Gardening, Training, and Kitty Grass…

…just another day in the City across the way from the City by the Bay!

Hello There!!

Ms. Gretchen seems to be enjoying the newest item I have growing; Rosy’s Kitty Grass from the folks at Woodrose Gardens in Sebastopol, CA. This was a gift from a former co-worker which was mailed to me last week; a 3.3 oz. package of their 100% organic seeds that I planted immediately upon receiving them. The shoots are not actually a grass; such as you would have in yard, they are a blend of young sprouted grain which provide a significant amount of fiber into your companion animals diet, as well as other vitamins, minerals, and live enzymes. I can testify that Ms. Gretchen is a fan! It is also an easy to grow project and one that would likely get the younger folks interested in the fun of gardening given that it also has the benefit that their kittens would also enjoy the resulting grass immensely!

3-days after planting

5-days after planting

In non-cat related gardening news! The profusion of color which the numerous snapdragon blossoms have delivered shows no signs of abating anytime soon. More and more flowering stalks are popping up in all of the planters that I could stuff the dragons into when I did the Winter Garden refresh back in January.

This is definitely my favorite so far! Love the deep crimson color!

Three snapdragon blooms really brighten things up!

Ms. Bee buzzing around the blooms

The Amazon Sunset, Parrot’s Beak, Lotus vine variety also continues to put out a profuse amount of her orange/red fiery blooms. She is VERY thirsty though, requiring at least one watering a day and sometimes two if the temperatures get above the mid-70′s!!

Amazon Sunset, Parrot’s Beak

Cascading blooms from the fiery Lotus variety

Today was also a day for cycling and training for my first bike race in over 25-years! I signed up for the 2013 PETA Pack bicycle race;  with the marquee bike race being the VW Think Blue Bike Race, which precedes the 2013 Long Beach Marathon on October 13, 2013. Knowing that I have been off of a bike for 20+ years and that I would doing the race on my steel framed, single speed bike, I have been training hard well ahead of the formal training which begins in July. Today, I did 25-miles, marking the 2nd time I have ever cycled a quarter-century.

Long and Beautiful Bike Ride Today!

That is about all of the news that’s fit to print from this side of the gardening world! As usual, today I will leave you with a couple of pictures that I liked which didn’t really fit into the dialog of this blog.

A snails eye view

Mr. Big Boy Avocado, enjoy a day of sunshine

Until next time…

HAPPY GARDENING FRIENDS!

~ Noah

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It’s A Dragon Invasion!

And, I couldn’t possibly be happier about it!

Dragons here, Dragons there…

The snapdragon blooms are again the stars of the patio garden, with blooms ranging in color from pure white, yellow, pink, and magenta, there is definitely no shortage of color out on the patio these days! What the photos don’t show; however, is that the snapdragon’s bloom stalks are so tall, and the blooms are so large, that most of them are bent at crazy angles and are much closer to the ground than they are the sky! Oh well, they are still beautiful and I will enjoy them for as long as they last.

A number of bees have decided to visit and get their pollen fill

Layers of Dragons have taken residence

Bright yellow dragons

The Lotus family member; Amazon Sunset, Parrot’s Beak, continues to put out more of her beautiful, signature blooms. I have waited all year for the Parrot’s Beak’s to spring back to life and they are definitely living up to my hopes.

Amazon Sunset, Parrot’s Beak

Fiery beaks everywhere

I love these little flowers!

Elsewhere around the garden; my Oyster Mushroom patch continues to produce new mushrooms and the ones that I have harvested so far, were darn tasty! Thanks to my friends at Back to the Roots for the mushroom kit! It took a little while to get going; however, well worth the wait and patience.

Yummy Oyster Mushrooms

Around the rest of the patio; the hydrangea blossoms continue to get bigger and bigger and my long dormant Calla Lily are finally making a resounding comeback! I am hoping that they will begin to form their signature flower (well, bract) soon.

Hydrangea blossoms abound

The Calla Lily Garden Rebounding

The Calla Lily, which I have learned is actually NOT a true Lily; and the ‘flower’ is NOT the plants true flower – as I learned from researching my Anthurium andreanum, it is part of an inflorescence, which is on a leafless flower stalk which consists of a spathe and spadix. The ‘flower’ is the spathe, the well-known large, flaring, trumpet-shaped bract that surrounds the spadix which is covered with the plants actual tiny flowers. Now you know!

Well friends, I hope that your gardens are in bloom and that your soil is rich! I will leave you with a couple of parting shots that didn’t really fit in above that I just liked and thought I would share…

Just a nice blue flower with some friends arriving soon

A dragon hides within the Avocado tree, sneaky!!

Until next time…

HAPPY GARDENING FRIENDS!!

~ Noah

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Dragons, Parrots, and Oysters – Oh My!!

Nope; I did not just return from a visit to a medieval bird sanctuary on the coast…

The snapdragon are in glorious bloom!

A parrot hides amongst the rosemary and thyme

Oyster Mushrooms finally sprout from the kit

My patio garden is again awash in beautiful colors thanks to a multitude of snapdragon blooms which are  popping up everywhere out on the patio. The two variety of snapdragon that I added this season; Rocket Mix Snapdragon and Speedy White Sonnet Snapdragon, have decided that right now appears to the optimal time to open their beautiful pastel flowers and say hello to the world. Right now, there are about 15 to 20 – 2-foot tall stalks growing in assorted planters around the patio that are in full bloom and I couldn’t be happier!

A dragon’s bloom, with a sea of daisy blooms in the background

A new stalk of blooms prepares to open

In addition to the snapdragon’s arrival; the lotus family member, Amazon Sunset, Parrot’s Beak, has rebounded and is now pushing out new flowers almost daily. This little gem is definitely one of the most visually striking flowering plants that I have growing, I hope you agree!!

Flaming Parrot’s Batman!

Some of my reader’s may recall that I had been given a Mushroom growing kit some months back; however, it was just not doing anything in the house – not one hint of a mushroom!! So, I figured I would tear it out of its box and bag and just unceremoniously dump it in a shaded, generally moist (from plant watering) area of the patio, and it appears that my efforts is paying off with the first sprouting of fresh Oyster Mushrooms! I will be harvesting these this week and enjoying for dinner!!

Oysters curving around their substrate!

The ornamental strawberries (fragaria x. lipstick) continue to put out her striking pink flowers; and pre-fruiting bodies, though, I have only ever seen one grow to near eating size, which was gobbled up by Mr. Squirrel while still green. Hope that he enjoyed!

Fragaria x. Lipstick – ornamental strawberry

More growing beneath the ginger plants

I will leave you today with a couple of shots that I just happen to really like!!

Euphorbia’s flowering stage – looks like teeth protecting the seed/flower?!?!

Big Boy Avocado continues his upward progress!!

Until next time…

HAPPY GARDENING FRIENDS!!!

~ Noah

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Leapin’ Lizards GardenMan!!

The garden’s dragons are starting to wake up and spread their wings…

A dragon preparing to fly

After last week’s loss of most of the new annuals to the unusual heat wave that Oakland and the rest of the Bay Area has been enjoying, I was tickled purple, white, yellow, and orange with this week’s arrival of my garden’s seasonal dragon festival.

Another flight of dragon’s prepares itself to greet the garden!

Of the two new snapdragon varieties I added this season; Rocket Mix Snapdragon and Speedy White Sonnet Snapdragon, only the Speedy White’s had shown any inclination to setting blooms as of last week. I guess the heat of the last weeks and possibly the additional water required to keep the soil moist sparked the Rocket’s to radio Houston Control and prepare for lift-off!

Continuation of last week’s Speedy White Sonnet blooms

Houston; we have lift off!! Rocket’s Mix snapdragon

The snapdragon’s arrival appears to have ushered in a cascade of new blooms and growth all around the patio. One of my all time favorites;  a Lotus vine hybrid; Amazon Sunset, Parrot’s Beak (Lotus maculatus) which I have learned is a cross between Lotus Berthelottii ‘Red Flash’  and Lotus Maculata, has finally re-bloomed. Apparently, this cross is somewhat uncommon and of limited availability. I guess I just dumb lucked into them at Whole Foods about 2-years ago and have been super glad that something about the plant caught my eye (it was not in bloom when I picked it up).

Lotus vine variety; Amazon Sunset, Parrot’s Beak

Vibrant red and yellow beaks look upward as if waiting for mother to feed them

New blooms have yet to gain the vivid coloring of the others

The hydrangea plants are now setting more bulb clusters and I am looking forward to this year’s blooms. I have always had a soft spot for hydrangea and the blue and purple blooms that I have been getting really add a wonderful burst of color for the garden.

Hydrangea enjoying the dappled rays of the mid-day sunshine on my patio

One of many bulb clusters forming on the hydrangea

The little purple daisy plant continues to pour out more of her dainty and beautiful little flowers, which contrast nicely with the snowflake she shares a container with. The Calla Lily in the same container seem to be trying to make a comeback; however, still nothing 2 + years after their first blooming.

Dainty Daisy

Finally, today I will leave you all with just a couple of images that I really liked!!

Cineraria – beautiful

Introducing my two passions to each other; cycling meet gardening

Time for dinner and to rest and enjoy the rest of the weekend, I hope you all had a great weekend!

HAPPY GARDENING FRIENDS!

~ Noah

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Earth Day Weekend; Seems apropos to play…

…in the dirt; even if that dirt is separated from the actual earth by a collection of random containers strewn about a patio in Oakland, CA!!!

The Ornamental Strawberry (Fragaria x. Lipstick) rebounds

This week brought the realization that I just might have let my bike riding (training for my first ever bike race!!) completely sway my attention from my garden for a day or two, too long and the cost of such inattentiveness was the death of nearly all of my annuals. I found them parched, withering, and dying out! I tried my best to revive them; alas, the damage was done. The Pansies, Viola‘s, and most of the Primrose, are goners! Which was; simply a Bummer! I guess that I will look at this lapse in attention as both a reminder and an opportunity to find some new garden color!

The Jade Family Enjoying the Morning

The garden is currently in one her transitional periods; with Snapdragon shoots rising higher and higher from their planters and at their tips are numerous buds which tell me that soon there will be an explosion of pastel dragons taking over the patio! The three bulbs I was given by my ex-wife last year have all sprung to life and are sending up a lot of new shoots which I hope mean that their flower spikes will soon follow (One of the bulbs is a large Amaryllis; however, I am not sure about the other two as they have yet to produce a flower). My herbs have also sprung to life and I am blessed with enough fresh Rosemary and Thyme for months of baking fresh focaccia bread!

Snapdragon shooting upwards toward the Sun

Some Dragons have arrived early

Elsewhere in the garden; the hydrangea and ginger are thriving in their shady domain of the large yellow planter. The hydrangea has begun forming her first buds of the season, the ginger; meh, she will do whatever it is that she wants I suppose, and intertwined amongst them, creeping rosemary creeps about!

The first hydrangea buds of my season

Hydrangea, Ginger, Rosemary, oh my!

On the other side of the garden; Mr. Big Boy Avocado, the last of the three avo-seedlingss which I attempted to grow as a project to occupy my free time the last time I was unemployed; and which were the original impetus for this blog, continues to thrive in his new home outside on the patio. He is finally growing noticeably taller as well and is now standing at just over 3-feet tall and currently leafing out quite nicely. Will Big Boy Avocado ever bear edible fruit? Definitely not on his own; I would need to get another avocado tree to ensure the process of cross-pollination has even a remote chance; however, as there could be more  avocado trees nearby, dumb luck might take a stab at pollination resulting in fruiting – doubtful, but it could happen. I will know in about four years if he will be ornamental only or a producer.

Big Boy Avocado enjoying the outdoor life!

Well friends, that is about all there is to tell from this side of the garden-verse. Happy Earth Day Everyone, I hope that your gardens are thriving and bringing you joy!

HAPPY GARDENING FRIENDS!

~ Noah

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