Sunday, April 29, 2012

Datura / Angel's Trumpet

It's come up again that datura is coming out as a great local hardy plant that has beautiful night blooms and is good for adding a splash to your landscape.
What I haven't heard about is the warnings for people with children.  The plant is avoided by most everything unless it's a last resort. The plant in it's entirety is poisonous and the seeds in the pod have been used for centuries as a halucinogen. A big problem is that you can't tell until it's too late that you've ingested too much.  Every year there are fatal or near fatal cases of kids eating the seeds for fun which makes little sense since dogs won't even chew on them, at least not in my neighborhood.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Tyrrell Park

We went back home for an herb festival and to visit family.  The weather was nice but a little windy.
While at the park we took some great pictures. Quite a lot of developing had been done since the last time we went there, nearly ten years ago...
Among the highlights are the wild onion and the Yellow Crowned Night-Heron which took a little while to figure out what it was.
Of course I liked the familiar pine trees and many magnolias. Down in the Piney Woods National Forest there used to be the largest magnolia tree until it got damaged in a storm and came crashing down...
Still a wonderful trip to the coast.







Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Snow Pea Sprout

I put a few snow pea seeds in with my potted pineapple plant hoping something might happen.  I didn't expect it to sprout quite so soon though.
Currently it looks like a curly tendril with small leaves.  I would almost cal it a bean sprout. more than a sprouting bean plant.  It's currently on it's fourth set of leaves and doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon.
I'v also put a black currant seed in there but so far nothing has happened with it.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Solomon's Seal

After cutting back the much overgrown back yard the solomon's seal is again able to come forth and show off for us.  A lovely shade plant, it's come back every year since we planted it, about four years ago.  That's more than I can say for the elephant ear plants. I've found a better way to get those though. Just go to the asian market and sometimes the mexican market and look for taro root.  I've seen it as cheap as 89 cents a pound. Just plant and enjoy. (variety not guaranteed)