Pyracantha

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I usually go through work boots as fast as cowboys-of-old would have gone through beans and mullein.

beans

No idea where that analogy came from.

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http://www.eastsidepatch.com/2013/05/brains/

Most disintegrate within a year but these Timberlands just keep on going like stinky protective slippers.

This is year three and I must say, apart from some disapproving downward glances from the flamboyant mustache brigade in my local Quickie Pickie they are holding up ‘relatively’ well.

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With the leather long-worn from the toe (exposing bone), the boots pair remarkably well with a disheveled iced turban on a hot work day.

I refer to them as having ‘character’…you know…soul

(oh dear).

Smoking-GunBut the best thing about these old boots is the fine particles of decomposed granite that now waft out of the prow when feet are inserted.

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‘Smokin’ hot boots’!

Staying with bowls and beans for a moment:

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The recent rains have grown a dense mat of these “birds nest fungi”,

Cyathus striatus

 

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The nest acts as a splash cup…when raindrops hit the nest, the eggs are splashed out at a distance. If they land on a suitable medium they will grow into new fruiting bodies. These fungi usually grow on wood and mulch and are common in the fall months, (very hard to spot though).

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I did notice some subtle differences in the eggs.

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Okay, perhaps the reptile guarding this gold was a little more…

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Moving humbly Along:

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Pyracantha berries are ripening up for Halloween.

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“Yes but let me see you get a candle in there.”

Here is a silvery pairing that works really well:

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Whales tongue agave and thunder cloud sage,

Leucophyllum candidum

 

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Inland sea oats are now wearing their fall coats.

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These decorated plants transform so much throughout the year you can guess the month by looking at them.

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panning back a little:

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 Mexican firebush,

Hamelia patens

 

also starts to bloom this time of the year. This plant dies to the ground in the winter but quickly gets to 5ft by fall.

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Whatever you do do not fall asleep…

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…on my garden bench.

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This evergreen wisteria would envelop you overnight…there is a reason we no longer sit on this garden feature.

Finally:

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Some great Japanese Aralia on Trinity.

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First blooms from duranta ‘sapphire showers’ (Picotee Sky Flower)

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Bambusa multiplex ‘Fernleaf’ (one of my favorite Clumpers along with alphonse karr).

Stay Tuned For:

“Under the Knife

 

All material © 2014 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized
intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.

 

“Blooming Canthas!”

They are over here, IMG_0429 they are over there, I have never seen so many eight spotted foresters everywhere. moth

Alypia octomaculata

These colorful moths are often mistaken for butterflies as they visit flowers during the day. moth They seem particularly fond of sand cherry flowers, I counted five on the small tree. DSC05504 There are plenty of flowers in the hell strip at the moment, cactus don’t get too close to that swash buckling opuntia! johnny-depp opuntia “Shiver me paddles” paddle Has to be rum. hell-strip This pyracantha has so many blooms it looks like it is covered in snow. bloom I keep meaning to move that bat box to a higher location but there are always anoles living in it. 4599849547_455ef3717a_b copy “We really should go and visit Bill and Margaret in the bat box sometime dear.” I took a picture through the round hole to see if I could capture the anoles “at home”… Tumnus-House-600x256 …it was amazing what they had done to the place. blooms The pyracantha’s pungent aroma is not everyone’s cup of tea. Feather grasses are looking well groomed at the moment, DSC05631 with our recent breezy weather they have been reeling all around the patch. “Take your panicles by the hand…” groan Behind the feather grasses… DSC05628 …inland sea oats on their fast rise. DSC05519 I needed this image on St Patrick’s day. She is still on the hunt for a four leaf clover. Lucky for her I have plenty of it in some of the most inaccessible places in the patch. hunting There is a fine stand of it below this mature sotol. hunting This works brilliantly for me, as in… “You will find one in there I am sure of it, just keep pulling them out. When you are done here there is another patch around the base of the barrel cacti you can search.” DSC05584 “right over…. clover …there. I bet there are a few four-leafers in there.”   Stay Tuned for:

“Holey Bridges”

 

All material © 2014 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant) 14th century planet Earth techniques

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