Monday Miscellany

Too windy to garden;  might as well go see what can be seen, here and around town.

This is the part of seed-starting where I often fail:  making sure the tiny seedlings are getting enough light and staying moist.  It's too dry to take them outside--relative humidity has been at 10% or less the past few days.  They look a little stretched.  What to do?
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The 'Easy Does It' color-sport, golden this summer, has a richer apricot color in December.  
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Compare it to the original:
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A Bromiliad also aglow.
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So too, Ginkgos in Claremont.  A book tells me that two hundred million years ago, Ginkgos grew everywhere on the planet.
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Against an amazing blue sky...
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Intense!
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Also intense, the foliage of Aloe dorotheae, the exact color of Trader Joe's enchilada sauce. 
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Is that Aloe...cryptopoda?
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Or this?
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This one is ferox:
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Down near the ocean, these ornamental Kale do well.  I can't grow them--the wind, heat, and the 10% relative humidity kill them off.  I suppose if I could grow them, I would think they are boring and not grow them.  
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While down by the ocean to admire the Kale, we also did a little shopping.  The unknown Aloe was 50% off, the star planter, paint chipped, was 70% off.  Some spray paint will fix the chips; the Aloe looks healthy.  
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This is the kind of label I like to see!
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This Astelia nervosa 'Red Devil' unfortunately didn't have that label, so it didn't come home with us.  Very, very tempting.  It would look good with any number of different plants, no? 
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Comments

  1. Love the Astelia. I hope you can keep your babies alive.

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  2. Sigh, it's all so lovely. I've serious lust for the orange color of your Aloe dorotheae. I have one but it never takes on such a bright color. Must want less water and more sun than we have here.

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    1. I think they color up well in cold(ish) weather also. As to the color, there's always the enchilada sauce! ;^)

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  3. If I could have 1 tree it would be a Ginko - my garden is too small. Judging by your images - I think I'd now need an entire street to really capture the beauty of these trees.

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    1. I was tempted to plant one myself, but I don't have the space either. The autumn color is amazing, even here where we don't get much autumn color.

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  4. First picture of ' Easy does it' is just wonderful. The Ginkgoes colours are stunning, I have one in my garden but never gets such a beautiful yellow autumn colours.

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    1. The Ginko color was truly amazing. I really enjoyed your Ginko post; so informative and interesting.

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  5. Wonderful images dear Hoover, I like 50% off labels too though I don't see that many.
    Wishing you and your partner, Boris and Natasha a lovely New Year's Eve and very best wishes for 2014!
    xoxoxo ♡

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    1. Thank you Dianne! Happy Healthy Rainy 2014 to you!

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  6. great plants, if it all a bit grey and bare in the Uk at the moment.
    I have the same problems with seedlings as you do, getting them through that first few leaves stage. I tend not to worry about them getting leggy when that small, you once they are more stable you can worry about legginess then.

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    1. Thanks for the tip! It's warm and sunny here again, so I've put them outside for a few hours a day. I hope to get them into the ground by March, where they will be safe from my inept care.

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  7. Thank dear Hoover, rain would be lovely! Actually it rained on Christmas day, it was glorious.
    xoxoxo ♡

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