Thursday, April 18, 2013

Odds 'n' ends

'Orange Icing','Fern Laborde', 'Princess Linda', 'Primary Ignition', the fertilizer I'm using this year. 'Padre','Diana Inglese', 'Front Runner' (at the Arboretum) and the sorry sight of the old ripped up canopy....time to replace!


'Amber Queen'

Lovely old hybrid, one of my hearty survivors that has hung in there through freezing winters and 110 degree summers for over 30 years now.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Disocactus ackermanii hybrid 'Coral Geisha'



Much prettier than last year...glad I didn't toss the plant out like I halfway wanted to do. :)

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Arboretum blooms

It's April, but after a prolonged, cold winter we are not having a very warm spring, either. Today the high temperature was in the 60s. I worked at the Pentico collection today pricing items for our upcoming sale. I had to mark about 1100 rooted plants! If we can sell them all, or even most of them, we'll have some good income from the sale and be able to maintain the collection. It is expensive to buy conduit and fittings to hang plants! Not to mention soil, fertilizer, pest control, weed control; the list just goes on and on.

Anyway, there were a few blooms today and here are the pictures to prove it! Still mostly the small bloomers, the actual main season hasn't gotten into full swing yet. We need some warmer weather, I think!

Here we have 'Harald Knebel' and 'Diana Inglese' from my collection at home. Next we have one that was blooming last weekend, called 'Pixie Dust'. Then there is "Sugar Plum Fairy' a nice small purple that also bloomed last week. Then there is a spray of 'Snookums' which is extra small and extra nice! Next we see 'Little Dream' followed by 'Earth Angel' and then a very electric purple 'Holiday on Ice'. Next to that is a single bloom of pink and yellow 'Joy Edstrom', followed by a 'Joy Edstrom' group, and then there is the small white 'Star Charmer'. The larger orange bloom is called 'Front Runner'. Then we have a view of the plant Aporophyllum 'Nicola' and then a close-up shot of one of those flowers. Last but not least, Aporophyllum 'Oakleigh Conquest' which is a very prolific bloomer among the Aporos, and that orange sherbet color is just luscious!
'Harald Knebel'
'Diana Inglese'
'Pixie Dust'
'Sugar Plum Fairy'
'Snookums'
'Little Dream'
'Earth Angel'
'Holiday on Ice'
'Joy Edstrom'
'Joy Edstrom'
'Star Charmer'
'Front Runner'
Aporo 'Nicola'
Aporo 'Oakeligh Conquest'