Tiger Mother

| Flower Roberts

I over-protect and over-expect when it comes to plants and people.

The results are not ideal.

My latest lesson involves my Tiger lilies ‘Splendens’.

Tiger Lilies ‘Splendens’

They were the only plants that bloomed last summer because the deer did not eat them..

I consider them a treasure because of this and their extreme beauty.

I over-protected the bulbs over the winter. I over-babied them all spring.

I finally let the poor little plants out into the garden in July.

They are way behind in growing and blooming.

The bulbils that were collected and planted have also been over-sheltered.

They have barely grown, yet two babies have produced bulbils of their own

which are actually growing roots while still attached.

Sort of reminds me of fast girls with strict mamas.

Will I ever get over the “overs”?

Tiger Mo Flow

 

Ear Combo

| Flower Roberts

I planted Black Beauty Elephant Ear with Mojito Elephant Ear this year.

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I think the combination brings out the black patches in the Mojito’s leaves.

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These are planted beside one of the ponds and can be viewed from the deck above.

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I like this combo of ears.

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Flow

Saving the Melons

| Flower Roberts

Mr. Flower has his own garden.

I am given assignments where it is concerned.

My latest assignment is “Save the Melons.”

I have to admit that I failed at this last summer.

I put a little fence ring around the melon.

I put a cover over the ring and checked it for ripeness each afternoon.

Just before picking time,

I discovered that something had crawled down into the fence

and eaten the inside of the melon leaving only the peeling.

So this year I am trying a new approach.

I have put Mr. Flower’s melons in mesh bags.

I am hoping the varmint will not like getting his claws or teeth ensnared.

Let’s hope this works.

Mr. Flower take produce production seriously.

Flowduce

The Cacti Don’t Care

| Flower Roberts

It’s much too hot for me out there, but the cacti don’t care.

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Candelabra cactus/ Dragon Bones/ Euphorbia lactea

They keep on growing without slowing.

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Firesticks cactus/ Euphorbia tirucalli

When the sun is blazing they are amazing.

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Epiphyllum /orchid cactus / ‘Over the Top’

They tend to thrive where no others survive.

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Rhipsalis salicornioides

They get dry but do not die.

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Lifesaver plant/ Huernia zebrina

They think it’s fun to sit in the sun.

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Huernia zebrina bloom

I’m no fool. I am in where it’s cool.

Flower

Sleeping, Creeping, Leaping

| Flower Roberts

One of my garden mantras is “Never ever plant ivy.”

I may have to add another vine in there.

I love my Creeping Fig, Ficus pumila.

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The first year here, it seemed to be sleeping.

Last year it began creeping over the wall.

This year it has leaped onto pots and statuary.

I took these two photos seven days apart.

I still love this vine, but too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

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Flow

Almost Frogs

| Flower Roberts

I was about to clean out the acorns from the pond,

when I noticed some had tails and were swimming!

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What I was seeing weren’t acorns, but itty bitty tadpoles.

I have watched them develop this week.

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They are almost frogs.

They have stopped swimming and have climbed out onto the floating leaves

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to sit in the sun and absorb their tails.

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These tiny little frogs are precious!

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Flow loves frogs

 

Watching Water

| Flower Roberts

I have been watching the water…and thinking.

It is still and smooth most of the time, with a ripple here and there.

Sometimes a line of waves forms and changes everything.

That’s how my life is right now.

Waves keep rolling across my smooth life.

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I am in control of only my own buoyancy.

The water acts and I react.

Will I float?  Will I swim with the waves or against them?

Will I rise and fall with the water

or let gravity win and go under?

I do not know what the water will do

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but I know what I will do.

I will stay afloat

Because I am a survivor.

I choose to stay up

no matter the water.

Flow

The Banana Forest

| Flower Roberts

Yesterday when the sun was high, I sought some shade in the banana forest.

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Its giant leaves served as umbrellas.

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The wind moved them like fans.

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The banana forest was dancing around me.

An oasis away from the sun and heat.

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I was surrounded by swaying green.

I pretended my cares were far away, not just across the driveway.

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Everyone should have a banana forest to escape into.

Flower