Piece of Eden

Search This Blog

Sweet Lavender!

on May 21, 2012

Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Fragrance

Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps

Comments

Reading Agave Leaves

What is it saying? If you are not familiar with Agaves, it might seem they don't change all that much, but lighting conditions affect them as much as any other plant. For example... Here's a small Agave parryi truncata grown all its life in full sun: This is also an Agave parryi truncata of the same size and age as the first. Note the elongation of the outer (oldest) leaves: Why does it look so different? Because it was covered up by a mass of Cistanthe grandiflora. It was growing in darkness. The newest, innermost leaves resemble the previous Agave, because this plant has been back in the light for several months. In low light levels, the leaves elongate and flatten out so they and the plant's central growing point can maximize what light they receive. Here's Agave ellemetiana, which doesn't require nearly the sun that A. parryi does, but it displays the flattened posture of an Agave that would like more light. Same thing with this A

Growth Habits And Progress Of Six Pittosporum Tenuifolium Selections

Above, P. 'Tasman Ruffles' begins to obscure the neighbor's roof Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Sheen' is the most common tall Pittosporum currently sold in Southern California. This neighborhood example was planted as a 15 gallon about 2005. I'm guessing it's about 20 feet (6 meters) tall in the photo: Update 12/2017: It declined rapidly this year and died. Drought? Borers? A pair of Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Sheen' also in the neighborhood, but topped and sheared. The airy, graceful, natural appearance of 'Silver Sheen' is lost in favor of denser growth via regular light shearing: Update 12/2017 : these look about the same as they did in 2013. The distinctive black stems and reflective foliage: A variegated form of Pittosporum 'Silver Sheen' is 'Ivory Sheen' . It has a more dainty quality. Because of the variegation it is a somewhat smaller and slower grower than 'Silver Sheen&

Protecting Avocados from Rats, Squirrels, and Opossums

Squirrels, rats and opossums love avocados as much as humans do. My brilliant neighbor is successfully protecting the fruits with paper bags held in place with clothes pins. She covers the fruits shortly before they get close to maturity. (Avocados do not ripen on the tree.) I am trying it as well. So far, so good. The neighbor reports the fruit has no problem ripening after picking, and tastes as good as if they had not been bagged. Update March 4, 2022: Neighbor reports that at least critter figured out it could rip the bags off, but not all of them, because she was able to harvest some fruits for her family. Also a comment pointed out Opossums are not rodents, which I had grouped in with rats and squirrels, so I removed that.

Powered by Blogger

Sweet Lavender!

Comments

Post a Comment