My tropical milkweed has been a magnet this summer from various pollinators, butterflies, bees, dragonflies, hummingbirds etc. It is my first year to have this type of plant and I am very happy to see it acclimated well in our area, very colorful and attractive.
This morning, I saw this, ah, the by-product of the daily pollination..something got successful!
Every year, I try to find some new plants and see if it will thrive in my area. From the onset, I thought I would only be able to grow cacti and succulents, but as I begin to learn more, get the plant culture right, or just make minor adjustments from season to season, I am getting some good improvements. But I still get blindsided at times..usually when the weather goes cranky pots..just some things beyond our control.
So for this year, I tried getting coleus. I did not know a lot about this plant, and watching the Coleus thread here in ATP gave me the motivation to try it. Luckily I got some nice ones at our local big box store..
Here is the before photo of the first container which I started last 06May2013:
I do not have all the names of the coleus in this container, but if you start from the center, that bright green one is Coleus 'Wasabi', then the one on the upper left is Coleus 'Saturn', then the one at the bottom almost all red is called Coleus 'Red Head'.
Here is its After photo taken on 24Jul2013: impressively filling up the container, enduring the heat wave and is just so happy looking in my container. Makes me look like a good gardener hahah! I do notice that since it is really drier and hotter in my area, the plant appreciated getting daily watering, and misting of the leaves, so it endures our triple digit heat. Sometimes I feel worried seeing how the leaves seem crumpling in the heat, but it quickly bounces back and straightens up as soon as the shade from the tree canopy covers it.
I made up another coleus container last 23June2013. This time I got them properly labeled. The Before container: I think the photo won't enlarge properly but the names of the Coleus are: Coleus 'Freckles', Coleus 'Fishnet Stockings', Coleus 'Kingswood Torch', Coleus 'Gays Delight':
And here is its After photo taken on 24July2013: thriving pretty well too, except for Coleus 'Fishnet Stockings' I think this one really prefers to be in shade. It is the only one in the container that is still quite small compared to the rest, but the rest of the coleus in this container are truly heat tolerant and growing vigorously.
I have been pinching the leaves of both containers, and trimming off the flowers. I have read it will prolong the life of the plant. But just in case, here, is a photo of the blooms, pretty much similar looking amongst the other Coleus. This is from Coleus 'Freckles':
So what remains to be seen now is how the plant will grow during the cooler months. I have no idea if it will behave like a perennial in my area or like an annual. So will keep a close eye and if it starts growing like an annual, I have to get some good cuttings to root later on. For sure, I will grow Coleus again next year!
As the sun begins to set, it is more bearable to go out in the garden, finally getting a slow cool down, time to see how the plants have endured for the day.
Last night, I found this garden stalker..the mantid..gone are its cute nymph-like features..it is now a young adult..looked really mean..ready to pounce for its dinner.
Waking up to cooler temperatures today! A good reprieve from the weekend heat wave.
As I go around our garden, saw this little one on the desert rose. Lately I have been seeing some dead bees on the paver, oftentimes, might be victims of pesticides from other areas. I hope this little one is just resting...so fly, fly little bee! You are needed so much in our gardens!
For today, 20July2013, would like to share my blooming succulent. I got this plant in June 2013. Fell in love with the twining upright leaves tightly packed in its container then. Did not even know it blooms. As its nicknames say, it is commonly called as trailing jade or weeping jade, in reference to the leaves that resemble the leaves of Crassula argentea. I like as well the red edging the leaves get, usually I see that when the plant feels some cold stress. But it is quite hot these days, so is this stress from the heat? In any case, I wanted to plant it in a hanging basket, but decided to put it in the meantime on the table till the bloom is over. I did not want to risk accidentally deadheading the plant while hanging.
The name of this plant on its tag is Senecio jacobsenii, however in our database, it is classifed under Kleinia petraea.
Here is the plant when I got it at first:
Then repotting it in a hanging basket minus the chains for now, so it has been sitting on our glass table, and as can be seen, there is already that bloom stalk peeking. I am glad this plant is a succulent because we started to have the heat wave beginning end of June for about a week, temps hitting 109F on some hottest part of the days then:
And today, a bloom is showing! Hooray! Such a welcome view to behold!
Like a tuft of orange hairs bundled up on the bud:
This plant prefers part shade and as with any succulent, not too moist please..allow it to approach dryness before next watering. Though I have to give it some touch up spray only at the root zone during dreary heat wave days.
