snow

“Between a Rock and a Hardscape”

ESPatch May 28, 2012 8 comments

Just when I thought this Nierembergia had as many flowers on it possible, it produced even more,

at the base of my sotol beanstalk.

A quick update on that beanstalk:

The top of it is now filling up with small flowers to be, and it is packed in there.

Sotols bloom once every few years and can do so multiple times during its lifespan. (Unlike Agaves it does not die after it has bloomed). Also in contrast to Agaves and yuccas, lots of different insects pollinate sotol flowers, yucca are pollinated only by a moth

Tegeticula maculata

and agaves mostly by bats:

http://www.jointheevolution.ca/blog/2010/04/19/sharing-agave-nectar-with-those-who-really-need-it-why-you-wouldn%E2%80%99t-have-agaves-without-bats/

One lone bug,

on one lone Madam Ganna Walska flower in my feeder tank.

Staying with bugs for a moment, a couple of new ones were caught on camera this week in the Patch:

Coming in at the two inch mark and sporting a fine pair of fake eyes and some spray-painted coloration I give you the Click Beetle,

Alaus oculatus

As the name suggests these beetles “click” as a defensive mechanism. When threatened the beetle bends its head and prothorax backward then quickly straightens out with an audible click, launching the creature several inches into the air, though as you see, mine did not get very high at all. I won’t go into exactly how it does this for fear of boring you all to death but I will say this; it does involve prosternums and mesosternums…snort.

The next bug was very shy,

always maneuvering itself to the opposite side of the stem from the camera. I finally tricked it by coming at it with a stick from the opposite side with my camera lying in wait.

Even then, it did not venture all the way around after seeing through my rouse with the most amazing planetoid eyes. This is a Fishfly which belongs to the Alderfly and Dobsonfly group of winged insects. It has most likely been feeding on the tadpoles and baby fish in my pond. Fishfly adults are a challenge to find because they are only around for a few weeks each year.

The rather flamboyant B/Lady has recently started adopting a bug of her own…as a Bob “beauty-spot”.

Moving along:

I have had a few more rock procurement trips this week with no further bog-encounters.

Some of these rocks have interesting features, this one may have a future life as a bubble-fountain.

as may this asteroid.

“There is absolutely no reason for public concern“

Remember this:

Now Kumo…it appears we are all slowly turning into Mexican feather grasses.

“Mulder, Scully – you may want to take a look at this”.

Finally:

Palm grasses are getting ever larger.

Evergreen wisteria is developing the first blooms of the year, you can see where I am going with the brickwork, it will continue under the bench and it will be sunken flush with the DG.

Mmm…smells like Grandmas old cashmere scarf…and I like it.

The appropriately named (size and markings) Tiger Swallowtail,

Papilio glaucas

this is a male on a stand of Buttonbush.

Cephalanthus occidentalis

This is one Hell-Raisingly unusual plant that is actually in the coffee family.

Stay Tuned for:

“Oops! I did it again”

All material © 2012 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized
intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.

Bizarre image of the week:

Brrr…(wakes up screaming in a cold sweat).

“Peas in a Pod”

ESPatch Feb 18, 2012 11 comments

“Please…no more rock tumbling talk…stop already…yawn.”

The day was finally upon us…excited anticipation crackled through the air.

Breakfasts were hurried, clothes were put on back-to-front as we all scrambled out of our back door. It was precisely 10 days 4 hours 36 minutes and 12 seconds since our rocks went into the final phase of their tumbling and polishing, and according to the directions, they should be ready.

The top of the tumbling drum was ceremoniously unscrewed accompanied by a loud trumpet fanfare that was emanating out of my pampas grasses. Eyes darted between us all, air was sucked into nerdy lungs as the top lid was slowly removed…

…even a strange Patch Ent gathered in close.

When the top of the cannister came off there was an audible gasp quickly followed by a collective ewww!

Yes, not quite the shimmering jewels we had in mind, but with a bit of rinsing and cleaning they polished up a treat.

Start to finish in just over a month, the venture has been a true test of patience.

We also have a lot of new and creative ideas as to what will be going into the rotating canister next; toe-nail clippings, sea shells, glass, teeth, Kumo to name a few suggestions of late.

Here is a macro looking through one of the rocks…snort.

Moving on:

Hot days one day,

freezing days the next,

Yes, it is another rather unpredictable winter in Texas.

I almost forgot to mention the bad hair days. As you can see the tooth fairy is having a difficult time keeping up with her incessant tooth dropping…brrr, she can barely make it through a sentence without another one falling out. At the very least one will protrude out at you at an ungodly angle as she struggles to communicate.

It has been warm enough to wake up the algae in my small pond,

and wet enough to stimulate fresh new foliage on my burgundy canna lilies.

Peas are now growing all over my perimeter fence line like weeds,

and how sweet they are.

The recent precipitation has greened up the Persian ivy,

filled out the loquats with fresh new growth and

lots and lots of fruit.

Lots of shrubs are about to bloom including this mountain laurel,

mock orange,

and my fatsia Japonica.

Gophers are almost ready to be cut back to the emerging new growth,

I think I will wait though until the old growth stops pushing out these unusual blooms. The plant looks like two different plants at this phase.

Finally:

After messing around with an opuntia fruit for some time, stepping on it and prodding it with a stick on the sidewalk, she picked it up, popped it in a plastic cup and added a dash of water…

The Betanin in the fruit made a great home-made crimson paint perfect for Valentine’s day pictures.

Stay Tuned for

“A Handful of Sand Dollars”

All material © 2012 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized
intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.