tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40704548152466988042024-03-13T16:31:45.371-05:00Gardening with a Not-So-Angry RedheadNotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.comBlogger349125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-11000769158618418222013-06-14T09:28:00.000-05:002013-06-14T09:28:16.850-05:00A Disappearing ActNotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-19884975017429037282013-06-13T11:34:00.000-05:002013-06-13T11:34:26.902-05:00PinkRecently I made the bold move to paint the front door of our new house pink. Or to be more specific "Cactus Flower" by Benjamin Moore. I'm still not too sure of it, so I've been looking to place more pink in the landscape with the goal of color replication and logical repetition.
The plumerias have been helping out as much as they can. Bless their little hearts.
This NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-53640840798561581822013-06-12T16:31:00.000-05:002013-06-12T16:31:21.218-05:00WeedsNo idea what this guy is, but then again we only just moved to this house and are getting to know all the particulars of the flora.
At least it makes a pretty picture.
NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-28138673831344487512012-05-16T16:17:00.002-05:002012-05-16T16:17:46.203-05:00Nothing to ReportIt's been raining a lot lately (thank goodness), and it's been too soggy to be doing much. The plants seem to be enjoying it. Tomatoes are getting bigger. The coleus is exploding. Hopefully the recent rain will heal a lot of the destruction from last year's summer, and hopefully this isn't the last of the rain till September.
Here's a portion of my potted succulent NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-21657618948904195122012-05-04T12:57:00.000-05:002012-05-04T12:57:59.323-05:00In Full BloomRecently, I posted about my Rebutia fulviseta beginning to bloom, and now nearly all the blooms are open for a wild and crazy burst of gorgeous red petals with creamy yellow centers. It's happened ridiculously quickly, and I've set it out in the sun to hopefully attract some pollinators.
Looking at the cactus, it's hard to imagine it was capable of producing such bright and NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-57739350046190994252012-05-03T10:21:00.000-05:002012-05-03T10:54:01.749-05:00Stock Tank 2012This year the stock tank has a definite lime green theme with elephant ear, 'Electric Lime' coleus, and lime green sweet potato vine. It's still pretty early in the year, so the plants, disregarding the coleus, are pretty small.
I bought all the plants in the tank for $16, I believe, because I already had the sweet potato vine from overwintering. I bought 18 four inch pots of the NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-18022549630870982932012-05-02T12:13:00.000-05:002012-05-02T12:13:18.925-05:00Feeling AngstyI think I'm hitting the garden overload and becoming increasingly more angsty, so rather than discuss garden stuff, I'm going to share a quote from Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 Episode 8 "Justice":
Worf: I am not concerned with pleasure, Commander, I am a warrior.
Riker: Even Klingons need love now and then.
Worf: For what we would consider love, sir, I would NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-33452928619937153922012-04-30T12:00:00.000-05:002012-04-30T12:00:02.980-05:00Terrible PhotosA recent batch of just plain awful photos...
Ugh, what's happening here? The rose is out of focus. There's terrible light. The framing is atrocious. Blech.
A good example of why the flash on my camera is awful. Just awful. Plus the subject is ugly. Sickly looking ghost plant, random roadkill cactus... why?
Horrible framing. Focus onNotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-77155562169244414812012-04-29T13:23:00.001-05:002012-04-29T13:23:24.243-05:00Rebutia fulvisetaWhile I was going through my eBay binge, I became enamored with the genus Rebutia and Sulcorebutia for their crazy thorns, moundy growth habit (I like moundy things), and GORGEOUS flowers. I'm currently enjoying the flowers of Rebutia fulviseta.
There are more buds on this cactus, and I'm hoping that I'll get an awesome cluster of flowers blooming at once rather than this single flower NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-44234813012049704712012-04-28T17:26:00.000-05:002012-04-28T17:27:39.633-05:00Easter Lilies (Lilium longiflorum)
Maybe I was a little heavy handed with the photo editing in the last one...
NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-31624968678417829982012-04-26T12:15:00.000-05:002012-04-26T16:02:19.439-05:00Some Plants in the New Side GardenThe plants in the side garden seem to be holding steady and no longer shocking as badly as they were a couple weeks ago, and I'm continuing to add more although space is filling up quickly. Some aren't visible because they were recently planted (Amaryllis and Oxalis) or planted a bit too late in the season (Daffodils). Also, I don't have all the names because some are wild transplantsNotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-32887153869577952682012-04-25T12:43:00.000-05:002012-04-25T12:43:15.507-05:00Red-Headed Irishman (Mammillaria spinosissima)Here's another eBay purchase that I couldn't pass up:
It was crazy top heavy so I had to make an extra heavy potting soil with rocks and sand and lead and kryptonite. For a Mamm. it's quite large which is one reason why I had to buy it.
Ok, so maybe I didn't HAVE to buy it, but I've been experiencing non-buyer's remorse when it comes to plants (negative reinforcement - the avoidanceNotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-44694906284066972632012-04-24T16:35:00.000-05:002012-04-24T16:36:56.808-05:00Cactus with Crazy Long Spines!A few weeks ago, I lost my mind on eBay and bought quite a few cacti. I have put a personal ban on myself for a while from purchasing more because I could see it quickly going down hill into a psychologically disturbed botanic mania. Plus eBay is evil!!! Something new and cool is always on there, and it's so easy to get absorbed into the frenzy. Fortunately, I caught NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-44453132367746968722012-04-22T16:20:00.000-05:002012-04-22T16:37:26.458-05:00Birds, Blooms, and ButterfliesYay for alliteration!
Lots of assorted things are happening around the garden.
Wildflowers are blooming.
Bachelor's Buttons (Centaurea cyanus)
Bachelor's Buttons (Centaurea cyanus)
Cactus are going crazy!
Prickly Pear (Opuntia) 'Old Mexico' (guessing)
Prickly Pear (Opuntia) 'Old Mexico' (guessing)
Butterflies are pollinating.
Red Admiral Butterfly on African Bush NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-60189676257802382342012-04-14T22:15:00.000-05:002012-04-14T23:39:57.439-05:00Stunning, Magical, Inspirational, and Educational?The holy grail of cinematography! Or at least in my opinion.
I adore documentaries, but especially ones that are gorgeous to watch. I suppose that's why I like Ken Burns "The National Parks: America's Best Idea".
I recently discovered that Netflix has TED Talks on demand, and I saw this amazing one (through the Wii onto my TV) called "Louie Schwartzberg: The hidden beauty of NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-848722513578001612012-04-12T23:52:00.000-05:002012-04-13T10:04:58.221-05:00Stalking the Color Clashing Butterfly and Coneflower
This post is linked up in Tootsie Time's Fertilizer Friday - be sure to check out more flowery photos!
NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-30642142914960989152012-04-11T12:56:00.000-05:002012-04-12T13:03:28.702-05:00The ULTIMATE Tomato Hoop House Trellis of Death and DismembermentPerhaps the title is a little dramatic, but this is a killer trellis that the Adam and I did this past weekend. The hoop house was about $100 in materials (all purchased from a big box store), which certainly seems like a lot, but this thing is BIG! It's about 7' wide, 10' long, and 7' high.
The goal of this project was to create a trellis for growing tomatoes that is sturdy and NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-37501658337299365012012-04-09T12:26:00.000-05:002012-04-09T12:26:00.118-05:00New Side GardenA couple weeks ago, the Adam and I did a lot of work on the new side garden such as tearing out grass, relocating plants, and planting some new ones. I chose plants that have very low water requirements because this is on the west side of the property, and I REALLY hate watering over there even if it's to establish new plants.
Here's how it's looking currently:
We still need to throw NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-43140985437161874872012-04-07T08:45:00.001-05:002012-04-07T08:45:55.857-05:00Alternative Mounts for Epiphytic PlantsIt seems to me that the easiest ferns to keep alive here in Austin are staghorn ferns since they don't really require all that much water, fertilizer, and cool weather, so it's not all that surprising that many residents grow them... well, at least compared to other cities where these ferns aren't hardy.
I had 2 staghorn ferns until recently when I found a 10" hanging pot with 3 plants at NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-21402510432653621132012-04-05T15:43:00.000-05:002012-04-06T11:36:02.750-05:00Now Blooming: Fun FlowersJust a selection of some fun flowers currently in the garden:
This is probably my favorite plant because it has bloomed nonstop ever since I got it which is impressive because it's not hardy and must be grown in a pot - it's dealt beautifully with the stressful summers which would destroy many potted plants in my yard and with being essentially stored in the garage during our brief winters. NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-91560075302202322732012-03-30T13:37:00.001-05:002012-03-30T15:46:17.859-05:00CommelinaHere's a blue flower blooming in my yard that isn't a bluebonnet for once:
Ok, so I ran a few google searches and figured out this is a Commelina, but the problem is I don't know the species. It grows quite erect to about 2' tall and forms a clump similar to purple cone flower. I've seen this growing around the neighborhood in Central Texas, and usually I only see it in the NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-2829676685762800842012-03-27T12:32:00.000-05:002012-03-27T12:32:24.779-05:00The Crisis Surrounding Peat
I was reading an article on Dave's Garden regarding a shortage of peat moss this year because of odd weather conditions in Canada, and this shortage will supposedly turn the gardening world upside down or something. Prices will soar, a 4" tomato plant will be $15, hipsters will battle octogenarians for the last zinnia on the table, growers might switch to other mediums, etc. Bedlam!&NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-39203121610384522252012-03-26T11:55:00.001-05:002012-03-26T11:56:09.816-05:00Mockingbird Active at NightOver the past few nights, I've heard a male mockingbird calling for a mate, and let me just say that it's incredibly surreal to hear a bird calling at 2 AM. I heard him start calling at 9 PM or so on Saturday night and took my phone out to record the calls.
This is what I got after removing background traffic noise and wind with Audacity:
I'm impressed with the variety of calls, and itNotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-47930929371502582632012-03-23T23:54:00.000-05:002012-03-24T00:21:51.757-05:00Brilliant Epiphyllum SystemI literally just saw this video and was amazed with its brilliance and simplicity.
He uses a cheap wire tomato cage inside a 1 gallon pot with the tines poked through the drainage holes and wrapped back up to secure the cage to the pot, and then he hangs the cage onto chains attached to the ceiling with s-hooks.
That probably didn't make sense so check out the video:
How clever is thatNotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070454815246698804.post-27980704712027011862012-03-22T19:18:00.000-05:002012-03-22T19:18:02.720-05:00Flower DiversityIsn't it fun how diverse flowers are?
Take the soft buttery yellow of Yellow Lady Banks Rose (Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'):
Or the funny fuzzy shape of Kangaroo Paws (Anigozanthos flavidus):
What about the dainty cups of Oxalis 'Terra Cotta':
And the sweeping horns of Spanish Iris (Iris xiphium):
The tiny creamy blooms of Little Nipple Cactus (Mammillaria heyderi var heyderi):
Or NotSoAngryRedHeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11483848154656500575noreply@blogger.com18