It’s Blooming!
A few weeks ago, I noticed my Echeveria Peacockii Succulent was getting ready to bloom. I’ve been carefully watching and waiting for the blooms to open up.
It really is quite lovely and interesting. It’s not just a pretty face, I notice that the hummingbirds are always flying around it enjoying it’s nectar.
I sometimes wonder if the hummingbirds love plants like this in northern gardens. No doubt they enjoy echeverias when they’re spending the winter in tropical regions. Maybe for them it’s like it is for me when I savor a Colombian treat that reminds me of my childhood in South America.
Are there any foods/scents that bring back memories of a different time/place for you?
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Quote of the Day: Van Gogh
“It is in looking at things for a long time that ripens you and gives you a deeper understanding.”
Van Gogh (found in Provence: A Country Almanac)
I’m an observer, especially when it comes to gardening. I think patient observation is one of the most important skills for a gardener to have.
When you slow down and spend time simply watching how things work in the garden you can learn a lot because things aren’t always what they seem at first glance. The area I’ve gained a deeper understanding by doing this is in the insect world.
The more I stop and watch, the more I see it as a complex system where each insect is a piece of a giant puzzle. Removing one of them, no matter how pestiferous, leaves the puzzle incomplete.
You might notice a “pest” one day and be distraught. If you are patient and keep a close watch, you will most likely see a predator move in. If the predator does not appear during this cycle it will probably appear during the next. You will also have gained a better understanding of the life cycle of that insect.
Our gardens are really a very complex system, the more we sit back and observe the more this comes into view. Every bird, insect, plant, and microbe is an important piece in the web of life. Even we are pieces, hopefully ones that fit in perfectly! What we choose to do and refrain from doing in the garden can make a big difference in what the final picture looks like.
Is there anything you have noticed in the garden because you took time to slow down and spend some time observing?
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It’s a LIME
I have 2 citrus trees that lead a very pampered life. If you remember, I purchased them on my trip to Monticello in 2010. The prime window acreage in the living room is all theirs during our cold NE Ohio winters. They’re even lovingly carried out to the front porch to enjoy any unseasonably nice weather we have in late winter. These two plants truly are my favorite houseplants, mostly because I want them to produce fruit.
This spring, the key lime tree produced 3 or 4 blooms, sadly none of them were pollinated. That gave me hope that it was finally old enough to fruit. I’ve been watching it like a hawk all summer waiting for blooms. Sure enough, two weeks ago I noticed buds. Last week it started blooming profusely. I moved it to the front porch right by the catnip plant, which is blooming at attracting tons of pollinators thus hopefully increasing the odds of pollinating the lime blossoms.
Sure enough, earlier this week I noticed that at least a few of the blooms had been pollinated and were sporting tiny lime fruit. Will they mature into fruit? You really never know when it’s the first time a plant blooms. Sometimes it takes them a cycle or two to figure out what’s going on. I certainly hope all these little blooms turn into limes, if so, our glasses will be filled with limeade in a few months!
When we get to Maine I hope to add to my citrus collection. I’ll have a bigger house and more windows to house them. Kumquats, Meyer Lemon and a few other varities are on my “must-buy” list.
Do you have any favorite houseplants? Do you grow any edible houseplants?
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Friday Unfavorite: Talking on the Phone
Generally, I find myself in the glass half full category. I’m an optimist. Thus I have the Friday Favorite posts to talk about things I love. Every now and then, however, a dislike should make it on the list, so you can get an idea of a few things I don’t like.
I have a HUGE aversion to talking on the telephone. I’m not sure why, it’s just not really my thing – at all. It’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t like this. Most likely it’s part of my introvert personality. When the phone rings I cringe, hoping it’s not for me, which thankfully it rarely is.
Lucky for me, Mr Chiots doesn’t mind talking on the phone. Thus he’s the secretary and makes most of our phone calls. Funny how it often works out this way, our spouses are skilled at those things we aren’t so skilled at.
Do you have any aversions?
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Baby Steps
The 19th of September is scheduled to be moving day. The day we’ll be en route to Maine in a big moving truck and a car. One of our neighbors is planning on making the tirp with us, so we’re hoping to hit the Common Ground Fair on Friday and maybe Saturday.
I have no desire deal with the stress of living in a house full of boxes any longer that I have to, so our plan is to spend the 17th & 18th packing the things we use every day. That should be more than enough because we don’t have a ton of stuff. Most of the items we owned are use fairly frequently and can’t be packed up now.
There are, however, a multitude of gardening and preserving items that can be packed away. All of my terra cotta pots from the garage, the basement seed starting area, any of the canning jars I don’t plan on filling this summer. I’ve been slowly packing it all into boxes, a few each day. Whenever I start to feel a little stressed out, I pack a box or two.
I’ve had my share of moving experiences. Growing up we moved almost every other year, from one country to another. During the first four years Mr Chiots and I were married we moved four times until settling here. Thankfully it’s been 10 years since our last move and hopefully we won’t ever need to move again after this one. I’ll certainly be glad when it’s all over.
Any great tips for packing/moving?
