Moss Lichen

Out at Red Rock Canyon a couple days ago, climbing on some of the huge rocks out there.  Lots of the colorful lichens grow on these rocks (like around the moss lichen) but the moss lichen was the fuzziest and neatest looking.

I had originally been looking for jelly lichen but I'm pretty sure I was just looking in the wrong places.  I'm really not fit enough at the moment to get to some of the places I probably should have been looking in.

Amer was a little nervous where I had been taking pictures.  She said it looked like I was edging down the edge of a cliff for a while.  Really I was just a few feet higher than she was at and by a slightly steeper slope but no worry of falling to my doom really.

No worry to all those who are concerned about preservation though.  I only took pictures and made sure i didn't stomp on anything growing on the rocks.

Trains in the Garden

Gardening is about plants and the things that accent the plants or possibly the other way around such as in a rock garden or sculpture garden.

I have been into garden railroading for many years and have set up courses in several of the gardens I have had at different residences. Weekend before last was the monthly meeting of the North Texas Garden Railroad Club where we got to sit around and discuss garden railroading.

Below is the course.

Beginning on the north end of the long stretch of track is the garden loop. A few boulders, a tree, and assorted green plants highlight this area surrounded by the courtyard wall.

To go to and from this area the train has to pass through a tunnel under a waterfall (not shown and not very big)

It continues down the tracks along some herbs and small flowering plants on one side of a walkway and continuing under the covered porch area that enters into the living room of the house.

Finally it passes the last pillar near the control area of the train to the train yard where cars can be taken on and off. The white rocks portraying more of a railyard than a garden. The width of the area being easily seen here is the reason for the long layout and gardening areas.

Some of the plants not shown include rosemary and thyme, plants suitable for scale greenery.

Planting Rocks

I worked out at a site this last weekend planting trees, shrubs, groundcover and rocks.
I didn't know there could be so much work in putting in large rocks. digging the right shape of a hole for the rock you are putting in can be more time consuming than planting trees. If you want to put the rock in at an angle then you have to dig the angle into the ground before you set it.
At first I was told that we needed a trench so wide by so deep. This would have worked except that the rock they then selected had a nice growth on one side that they wanted to be more visible so the trench turned into what seems more like a truck loading area ramp so that it had a good viewing angle.
Then burying it took some doing while avioding ants which had been living where we wanted the rock to go.
Looking back I'm pretty sure it was well worth the changes.