today marks the first day that the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has free admission for the rest of the month, and winter is a good time to see all the succulents. The hours and days are: Closed Monday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday Noon to 5:30 p.m. Sunday The center is located at: 4801 La Crosse Ave. Austin, Texas 78739If you aren't a member, have visiting guests, or know

Blog Changes

2011-01-03T14:29:00.000-06:00

My mother notified me that the blog was acting goofy, and when I checked in Internet Explorer, wow, I discovered the mess. I think I know what caused the problem, but I have no idea why. It was working in Firefox just fine. Today is being dedicated to revisions as a consequence. Many apologies!

The 365 Project

2011-01-02T13:27:00.000-06:00

I just saw a mention of the 365 Project on Ryan's Garden and had to sign up for an account myself. For January, I am challenging myself to take a picture everyday and have started a challenge on Instructables for others to challenge themselves in the same way. I'm really liking the layout and ease of use. If you're interested in joining and maybe following me, here's my member page. Today's

Planning Plant Purchases for Plant Shows

2010-12-30T11:09:00.003-06:00

I just noticed that Amazon has added a new feature for their wish lists: Add to Amazon Wish List Button. This Firefox add-on allows you to browse a variety of websites, not just Amazon, and add items (e.g., Saturn's Rings coleus) to a wish list you create. I have been told repeatedly just how difficult I am to shop for. My friends and family both have difficulty finding something that I

Pink Tillandsia Bloom

2010-12-29T12:38:00.001-06:00

Another of the Tillandsias that has yet to be identified: A

Rainsday

2010-12-28T18:01:00.002-06:00

It's been a gloomy, rainy day, which means enthusiasm for writing is low, so I took a few pictures. This is 'Georgia' collards which I planted in the formerly very tropical galvanized steel stock tank: The stock tank now has collards, leeks, fennel, pansies, snapdragons, petunias, and dusty miller. Underneath these plants there is an assortment of bulbs such as anemone, daffodils, and tulips,

A List of Things I've Forgotten to Mention

2010-12-27T19:53:00.002-06:00

My ankle is looking and feeling a whole lot better. The edema is nearly gone for the first time in years. I saw a man cycling down Barton Springs, a major city road, with a cat on his shoulders. I'm still not quite sure what to make of it, but it was definitely something. I bought some very small poinsettias yesterday for $0.25/each. I found a pink scarf with white skulls to go with my pink

My Tillandsia Christmas Loot

2010-12-26T16:53:00.002-06:00

I'm the luckiest girl in the world! On Christmas Eve, the present my husband bought for me arrived, so I got to experience Christmas a bit early because plants can't be left in a shipping box, especially when there's a greedy gardener in the house. He ordered me the large "Selection of Our Best" assortment from airplants4u.com, which came with some gorgeous tillandsias. Right now I have only

New Year's Resolution 1: Maintain Records of Purchased Plants

2010-12-21T08:55:00.002-06:00

For over a week, I've been working on cataloging my plants, and right now, I'm VERY glad I kept so many plant tags and labels. It would have been agonizing to have tried to research, identify, and remember every single one. I have roughly 200 entries so far, and I'm not done. There are still a few that I haven't cataloged yet. Probably the best news of going through my old plant tags is that

Cactus Monday: Senecio deflersii (aka "Mr. Pickle")

2010-12-20T18:13:00.003-06:00

Originating in Yemen, Senecio deflersii ("Mr. Pickle" or "Pickle Plant") has found its way to Spicewood Spines in Spicewood, TX and from there to my home on Saturday. This curious plant is known for its "bloated" stem which most definitely resembles a cucumber. Although it had most definitely piqued my curiosity, I'd managed to pass this plant up the past couple of times I visited the nursery,

Charlie Brown XMas Tree

2010-12-17T09:32:00.003-06:00

Ok, I'm bringing it back from the past! Because nothing is sadder than a store bought one... It defeats the symbolism of beautiful hopefulness and the meaning of Christmas. After all, Christmas isn't about about fancy aluminum trees, real estate, a blue ribbon for the best decorated dog house, or cash in 10s and 20s. It's about hope, and who has more hope than anyone else? Charlie Brown.

Rebar and Wine Bottle Hose Guide

2010-12-16T16:44:00.002-06:00

Ok, I have another gardening tip that's a play on a couple things I've seen in the garden. Running over plants with a heavy, water-filled hose is not what plants like best. What plants like best is a hose guide, and there are a huge variety of them. One very simple and inexpensive one is a wine bottle. Plot where your hose needs to travel to reach all your plants (and potentially paved

Cactus Monday: Garden Tip for Succulent Propagation

2010-12-13T10:55:00.003-06:00

I know, I know, garden bloggers hate gardening tips, but I have a good one that I haven't come across. Of course, that doesn't mean other people don't already do it... Anyway, to keep succulent cuttings (e.g., a graptopetalum leaf) from rolling around in the landscape or in a pot, fence them in with toothpicks! Just place the leaf where you'd like it and stab a few toothpicks against it to

Cactus Monday: Texas-Style Christmas

2010-12-06T14:41:00.004-06:00

I've been working to get my Christmas decorations up. The lights are up outside for the first time ever! Now we can see where there's need for more lights and can plan accordingly. The tree is up, and while sorting through the ornaments, I came across a broken one where Santa had fallen off his train: I like it so much that I might keep it as is and let it rest on an old weathered frame in

Remember the Homeless for the Holidays

2010-12-05T23:18:00.002-06:00

With Christmas coming and Chanukah in full swing, I thought I'd share a portion of a paper I wrote in grad school regarding homelessness, mental disorder, suicidality, and masculinity... Ok, ok, I'm sharing this because of a fellow garden blogger posting about volunteering to help the homeless and mentioning the potential for an angry outburst. This is in NO WAY intended to dissuade people from

Texas Cottage Style Gardening

2010-12-05T08:08:00.001-06:00

Garden and Gun is an odd title for a magazine, but it works. The magazine is a Southern lifestyle magazine with articles on food, hunting, fishing, gardening, decorating, etc. There are an unfortunate number of advertisements in the magazine which is a plague throughout magazines generally, but the articles are lovely and delightfully photographed. "The Lake Effect" is one such article that

Creating a Dark Background Naturally

2010-12-04T14:55:00.001-06:00

When I received the Winter 2010 issue of Wildflower Magazine, I noticed there had been a photo contest and the winners were being announced. Of course, I'm quite taken by the Second Place Winner in the Botanical category: "Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum)" by Jane Rogers. Lovely dark background. Charming white blooms. Gorgeous greenery. Simplicity and elegance. However,

If you hate socialism, you also hate...

2010-12-03T23:50:00.004-06:00

Public SchoolsThe childless, parents with children beyond school age, parents who home school, and parents who send their children to private schools must all pay taxes to fund public schools.Medicare and MedicaidPeople not receiving Medicare and Medicaid must pay taxes for these programs. The taxes of those who die before receiving any benefit of these programs also go to their funding. The

Canon Rebel XTi Limitation with Exposure - Corrected

2010-12-03T09:14:00.002-06:00

CORRECTION! To get a long exposure time with the Canon Rebel XTi, you must set the camera to Bulb Mode. Set the camera to Manual (M) mode. Adjust the aperture (F-Stop) by turning the Scroll Wheel. Hold the AV+- Button and turn the Scroll Wheel to Bulb Mode. The shutter will remain open for as long as you hold the Shutter Release Button. I bought a cheap remote switch which has a lock that

Masochism

2010-11-18T23:41:00.006-06:00

Maybe it will freeze in Fredericksburg or something, but I have my doubts about it freezing here. Despite my doubts, I'm glad I got all my plants into the garage yesterday and only had a few small ones still out. The garage looks crazy and very, very green right now. I haven't counted how many plants there are, but maybe 100? Not sure. It's a lot. And some are kinda big like the Euphorbia

My Results from the DG 2010 Photo Contest

2010-11-16T18:09:00.000-06:00

Winners were announced today for the Dave's Garden 2010 Photography Contest, and I managed to pull a 2nd place in the Tropicals and House Plants category: Tillandsia bulbosa And a Runner-Up in the Containers category: Jatropha cathartica Not too shabby, right? Of course, I submitted several other photos in a few other categories, but there were a lot of good entries. I hope everyone

Cactus Monday in a Jar plus Photographing Glass

2010-11-15T13:46:00.002-06:00

I have a haworthia living inside a glass jar for about a year now, and I've decided to overwinter some of my smaller succulents in glass jars. They're still in their pots, but they're in 1/2 gallon Anchor jars I bought at Target with a bit of horticultural charcoal in the bottom. These plants shouldn't be watered during the winter, but they need higher humidity than what's available in my house

How to Take Screen Shots (aka How to "Photograph" Your Computer Screen)

2010-11-11T13:14:00.001-06:00

Screen shots are exactly what they sound like: They're shots of your screen, and they're a whole lot better than trying to use a camera to photograph your computer monitor. They're immensely useful for computer-related tutorials, for capturing a bug on a website to show the developer, and lots of other things. I used A LOT of screen shots in my Instructables tutorial on formatting online

The Difference between Hotlinking and Image Theft

2010-11-10T22:20:00.001-06:00

If you see one of your images displayed on another site, your first thought might be that the site owner stole your image, and boy, oh boy, that thief better watch out!!! However, your image being displayed on another site might not be image theft at all. It might be theft but a different kind of theft. Look at the two images below: Both images are identical, but the difference is in

Dave's Garden 2010 Photography Contest Open for Voting

2010-11-10T15:14:00.000-06:00

To view entries and vote, go here. Many of the entries are very interesting, and it's always nice to see a selection of photos from different gardeners. I think the first judging method is probably the easiest and most accurate. It's hard to take in a full page of thumbnails. If you have a few minutes, would like to look at some gardening photography from all over the world, and take part in

Check out this mushroom find!

2010-11-10T13:47:00.002-06:00

Over at New York City Garden, they discovered a truly impressive mushroom, and you should definitely check out the post. Just look at it: It's no wonder they got Grand Champion!

Christmas Tree Arrivals = Plant Sales

2010-11-10T13:33:00.002-06:00

I went to Lowe's today and noticed they were making room for all their Christmas stock (e.g., cut trees, living trees, and topiary) which translated into an awesome plant sale on all their current plant stock! Trees, palms, and shrubs were 50% off. All other plants were 20% off. Best of all, the sale (aka rehab) plants were an additional 50% off. There were a lot of Majesty Palms for $3.75

Weekends with My SO

2010-11-08T22:53:00.000-06:00

This is why we can't have nice things... Hi mom!

Zombie Roses and Undead Sphagnum Moss

2010-11-08T19:56:00.001-06:00

A couple weeks ago, I got a dozen roses, and dutifully I threw them on the compost pile when they had lost their luster... Ok, I lie. I threw them on the compost pile when they were completely crispy and creating a big leaf and petal mess on the dresser. It, also, coincidentally happened on the same day that I got a fresh bunch of flowers. Ok, that's a lie as well. Before I threw them on the

Cactus Monday: Cereus forbesii monstrose

2010-11-08T14:13:00.003-06:00

Not a lot of words for today, but I wanted to share a few photos of Cereus forbesii monstrose and its compact architectural qualities: For more Cactus Monday posts, please visit Teri's Painted Daisies. N

Reasons to Never Release Original Images

2010-11-06T13:25:00.005-05:00

There's a lot of concern amongst bloggers with regard to image theft, and some of it is rightfully so, especially when income is at stake. Some of it is a perhaps a bit misplaced in my opinion. Most of my photos don't have the potential of making me a few bucks because I'm not a professional photographer, and it's quite obvious. Many of my photos work as illustration for what I'm saying and

Ankle Destroyed, Garage a Wreck, and Bird Trivia

2010-11-05T11:59:00.001-05:00

I went to the orthopedist on Tuesday, and she confirmed that my ankle is basically destroyed. I have a class 3 sprain (i.e., tendon tear), which is as bad as you can go, and I have tendinitis in two other tendons. She had also previously told me that x-rays of my ankle revealed signs of arthritis. I'm being sent for physical therapy, which will hopefully postpone surgery. While I was at the

Cactus Monday: Impaled Snail

2010-11-01T15:13:00.002-05:00

This snail either impaled itself on this cactus or got stuck and died. Either way, snails are ridiculous for trying to eat on some cacti. I'm sorry I don't have an ID on this cactus, but the nursery I bought it from should be able to tell me. I think it's some kind of Echinopsis (aka Trichocereus). I bought 3 plants at the spring show and sale of the Cactus and Succulent Society of Austin and

Overwintering Coleus Update

2010-11-01T13:15:00.001-05:00

Last year, I tried overwintering coleus in a terrarium setup, and it failed. I might have set it up incorrectly, so there still might be hope for it. However, this year I took cuttings just before all my plants went to bloom, and I'm growing them out slightly for overwintering in the garage. They'll get treated like the rest of my houseplants and will hopefully survive my "care".

My Last-Minute Trick-or-Treat House

2010-11-01T12:23:00.002-05:00

Around 11:30 AM on Halloween, I decided to decorate and hand out candy. At 7 PM, I had finished with only purchasing electric tea lights and candy. It was quite the rush to gather materials, paint, hang, cut, clip, stretch, etc., but it got done using a lot of stuff I had around the house. A lot of the time was actually spent on cleaning up the front yard. I made hanging lanterns out of

Gigantor Update (and still didn't get close to updating on everything, bah!)

2010-10-29T16:38:00.002-05:00

I haven't been updating much on my plants and recent acquisitions (from one source or another), and it's about time for a monstrous update. As a continuation from yesterday, here are a couple more pics of the Watermelon Peperomia: And here are a few annuals that I purchased last night: And here are a couple more from last night: Tillandsia fasciculata hybrid Tillandsia fasciculata

Watermelon Peperomia

2010-10-28T22:09:00.000-05:00

The Great Outdoors hosted the monthly meeting of The Garden Club of Austin and were gracious enough to offer 20% off to members, so I bought a few things. One was a Watermelon Peperomia which is a plant I've been wanting for over a year now. It's so cool. It really looks like a watermelon. Just compare the leaf to the watermelons in this post (which also offers an interesting recipe).

Cultivating Life - Home and Garden Show Available Online

2010-10-28T10:01:00.001-05:00

Recently, I canceled my cable and phone which means I'll only be getting my TV fix online or through Netflix. So far I've been doing pretty well and actually feel a bit more productive without the draw of slouching on the couch in front of the boob tube. Ugh, but I still love it... So much magic and information and titillation... AHEM! One of the shows I enjoyed watching was "Cultivating

Create Your Own Landscaping Cheat Sheet

2010-10-27T21:38:00.000-05:00

It's always a nightmare to go inside the house after a tiring day of working in the garden only to discover the phone is out and suddenly remember that where you were digging was right near the phone line. I'm just saying theoretically of course because it's obviously never happened to me... So I created my very own Landscaping Cheat Sheet so I'll always know approximately where the utility

Deal of the Century!

2010-10-27T20:35:00.000-05:00

At HomeDepot.com, you can buy 50 pink flamingos for $119 which comes to $2.38 each!

The Hazard of Labeling Grocery Store Produce

2010-10-27T10:48:00.001-05:00

Joseph at Greensparrow Gardens offers some interesting insight into why apples are better than peaches at the grocery store. Apples are labeled by variety and can command a higher price, but peaches are rarely labeled and are less special which means a lower price. It's an issue of the specialty item vs. the generic item. It's true - there is very little labeling of produce in grocery stores.

Shoes Featured on the Blog of Craft Magazine

2010-10-27T08:38:00.000-05:00

Huzzah!

Wet Effects in Scanner Photography

2010-10-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

I can't keep a secret very well or for very long. To get the wet effect for my entry into the GGW photo contest, I used vegetable oil. I dipped the blooms and leaves in a shallow dish of oil, carefully placed them on the scanner, and then brushed a bit of oil around for the ripples. Vegetable oil is quite clear especially in small amounts, and it's viscous which means it's easier to control.

Where'd my tools go?

2010-10-23T23:29:00.000-05:00