Thank goodness!
Where would we be without our fungi friends?
They turn all those stumps and sticks into soil.
The lichens are greenish colors,
but the fungi may be any color from black to orange.
Some are slimy,
while others are brittle.
Some are ugly,
but others are really beautiful.
Some grow solo,
while others form a “Charlie Foxtrot” (Cluster Fungi)
There are even groups who go out on a limb to have a Fungi Fiesta.
Fungi are Fun!
Follow the Flower!
I need bright colors when the weather is dark and dull.
What can be brighter than this Kalanchoe blossfeldiana?
Cultivars may also have flower colors of pink, yellow and red.
The deep orange bloom clusters just keep on coming for weeks in the winter.
Kalanchoes want sunshine. They need a window to sit in to get this happy.
Let them dry between waterings.
This plant is a fireball of a bloomer.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Were you expecting an arrangement in a vase?
You forget. I am a biologist.
So when I cut a flower, I cut up a flower.
I removed the two sets of 3 petals from the base.
Then, I cut longitudinally into the green calyx and ovary to expose the seed-forming tissues.
Here’s a little lesson in flower parts.
The long, single pistil is the female part.
.
The top end of the pistil is called the stigma. It is sticky to capture pollen that lands on it.
Cutting the ovary in half exposes the developing seeds.
The six stamen produce yellow pollen on the ends. Pollen acts like dust if you shake or touch it.
Pollen looks like rice on 40x.
Pollen is also sticky and sometimes stains clothing. That’s why some florists cut off the stamen. Ouch!
The petal coloring shows up in cells looking like pixels on 40x.
Don’t get mad at me for dissecting my Amaryllis flower.
Your Valentine’s bouquet will die, too. Might as well learn something before you toss it out.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
I love plants and fungi.
So how could I not like a lichen? It is both plant(algae) and fungi.
This is called symbiosis.
I hate to admit that I picked this up, stuck it in the pocket of my coat and forgot about it.
Later, I reached in and found this dried up wad.
Amazingly, it plumped back up when I put a few drops of water on it.
I chopped it into pieces to put under the microscope.
Do not worry about its survival. All the pieces are happily growing in one of the terrariums.
I love this tiny thyme! It’s Elfin Creeping Thyme.
It flows over the rocks like water.
Its new leaves are bright green. Some leaves blush to burgundy. Most stay a soothing bluish green.
Its leaves are so tiny, that the clump looks like carpet until you lean in to get a closer look.
The trick to keeping thyme happy is DRAINAGE. They hate sitting in soggy soil
That’s why my thyme gets perched on top of a rock wall.
I love plants. I love books. I love books about plants. I love paintings and drawings of plants.
So…. I LOVE THIS BOOK!
The Plant Hunters by Carolyn Fry is the most beautiful book I have ever owned. It comes in a sleeve to protect the many lovely documents inside.
I just opened it this morning for the first time.
Every page has beautiful illustrations.
If that isn’t enough, there are envelopes throughout the book containing copies of historic maps and documents.
These explorers were like “Indiana Jones” characters hunting for green treasure instead of gold.
I am so happy to be going on an indoor adventure during this dreary, rainy day.
Read with the FLOWER.
Helleborus orientalis is the scientific name for this Lenten rose.
Blooming now (January) in my garden.
Reminding us that spring will come.
They are poisonous, so do not put them in a play yard or pet run.
I cut off the old leaves once the new growth is up enough to stay out of the way of my clippers.
The leaves are tough and leathery with raised veins.
This makes them perfect for using for impressions in “fossil stones.”
I will be doing a post on how to make these in April.
Follow the Fossil.
Watching an amaryllis bloom is like a lesson in life.
The first day, it emerges from the sheath, which falls away like a plant placenta.
The second day, it opens up to reveal that there are two sets of twin flowers.
The larger two will open first. They are opposite each other on the stalk, for balance.
Color begins to blush through the petals as they stretch away from each other.
They are making room for their dazzling, dancing dresses.
The third day, the ruffled and wrinkled big sister buds smooth out their frocks.
On the fourth day, the little sisters begin to grin and show their purple stamen teeth and pistil tongue.
While the two big sisters fling back their petals to expose their shiny, bright faces.
Then they flush with a final burst of color. Like getting prepped for the party of life.
Standing up straight and facing the new day with a fresh face.
FOLLOW the developing FLOWER.
P.S. This is my Monte Carlo blooming for the second time since Christmas.
floweralley 