Grow

June 28, 2010

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Hardy Opuntia Flower

One of my pal Barry’s hardy opuntia plants was flowering today and I was lucky enough to be there to catch it. And with my new lens in tow. Iiieeeeee…….

This plant comes with a fun story — Barry got it free from the compost bin of a gardener that was throwing it out.

I just happen to have a new, and free hardy opuntia myself. It was a gift from a gardener we visited last week. He just plucked a paddle from the parent plant and stuck it in a roll of newspaper for the ride home. When I got back I laid the cutting on the surface of a pot filled with sandy soil. Eventually the plant will root itself and I’ll have a new plant that I can break up and give away to friends that visit my garden.

Most plants are easy to propagate and in my experience gardeners are generous people who are always eager to share a bit of their wealth with those that show interest. For that reason alone I have no idea why some people feel the need to steal plants from gardens.

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June 24, 2010

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Oxalis squamata

Here’s another close up of a plant I mentioned in the post about my roof garden’s back wall, Oxalis squamata.

In it’s pot.

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June 23, 2010

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Calibrachoa ‘Double Lemon’

I don’t know what it is about this year, but not only am I branching out into plants I’ve always wanted but didn’t think I had the space to keep, but it seems I am also turning to plants I have never shown past interest in. In fact, I have previously held my nose up at some of these plants.

I am scaring myself just a little bit.

This spring, my eyes fell upon this double calibrachoa hidden among petunias and single calibrachoas at one of the garden centres I frequent. The next thing I know I have bought it and am growing it on the roof where I can visit it most often. I went back and bought one for a friend, too.

What is happening? Nearly halfway into 2010 and my Year of the ID, is devolving into the Year of WTF?

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p.s. I was just about to hit post when I received an email from Derek Powazek about his newest piece about gardening: They Don’t Complain and They Die Quietly. Great story that made me tear up.

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June 22, 2010

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Timelapse Video: A Day in the Life of a Pot of Herbs

Yesterday, I made a timelapse video of the day in the life of one of the herb pots I am growing on the roof (1 pm – 10:30 pm). I choose to focus on the ‘Rose Petal’ thyme because it’s blooms were attracting a lot of tiny little bees and pollinators.

My favorite portion is around the 8 seconds remaining mark when the light has dimmed and the parsley plant begins stretching one of its leaves upwards.

Night time is red, rather than black because of the annoying security light next door that blazes through the evening and all through the night.

The video was made using a Plant Cam Digital Timelapse Camera (that I bought myself). I love it! Expect more videos in the future.

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June 21, 2010

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Delicious Nasturtiums

Happy Summer Solstice!!!

My third article in this season’s Globe & Mail Kitchen Gardening column was published on Saturday. The topic is growing nasturtiums to eat.

One of my goals with the series is to publish articles while there is still time for as many gardeners across Canada as possible to get that particular plant into the soil (I am writing to a Canadian audience with these articles…. not easy since Canada is massive and growing conditions vary radically). As a result, my nasturtium article was published before my own plants had flowered. They still haven’t! There are lots more nasturtium varieties than can be found in the local gardening shop — I try to grow a different variety every year. This summer I am growing ‘Creamsicle.’ I can’t wait for the soft orange flowers to come up.

Meanwhile, my friend Barry was daring and put his seeds into the soil well before the last frost date for our region. As luck would have it the weather was unseasonably warm and his flowers are already up. I managed to shoot the very first open bloom on the day my article and photos were due. How’s that for timing?

Here it is: