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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Cactus Grows Here...

All by itself! Birds must bring in  the "starters." The blooms on the ones here are all yellow. Most of them grow on the beach dunes.

Up close, the flowers are beautiful!


















Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Roof Gardens....

In the campground there are several trailers that are barren of occupants. There are others that are busy with activities, and there are both types that are in dire need of roof washing! We used to do ours every year and now have a service do this task. It's a tricky and slippery project.

Here's what happens when it isn't cleaned.
I've been roof-watching this one for almost 15 years! Yesterday it was is FULL bloom!

Now there are others growing gardens.








Thursday, June 13, 2013

Magnificent Plant More.....

The plant blossom stem (flower spike) I have been watching grow has grown so high and is now up into the tree that I can hardly see the arms reaching out from the main spear stalk! There are blossom heads on each of those long arms. I simply cannot take good pictures of them because they blend in with the tree so much and are concealed from the ground. The photos below were taken on June 6.         Click on photo to view larger.



I have found a site which has many beautiful photographs of this plant. Please go to the site and you will surely be surprised. Be sure to scroll down to the end of the page and you will see the whole process - even  after the main plant dies and the "pups" are visible.

You may now understand why this plant has captured my attention.

http://www.xericworld.com/forums/showthread.php?p=18986&mode=linear#post18986

Monday, June 3, 2013

Magnificent Plant...UPDATE


I found this information on the internet but didn't keep the source page. It is very interesting to me and I'd like to share with you. Today's photos are at the bottom of the page. It is all developing fast!

"Agave Flowers:  Agave plants bear flowers on extremely long stalks, or inflorescences. Many experts describe these stalks as asparagus-like, though the tallest of them resemble trees as much as they do asparagus. Agave stalks grow from the center of the flower and reach mature heights of 6 to 40 feet. It takes at least 10 to 15 years for an agave plant to flower. The triggering mechanism for agave blossoming is unknown. No one knows why they flower when they do, or when a specimen will flower.

Flowering Habit:  Agaves have a monocarpic flowering habit. This means that a single agave plant flowers once and dies immediately after flowering. When agave plants die, they leave offsets, commonly called pups, in the soil as a means of propagation. Agave offsets resemble new plants growing alongside full-grown plants, but actually constitute new growths sprouting from the roots of the mother plant. When the mother plant dies, these offsets stay alive and grow into independent agave specimens that eventually flower and create offsets themselves.

Flower Description:  Agave plants bear elongated, tubular flowers on leafless branches or, as is the case with certain species, on single, spiked stalks. These flowers appear in various colors depending on the species of agave, though are usually yellow, rose or white. Flowers blossom at the terminal end, or absolute end point, of branches and may be spread in a diameter as wide as 6 feet from the central stalk.

How to Remove Babies From a Large Agave:
Gardeners with poor soil or those who live in hot, arid conditions can grow agave plants successfully. The plants need little water and no fertilizer, and you will never have to prune them. Agave varies in size according to the species, with the tallest growing to 12 feet tall. After the agave flowers, it dies, but you can save the small plants that it produces, known as "pups," and grow new agave plants.

Instructions:
Cut the pup from the mother plant, taking with it a small piece of the connecting stem. If the plant is so large that working near it is unsafe, dig a trench around the portion of the pup that you can reach, and use the spade to slice it from the mother.
Cut the roots on the pup to 1/4 inch in length.
Push the pup into the cactus potting mix in a 1-gallon container."






Sunday, June 2, 2013

Magnificent Plant Continued...

Well it has been almost a full month since I showed you the Agave plant I saw pushing up an interesting stalk. The May 6th post was called "Magnificent Plant." I have ridden by it regularly and it just kept growing taller - right into the treetops where it can touch the sun peeking through. It now has what I call a blossom head. Maybe the flowers will open soon. I'll keep watching. It is becoming much more difficult to photograph as I don't have a zoom lens and cannot climb a ladder!