Garden Pictures

[opsec]

Snapdragon is edible although it is reputed to be unpaletable with a bland to bitter flavor.

[The Future]

Here is the Imperial Star Artichoke - the big one - with an apple for a reference to size.

Uberlandia carrot flowers being harvested (maybe a first in Bermuda for any type of carrot)

As just for Wellspring - proof that I AM saving ethiopian kale seeds....(almost ready)

[Wellspring]

Ahhhhh . . . I am full of patient anticipation for the Ethyopian Kale seeds.  thank you.

Now that's "a bigga artichoka!"

[Wellspring]

Wanted to share a few of my beautiful Brugmansias (Angel Trumpets).  First picture is of Ecuadorian Pink; one of the only variegated leaf Brugs I've seen.  The other two pictures are of " Yellow Turns Pink."  It starts yellow, opens yellow and then immediately turns pink; thus, it's name. 

[Atash Hagmahani]

The Peach-colored Brugmansia, B. versicolor, is impossible to obtain here (except by mailorder, but then you never know what you're getting). Keep me in mind if it sets seed.  I think in that case it will be a hybrid (I don't think they are generally self-fertile), but is should be closer to pink than what we've got.

"Frosty Pink" which is very washed out, is common here.

Last year was a really really bad one for Brugmansias; I have not seen hide nor hair of one yet.

[Wellspring]

You can get these two Brugs and more here:  http://ezonlineads.com/MaranathaNursery/brug_catalog.htm
I can't remember the owner's name, but he's a kick to talk to being Southern and from Arkansas.  He loves, loves what he does and will go on and on and on.  You can order rooted cuttings from him or I can root some for you and ship them.  Let me know.  I've got to prune mine back anyway.

correction to my description below.  Do to frost, I lost three of the six brugs that I ordered from the above site and forgot which one was which.  I now keep them in pots and protected during the big freeze.

 The "ECUADOR PINK" is most popular brug they sell; the one I thought was "yellow turns pink."

"A versicolor, that opens cream and darkens to a unique, clear, strong pink ; One of the most floriferous brugmansias, and longest hanging flowers, also a "durable flower", i.e. blooms last longer than a lot of brug.

The Variegated one is "Sunset Varigated"
"A strikingly beautiful plant ; I regularly tell folks that 'even if it didn't even flower, I'd want it' ! 
Incredible strength & vigor for a variegated brugmansia
A versicolor flower, that opens almost white, turns light yellow, then darkens to peach"

[The Future]

Summer is in full swing.  Hot and humid!

Tom Wagner's Green Zebra / OSU Blue F2 fruit.  Trying to select for bluish shoulders but none so far.

Triple flower on one stem of a French Round Zuchinin - is this normal?

Ground cherry (9 months old and going strong)

Ginger's Pride melon and tomatoes with yard long beans

[Eddie]

Wow! I can tell your pretty knowledgable when it comes to growing things. Kinda reminds me of that guy in the late seventies on Sunday mornings...can't remember his name...kinda looked like Bob Newhart.

[Atash Hagmahani]

That was Ed Hume, Eddie.

Last I heard he was still alive, and still doing radio shows.

Future, how come your yard-long-beans aren't trellised?

Your Green Zebra x Blue cross is, not surprisingly, waaaaaaay ahead of mine.  However, mine DO have purple on them. (I know they call them "blues" but they are just as plum purple as can be).  It's not necessarily on the shoulders, but it might be. It's where the sun hits them.

Did Tom tell you to grow a whole flat of them and then pick out the ones with purple stems and purplish leaves for growing on? If not, that might be the problem. The F2 generation is where the various attributes are "segregating".

[The Future]

I actually have a trellis on the wall but because it is a sand stone wall and the netting is white, it can't be seen....thanks for the tip on the green zebra.  Tom mentioned grow a dozen but didn't get to talk about the stems and leaves...I am going to sprout more not that is is a hot as hot can be here.  I see why people want greenhouses who can afford them.  Things grow so quick at 87F that if you could get that in the winter......coming soon, the big artichoke I left to flower....

[The Future]

1. The star among the Imperial Stars

2. Imperial Star flower left for seed

3. And again a few days later

4. The are the ones we ate

[The Future]

1. Green Zebra and predator.  What are these things?  They are voracious eaters.  I've pulled 6 from the tomato/tomatillo/ground cherry plants so far.  huge.

2. Echinacea flower

[Eddie]

Ah yes...that's it...the great Eddie Hume.

[Atash Hagmahani]

The "predator" is the larva of the hawk moth. They are very rare as far north as I am but ubiquitous in the warmer parts of the Americas. The adult is the gigantic hovering moth that pollinates some types of big, funnel-form flowers, such as Wellspring's Brugmansias. They are an alternative pollinator for a lot of flowers--typically big, white, fragrant, and night-blooming, also pollinated by bats.

Notoriously, the larva are rather fond of tomato foliage. :(

[The Future]

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Adko3ZO46TpXc3Ip5W26KJKH3qfaN-m9tw4yAYxoe6o?feat=directlink

A sample of the varieties that have succeeded so far this year: Musquee de Provence (2), Marina di Chioggia, Sweet Grey, Blue Hubbard, Triamble, Sibley, Baby Blue Hubbard, Neck Pumpkin.

Uncle David's Dakota Desert squash produced one haflway decent sized fruit and some babies before it died and it the only one not included.  The sibley's we got earlier were much larger than pictured.  We cut up and froze them as they split in the field.  I don't know if it was heat or a long dry spell followed by rain that split them but I can cay we recently at them and, yes indeed they were sweet.