Passion

 

We’ve just discovered a Passion Flower is rowing in our LAWN.  Silly thing is a vine, it should be going up a tree!  There are some up the hill along the fence row.  I've tried to get to the fruit but the deer always beat me to them.  This year I am going to put a small cage around a couple to protect them so I have a chance at a share.

 

The flower is amazing.  It is so delicate.  I'm going to protect this one in the yard for transplanting when it cools.  Supposedly they make a nice container plant.  It would make an amazing addition to my potted plant bed. 

The name comes from references to the last days of Jesus...

The pointed tips of the leaves were taken to represent the Holy Lance.

The tendrils represent the whips used in the flagellation of Christ.

 The flower's radial filaments, which can number more than a hundred and vary from flower to flower, represent the crown of thorns. 

The chalice-shaped ovary with its receptacle represents the Holy Grail. 

The three stigmas represent three nails and the five anthers below them five hammers or five wounds (four by the nails and one by the lance). 

The blue and white colors of many species' flowers represent Heaven and Purity. 

In addition, the flower is open for three days, symbolizing the three years of Jesus' ministry.

 

A Dinosaur In Our Yard

 We had a fun surprise the other day while working on repotting.  Himself was cleaning a pot and something ran out from under his hand.  It was a BIG lizard… a type we have never seen here before.

 

We looked him up and discovered we had a Broadhead Skink.

 

After admiring him for a while, we showed him to Persia.

  

She would have gone into orbit if it had moved at that moment!!

 He has been released close to where we found him.  Hope we see him again!

 

 

What Is The Best Rust Remover?

 I had been planning on gathering ideas on rust removers and doing an experiment to see what worked best and cheapest.  Then I ran across this YouTube video where Tim McLaughlin has already done all the work, testing from muriatic acid to Coke.

It is a great video... check it out!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE9XiVbWumQ&list=PLcZvfBR9ILmckARWVTSlDE5yC0MD-Vj_2&index=23  

UGH! Too Soon!!

 

Bay Tree Update

 I’m showing off how well my bay tree is doing. The brown on the leaves is sun burn... I put it out too fast.

 

It grows about a foot a year which means I have to give it a hard prune every two years.  Bay leaves for everyone who wants them!  However this year I’m going to try air layering to see if I can make a couple or three new trees.  I think it would be fun to have a bonsai bay tree!

Finally Finished: The Shed Kon Mari

 After long, long years of working at it, the shed is finally DONE!  My hands have touched everything… many decisions have been made.  All that has been kept has a place and a purpose. 

 

Down the center are beams and ‘wheeled’ (wheel barrow, yard wagon, and so on).  Himself is busy getting it swept out.

 

These 1 foot deep shelves useful things from chemicals to spigot covers.

 

The 2 foot deep shelves hold my creative stash.  Here you will find such things as bonsai needs to my rock & mineral collection to mosaic supply and more.

 

My 3 foot shelves have seasonal things like holiday decorations, yard decoration, and so on.

 

This is my wood stash.

 

Tools, with different kinds of soils on the old pew.  The work table is to the far left (I forgot to put the trash bin lid down).

 TA-DA!!

Grapefruit Tree from a Seed

 Here is a fun project I’ve been playing with for a few years.  I’ve grown a grapefruit tree from seed.  It has gotten large for a plant that has to come inside for the winter.

 These don’t make it any easier to move either!  Who would have thought they are a thorn tree?

 

I’m giving some serious consideration to chopping it back to the top of the lower half.  Maybe I’ll try air layering what I take off the top…  But then again; do I need two?