Slowly, silently, now the moon
Walks the night in her silver shoon;
This way, and that, she peers, and sees
Silver fruit upon silver trees;
One by one the casements catch
Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;
Couched in his kennel, like a log,
With paws of silver sleeps the dog;
From their shadowy cote the white breasts peep
Of doves in silver feathered sleep
A harvest mouse goes scampering by,
With silver claws, and silver eye;
And moveless fish in the water gleam,
By silver reeds in a silver stream

Walter de la Mare

Silvers feature prominently in my planting scheme, I think in part, it is due to the fact that I actually miss frost, I really do! When I was a scout in Scotland, we used to play completely insane games like “Fire Running” and “Flaming Onions” under full winter moons and frosty, crystal-clear skies. These games would never be allowed in this day and age, for all manner of child liability issues, one of them being, burning to death! The grounds of the estate where we played were immense … Arizona Cypress ‘Blue Ice’ …long, moon-cast shadows would stretch across the expansive lawn areas as if it were late afternoon, and It would be eerily quiet At least, until the games would begin. It was also bitterly cold. until the running started, causing the blood to coarse faster through the veins. Mass Artemisia and California Poppy planting.        Silver Sedum The scout master (the “Beast”, an ex-army major) used to run around like a teenager re-administering “lives” (bandages tied tightly around the bicep) to scouts that would get their bandages ripped off in some Doc-Martin swinging skirmish… he did this adorning a kilt! Now THAT would have been cold! “Ach! ESP, All ye need is a kilt, see, ye can just throw a wee part of it over yer shoulder, like this, if yer cauld. If that doesnae work, ye can….” Aargh…shut your pie-hole William. Frosty Santolina. Although Texas is a long way from Scotland and just a tad warmer. These frosty plants at least TRY to trick the brain into thinking it is frosty, when it is in fact 90 degrees in the moonlight. I will take every illusion I can get! Staying on this warmer note… “Is he making fun of us?” My cone-heads seem to be as fashionably late in developing as usual, still, who’s complaining, when you get flowers within flowers. These warm embers seem to develop as fast as little nimble fingers can pick them. Barbados Cherry Malpighia punicifolia, still going strong. And some finalsizzle from a dwarf papyrus sparkler, catching the final rays of the… Moving on to my “International plant of mystery”… I picked up this small plant immediately I saw the words “mystery plant” written on the side of the container, at the Natural Gardener. At that point in time it looked like a small pride of barbados, with very similar foliage. I planted it up against the back of our house where it has continued to grow. The first couple of years it pretty much died back to the base, so I just treated it like I did my pride of barbados -and whacked it back to the ground. Then as it got bigger it started to make it through the winter, and it continued to get larger. The multi-limbed shrub has small thorns on its branches and blooms like a pride of barbados (at least most years). Speaking of which… I really like the pre-blooming display the pride of barbados gives, very chemistry model-esque. Nope, you don’t want to be barefoot in my back garden! These barrel cacti seem to be handling their transplant into the ground well although I probably just cursed them… Don’t even think about it Helena! …like I cursed this poor transplanted bog cyprus some posts back. I have been drip feeding this tree for about a week now to try to turn it’s demise around. In a sick way I do like the way it looks against the burnt orange of the canna lily. It is like having fall in the spring! The canna thinks it has died and gone to heaven with all the new water it is vicariously receiving. There are still a handful of green leaves on the cypress, you can see them if you look really closely. There is still a glimmer of hope. The ice plant (front left) has gone ballistic to the point that I am now having to keep it in check. And the most recent addition to the ESP (courtesy of my moving neighbors)… is this Spruce Cone Cholla, or aptly named Pine Cone Cactus Tephrocactus articulatus. This one was picked up in Arizona, though they originate from Argentina. Apparently it is difficult to get this cacti to flowering size, as the stem segments break off with very little effort. You can see how thin the segments get. An interesting little plant and just what the middle bed needed in terms of scale and form. On a recent expedition through my bamboo grove, I happened to once again bump into another member of the shy and rarely encountered “Nabooboo” tribe.  This female warrior was adorning her traditional “Naboo” face mask indicating that she was on a peaceful hunting andgathering mission. When she turned to leave I did notice that she was carrying a woven reed basket that was full of what looked like small unripe satsumas? I carried on walking on the trail and shortly happened on the tree that the warrior must have picked from. What is the right policy here? “To thin or not to thin…that is the question”. Other observations in the Patch this week… The inner glow of Madame Ganna Walska always brightens up a pond.                  You should check out her life story! An emerging Brown-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta. New succulent blooms… new cacti blooms. And a gnarly old “trunk” (ahem) of an Elephant Ear. First shady blooms on my Thryallis, Golden Thryallis Galphimia gracilis First sunny blooms on a wisteria. Some greens and purples. And Finally… There is nothing better after returning from a hot bamboo grove expedition than putting your feet up, turning on the misters and getting blasted. (I mean from the misters) Of course some people’s work is never done… Sun sets on the patch.. Stay Tuned For: “Creatures of the Deep“ All material © 2009 for east_side_patch. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. Inspirational image of the week.

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we’re told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that’s bursting into life
Snow Patrol…”Chasing Cars”


I caught this amber Canna indica “Pretoria”
bursting into life with one of it’s short lived blooms.
A very tropical looking plant.

Another amber looking substance has me a little puzzled.
Why was it here? How did it get there? What was its purpose?

Let me back up a little…I was recently aimlessly wandering around outside my cactus bed
(as I do) looking here, grimacing at weeds over there, when I happened to
notice this “blemish” on one of my agaves.

“Blemishes on the ESP agaves?
Bring on the tigers, I cannot
tolerate this”.


I had to take a closer look.  Now, this was not as easy as it seems,
considering that the entire adjacent area was peppered with
spikes, thorns, sharp tentacles and a general lack of respect
for un-bleeding limbs. It is a cactus bed after all.
But I had to get in yet closer…

This amber ”sap”  looked sticky and wet.  I clambered further in to
touching distance (which equates to a yoga-esk, physically
contorted pose) and did the only thing that came to my
mind…”must stick my finger into it.”
So I leaned in… and I immediately lost my balance.

My left kidney ended up inches away from being
impaled by a variegated agave. The amber
sap was “set”, no stickiness, no moisture.
It was solid and hard…most bizarre,
what is this sappy process?

On exiting the cactus bed I happened to notice this agave pup waving
its head around searchingly at the end of its umbilical cord,
inches from my face…I remained totally motionless.

One last amber (okay a bit of a stretch).
The first flamboyant bloom on my Pride of Barbados has arrived.
I love the silver-grey, feather-like contrasting leaves on this plant.
It is a carnival in a plant!

Nerd Alert, Nerd Alert!

I was recently doing my rounds with
my fish and seaweed emulsions when
I noticed this black waspy fly, it seemed
to be attracted to the smell.
I tried numerous times to get a decent
picture of it, but it was really easily spooked.
It finally settled down in some ivy where I
shot these two images, check
out the colorful eyes!

Black Soldier fly.
Hermetia illucens Linnaeus
A really interesting looking fly, which adorns some
crazy flapping antenna.

This fly occurs throughout most of the Western
Hemisphere and the Australian region from Samoa
to Hawaii. Adults superficially resemble wasps,
but have no stinger and are completely
harmless and apparently very rarely encountered.
I was happy to encounter mine!

“Can you believe this fly Rodders?”
It is another con-fly, cushty!

Photo by G. McIlveen, Jr.
The larvae of black soldier flies feed on decomposing
organic matter. If you have a compost bin you will most
likely have seen these, I am pretty sure this fly emerged from
one of my bins.

The larvae of black soldier flies
has the beneficial effect of rendering
the breeding media less suitable for the
production of house flies. I am beginning to
like this chap!
Soldier maggots are in-fact the good guys!

Note how the wings, in a relaxed state, fold over each other on the back of the fly. (Hey I warned you with a nerd alert!)

In fact these maggots
(which incidentally have absolutely enormous appetites)

are being used in some settings to break down
household and pig-farm wastes,
(they are natures ultimate disposal units), the larvae
are employed in a technique known as bio-conversion),
and no, they are not salaried.

“Burying our food waste in giant rotting
mounds is ridiculous given the elegant
solution represented by bio-conversion
with black soldier fly larvae”. Want to find out more about this fly and how bio-conversion works?
Then here is some serious bed-time reading just for you..
Thanks for your help J!

http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/

“And now for something completely different”…

Remember this member of
the “Na,Na, Nabooboo” tribe
wearing the agave carcass
“bad hair day” headdress?

Well I think I caught another member
of the same tribe today performing,
what I could only interpret to be
some kind of rain dance…

And rain it did…
I even think he was a little surprised that his rain endusing
gestures actually worked!
I ran up to thank this little pygmy tribal member,
but, like a hobbit, he had already scurried away on fast legs
and large feet into the surrounding undergrowth.

The rain bounced on the roofs…

and pounded our deck (I really must stop
putting off unclogging that gutter)!


It even brought a tear of joy to the Botox lady’s “half-eye”.
Or perhaps she is thinking of Bob at Draco Gardens?
Or perhaps she has conjunctivitis?
Hard to tell.
At least she is no longer bald! Well not quite.

The rain refilled my redneck, everything but the
kitchen sink, rain water collection “system,”


and made for yet another historic “snail harvest”.
Wait, he does not belong in here!

A lilly pad seemed a more apt place to return this tiny gulf coast toad.

“Hi little guy, don’t be afraid we all know how
disgusting you taste! You are safe with us”.

And the snails?

Well, I was treated to the most amazing escargot dish, prepared
to order in our outside “kitchen”, by our resident chief.

But the best thing about the new rain?

Had to be the fresh smell, right after it had stopped.

Here is the view from the street of the ESP. Left is my Vitex shrub / (no you will be a) tree,
in full bloom right now, and right, my desert willow. Left front is my spineless prickly pear
that I have been pruning up to encourage a more vertical habit.

I am trying to create a naturalistic setting here, one that ties in with the architecture of the
1890′s victorian house. The highest point on the left hand side of the picture is actually the
top of my giant timber bamboo at the back of the house…

This one.

Fruits and things pickedthis week in the patch:

We finally started to pick some of the limes from our mexican lime tree, and I have
to say they were really impressive, thin skin, lots of flesh, (hannibal murmurings) and
lots and lots of mouth puckering limey flavor.
It looks like we will be in good shape on the lime front for the foreseeable future.

Tequila!


This was one curly pepper. I almost put a face under the hat on the left image, then decided
it already had one!

Barbados cherry picking to make a really tiny tart.

And finally…

Some frosty silvers,

a warm yellow sun,

a ruby jewel,

and some firecracker fun.

Inspirational image of the week:

Stay Tuned For:
“Event Horizon“
All material © 2009 for east_side_patch. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Larva of Scymnus?
What is this spiny anomaly? It was tiny,
I forgot to add, it twitches and shudders
like a “Tribble” when I get close to it with
the camera lens!
Brrrr!

“Analysis, Mr. Spock”…
“It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it…
I would suggest evacuating non essential
personnel to the saucer section”.
What a great new Star Trek movie!


It has been a fungi sort of week down
here in the patch. This saucer section
crash landed under one of my giant
timber bamboos, this was one of the
larger ones. But there were others,
of all shapes and cup-sizes…

“Yeah Baby”!

I decided against doing a comparison shot of these beauties
for fear of offending any sensitive readers, and any family
members that followthese posts.
I finally managed to avert my gaze away from this toad stool erotica,
only to witness something even more explicit…

“Ohh, matron!”                                                         ”Annoles gone wild!”
I laughed so much trying to capture this shot, this
was the only image that was not blurred.
It is amazing what goes on behind closed
garden gates in a spring time suburban
habitat!

“Really !”

Now, where was I?

Mmm, close, but not quite.
Oh yes, fungi:

Leucocoprinus birnbaumii
The fungi previously known as Lepiota lutea.

That was my idea!
Other common names for this potential
gastrointestinal disturbance include the
flower-pot parasol, and the plant pot dapperling.
This fungi is commonly found in flowerpots
or greenhouses or any other place with
organically rich soil where the temperature
is warm . This particular fine specimen
was growing in a stock-tank which houses my

black bamboo Phyllostachy Nigra.
I suppose it is a giant plant pot of sorts.

I believe in everything until it’s disproved.  So I believe in fairies,
the myths, dragons.  It all exists, even if it’s in your mind.
Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as
real as the here and now?  ~John Lennon

Break out the handkerchiefs,
it is time to say good-bye to my old Mediterranean Fan Palm,
so long old friend!

I had made my decision, I finally was to say goodbye to my 3 year spiky friend,
it was the humane thing to do, I refused to witness its slow demise a
second longer. I had come to a hard decision, one with so much
stigma attached…
I was about to perform palm euthanasia.

“Noooooooo!”
How could I allow more suffering,
more yellowing from the center,
(Yes a bit like you, Patsy!)
more “flopping” from the central core.

My decision was final, I was not
going to avert my gaze one more
time walking past it. I trudged slowly to
my shed to get my harbinger of death.
In this case my shovel.
The death march played on my ipod, I exaggerate.

The temperatures and humidity in the central Texas area have soared this week.
It was time to let rip with the back-deck misters for the first time this year,
an event that signifies the onslaught of summer heat is just around the sweaty
corner, and it felt nice. The misters I mean, not the pending
onslaught of another Texas Summer.

Off with the socks and gardening boots and on with a cold beverage
and a refreshing misting. It has taken me years, but I have finally found
the perfect misting system for my back porch.

It relies on a series of overhead misters, a vague understanding the prevailing winds,
an elaborate system of pulleys and wheels, and a rather large industrial fan situated in
“just the right position” on my back porch.
The prevailing wind whips the mist around into the strategically angled fan,
which in turn blasts everyone on the deck with a cooling misting…Ahhh!

“Roger that ground control, I will keep a look out for that reported patchy mist…
descending to one foot past the blooming Barbados Cherry, as instructed.
On final approach for a decomposed granite landing.”

My Barbados Cherry is insane right now, most of the hover flies
have now vacated, as the shrub is in full tilt making thousands
of berries. A great nature magnet, I have no idea why I still have
only one of these in my garden!
It smells good too.

This gazing ball on an old cedar carcass reminds me of the movie “Sphere”.

Another sphere comes from this new addition to the patch.
This is Spilanthes; the Toothache Plant.
When chewed (which I have) Spilanthes stimulates the flow
of saliva which cleanses the mouth, tones the gums, and
enhances immune function. It is strange though, it takes
about 30 seconds before you sense the reaction.

“It really does stimulate saliva production,
you’re right”!

Spilanthes also improves digestion and eases flatulence…

“…It really (pppaaarrrp) does, as “Powdered Toast Man” I will vouch for this
plant’s flatulent (pparp) reducing capabilities, I think I need a lot more!”

This versatile little plant also improves the appetite, and helps
to overcome nausea and vomiting by its stimulating effect
on the salivary glands.

It is called the toothache plant because
when you chew on the leaves or flowers
it produces a numbing effect to the
tongue and gums. Spilanthes can
be used in this manner to help ease
the pain of a toothache.
Poor Ren, if only he had had some for
his stinky gums when he needed it most.

Soft Leaf Yucca Yucca recurvifolia
This yucca is about three or four years old, I lost it’s sister when I transplanted
it into my new middle succulent bed early this year. I have moved this plant
around a lot, from a container into the ground, back into a container and now
back in the ground where it has really found its roots. It works well
architecturally next to the wispy mexican feather grass.
When back lit by the sun the red tips on the
leaf-ends really light up.

My White Stone crop Sedum album “waterfall” continues to fill in,
it has almost made it down the slope to stock tank pond, next to this

I have a large amount clinging to the hillside, my goal here is to completely
envelop this slope with this tiny plant.

Another new stone crop addition went into my middle bed this week.
I have no idea what this one is called, but I like it.

Other plants taking off this week…
I
Inland Sea Oats, and Canna lily filling in all the gaps around my pond.
The toads love getting in this foliage. The Burgundy cannas are one
of my favorite container plants here in the ESP. I have four
(soon to be five) that I use as repetitive “stabilizing”
elements in my overall scheme. You can see
them on those earlier “mister” shots.

Like the finest Cuban cigars, the first cattails are now just being rolled out of the plant.

As are the first wisteria blooms…

and the first new giant timber
culms, now erupting from the
earth.

Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’  hill with a new container that
I inherited from my neighbors…

“Live long and prosper in Baltimore my friends!” My front Vitex shrub (oh no, you will be a tree), is blooming.
I do like this shrub / tree, whatever it is, even though it
requires constant maintenance, and “up-pruning”. The
bees go crazy on it.


Fresh blooms on my Texas Purple sage, could this mean rain?
Leucophyllum frutescens
Also known as cenizo, Texas silverleaf, barometer bush, and Texas ranger.


And all the while my front yard “seed experiment” continues to bubble, fizz, grow and bloom.

All material © 2009 for east_side_patch. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Texas spineless prickly pear - Opuntia ficus-indica
On a vist to one of my Irish watering holes, I caught this prickly pear cactus
going completely bezerk. It is planted on a raised strip of wall which means
you have to look up through it making it even more looming. (Better it is up high
then stumbling wildly into it after a few dozen frothing ales).
What a specimen.

Talking of going berzerk…

This great botanist most definitely did.  I have been threatening my eldest that
I am going to grow out my facial hair, and fashion it like this picture, before I
saunter into her pre-school.
It always gets a reaction.

Another variety of prickly pear cactus is named after Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer (1801-1879)
who is often called the “Father of Texas Botany” because of his work as the first
permanent-resident plant collector in Texas. Lindheimer settled in New Braunfels
after fleeing a politically volatile Germany, he was granted land on the banks of
the Comal River, where he continued his frenzied plant collecting. He also attempted
to establish a botanical garden in the area.

The flowers are also coming out of the center of the paddles!

Lindheimer is credited with the discovery of several hundred
plant species. In addition his name is used to designate forty-eight
species and subspecies of plants, including the popular perennial,
Gaura lindheimeri.

Ferdinand Lindheimer died in New Braunfels                              Gaura lindheimeri.
in 1879 at the age of 78. His house, on Comal
Street in New Braunfels, is now a museum.

On to some other historic events in the Patch this week, well,
at least for this little detective…

Guess what I watered again today?
I am telling you it never fails!
He didn’t even see me water it this time!
The first picture is when he first heard and realized…the constant dripping
was “magically” happening once again…the customary closer inspection was
a necessity.

My Brugmansia / Angel’s Trumpet situated under my Post Oak
has it’s first delicate bloom of the year.

The Brugmansia flower looks remarkably like human skin, (Obligatory Lector noises).
right down to the fine hairs and blood capillaries!
(click on the image, then click again if you don’t believe me, it is uncanny)

“Ahem, err  Mr Hannibal?  you probably don’t want to consume any part of
this plant…you do know all parts of this plant contain dangerous levels of
poison, right ?
Why are you uncorking that nice Chianti and laying fine silverware?
No! oh no, please no! AARRGGghhhhhh_________”

“Sorry ESP, I couldn’t resist the Brugmansia’s flesh-like allure, I got peckish”.
(More obligatory Lector noises).

Urarina Shamen: “Far Out! I don’t remember my village huts looking remotely
as colorful as this, oh wait I had Brugmansia in goats milk for breakfast
at the ‘Mansia’ Cafe!  Now, if I can only make it to my mush’room’?”

Brugmansia consumption is an important aspect of shamanic practices
among many tribes of western Amazonia. It is a central component in
shamanic practices of the Urarina peoples of Loreto, Peru.

Moving forth…

The twisted trunk of a wisteria vine curling its way
around its terrain, and itself, like a giant squid.  Okay,
perhaps not giant, but of a good size.

Orange Canna is in full bloom in my front yard, along with yet more
Gaura lindheimeri, and a particularly stubborn patch of, yes you
guessed it, Bermuda grass…The bane of my existence.

Staying in the front yard a little longer…

Which seed / weed will rule supreme? “Weed will, Weed will, Weed will, flub a dub.”
Who asked you Bill and Ben?


Here is my battle-of-the-plants, “Hell-Strip”. I threw an all-out plethora of seeds
into this barren strip, just to see what would happen…wild flowers, amaranth,
hollyhocks you name it, if I had it, it went in here!
Look at this concoction!

Ah, Hahahahahahaaaaa!

There are numerous weeds in here as well, but do I care? Oh no,
not in here, this is chaos theory, survival of the mightiest,
and I like it. The jungle continues to develop, and is
constantly full of surprises, more on this area as the
year moves on.

Now onto a few insects…


“Mmm my spots have got to be around here somewhere”!
This was one really shiny lady!

“Once, twice, three times a lady”
(That was really bad, I know).
Now this song will resonate in your heads
as it did mine for 4.68hours..
You can thank me later. :-(


Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon istapa istapa (not a stutter)
Great detail accents on this bird. This particular Hairstreak has been in the wars.

“Aye, well, It better have been against the
English, ay lads?”
Oh be quiet William.

The Giant Swallowtails Papilio cresphontes are back,
busy laying their eggs on my mexican lime tree.

And I know nothing good can come from these huddling iridescent gents,
whomever they are!

Chores in the patch this last week were split up into:

Snail harvesting…of which there were many.

“Listen to him Ma. ESP thinks he knows about
chores! Talking about snail harvests and such!
Ha ha ha ha,
woof.”

And naturally lots of  pruning…wait, not the palm! And surely not the sago, at least not there!

And to end…a couple of glazed flowers I shot on a trip to the Natural Gardener recently.

Pass the clotted cream please.

One last thing I need to do..
This one goes out to to “Side-Show-Bob”
at Draco Gardens! :-)
http://dracogardens.blogspot.com/

Well I had to use your image Bob (left, hope you don’t mind).
And you did ask, after all!

Stay Tuned For:
“Old Friends”
All material © 2009 for east_side_patch. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.