Flwr Pwr..
Mattison
Wht r yr fave Flwrs ?
Mine? the passiflora caerulea which is commonly called Passion Flower.
Vine like with a huge.... tropical bloom...exotic.
Mattison
http://www.rhinodev.com/M
Visit the Garden Gallery!
Stuart O. Bronstein
>So geekies....
>
>Wht r yr fave Flwrs ?
Well, I'm not a geek. Can I play too?
>Mine? the passiflora caerulea which is commonly called Passion Flower.
>Vine like with a huge.... tropical bloom...exotic.
Are you a geek, or can we all play?
--
Stu (delete * from email address)
"Of course I want a man in my life. Just not in my house."
-Maryanna Nunes
David G.
--
David Gizzi
E Mail Address: Jam...@mci2000.com
Web Site Address:
http://home.mci2000.com/~jam...@mci2000.com/JamCake.htm
ICQ #: 14385037
Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.
Mattison wrote in message ...
>So geekies....
>
>Wht r yr fave Flwrs ?
>
>Mine? the passiflora caerulea which is commonly called Passion Flower.
>
>Vine like with a huge.... tropical bloom...exotic.
>
Stuart O. Bronstein
>Stuart O. Bronstein (sab@*idiom.com) wrote:
>: Mattison <mat...@netcom.com> wrote:
>
>: Well, I'm not a geek. Can I play too?
>
>Well, I like Geeks.
>ehmmm...
>r u a nerd ?
>I think as it goes here in silly icon ...if not geek then nerd.
iamanartist!
--
Stu (delete * from email address)
"'If the law supposes that,' said Mr. Bumble, squeezing his hat
emphatically in both hands, 'the law is a ass - a idiot.'"
Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
Mattison
: >So geekies....
: >
: >Wht r yr fave Flwrs ?
: Well, I'm not a geek. Can I play too?
Well, I like Geeks.
ehmmm...
r u a nerd ?
I think as it goes here in silly icon ...if not geek then nerd.
: >Mine? the passiflora caerulea which is commonly called Passion Flower.
: >Vine like with a huge.... tropical bloom...exotic.
: Are you a geek, or can we all play?
I am an Artist!
IAMANARTIST!!!!!!
Iamananrtist!
IAMANARTIST!
Mattison
http://www.rhinodev.com/M
Art is n!
IAMANARTISN!!
Mattison
: I prefer guns and roses...are peaches a flower ?
Peaches have flowers so yes there are peach flowers and peachy flowers
the rose of Sonya is a peachy flower....
So is the b.goina a peachy flower...
Mattison
Charlotte L. Blackmer
Stuart O. Bronstein <sab@*idiom.com> wrote:
>Mattison <mat...@netcom.com> wrote:
>
>>So geekies....
>>
>>Wht r yr fave Flwrs ?
>
>Well, I'm not a geek. Can I play too?
Go right ahead. I'm dipping my toes in and I do not fit well into a
"geek" box.
>>Mine? the passiflora caerulea which is commonly called Passion Flower.
>>Vine like with a huge.... tropical bloom...exotic.
My best friend, a self-described "garden geek", put this idea in my head.
Passiflora are one of God's gifts to gardeners with cyclone fences. I
have a purple one (purple passion flower...woooo woooo) covering half of
mine. It's quite stunning; all my east coast visitors say "What is
THAT?"
And the hummers love 'em.
It's hard for me to pick a "favorite"; while roses are definitely number
one (I favor the old fashioned or Austin roses; one of my major criteria
is "must smell nice", lavendar number two, everything else just crowds on
in. Camellias? Winter color, and fond memories of childhood gardens.
Fuschias? Splash of tropical color. Violets? Purple stars swimming in a
winter-green sea, the hope of spring. Sweet peas? Delicious
scent, and the bounty of early summer. Hollyhocks? Something about them
makes me want to have a "swordfight" with them (complete with capes, of
course...hmmm, maybe it's good that I'm going to see "Zorro" this weekend
;-). And on. And on.
>Are you a geek, or can we all play?
tee hee!
CLB
------------------------------------------------------
Charlotte L. Blackmer http://www.rahul.net/clb
Berkeley Farm and Pleasure Palace (under construction)
Junk (esp. commercial) email review rates: $250 US ea
Noreen Mastascusa
Can't have a fruit without a flower.
--
Noreen Mastascusa, aka namast...@ucdavis.edu
"Oh my god - the dead have risen and are voting Republican!"
-B. Simpson
Noreen Mastascusa
: Stuart O. Bronstein (sab@*idiom.com) wrote:
: : Are you a geek, or can we all play?
:
: I am an Artist!
:
: IAMANARTIST!!!!!!
:
: Iamananrtist!
:
: IAMANARTIST!
:
I'm sorry, but I think that Prince beat you to this gig.
Noreen Mastascusa
: Mine? the passiflora caerulea which is commonly called Passion Flower.
:
: Vine like with a huge.... tropical bloom...exotic.
So many flowers, so little money. Which is why I take cuttings. Esp. of
Xmas, Easter, and orchid cacti. The ideal houseplants - gorgeous flowers,
and they can sit around for two weeks while you're vacationing in
Pennsylvania. I also like members of the portulaca family for much the
same reasons - nice flowers (I have an unidentified species in an
eye-popping magenta) combined with succulence. I love my mock oranges and
my jasmine because they bloom at night and scent the air when I'm going to
sleep. Once my coffee plant gets big enough to bloom it should do the
same. I have a bougainvillea that I've fallen for, because it not only
has variegated leaves (green and yellow), but also variegated bracts (pink
and white). My purple-leaved oxalis looks spectacular with its pink
flowers. But perhaps my favorite flowering plants are a couple which
actually have rather small flowers - my climbing onions. These plants
consist of a round green bulb from which sprouts what appears to be a
vining asparagus fern. Totally alien.
Noreen Mastascusa
:
: Well, I like Geeks.
: ehmmm...
: r u a nerd ?
: I think as it goes here in silly icon ...if not geek then nerd.
:
Sacramento Valley, so I guess that I'm exempt from these generalizations.
Noreen Mastascusa
:
: Go right ahead. I'm dipping my toes in and I do not fit well into a
: "geek" box.
:
Then again, you live in the East Bay, whereas Mattison specified the South
Bay. So you're exempt.
: Passiflora are one of God's gifts to gardeners with cyclone fences. I
: have a purple one (purple passion flower...woooo woooo) covering half of
: mine. It's quite stunning; all my east coast visitors say "What is
: THAT?"
:
Too bad that the species that produce fruit the size of footballs aren't
hardy enough to grow in NorCal. Even so, you can grow more types over
where you are than I can.
: And the hummers love 'em.
:
The hummers love the bottlebrush tree in front of my apartment. Which
reminds me, I want to put something that they like in my window boxes.
: It's hard for me to pick a "favorite"; while roses are definitely number
: one (I favor the old fashioned or Austin roses; one of my major criteria
I would like roses better if they got less aphids.
: is "must smell nice", lavendar number two, everything else just crowds on
I agree about scent - I have been searching in vain for a scented
miniature rose. I know that I've seen them listed in catalogs, but any
that I've found locally have been scentless.
: in. Camellias? Winter color, and fond memories of childhood gardens.
There are some great camellias in Sacto. That's because their water comes
from the river. Here in Davis we have well water, and it kills off
acid-loving plants. Hence camellias must be pampered. I had one
camellia, a Camellia sinensis (tea), and it did ok through the winter, but
it appears that the recent heatwave has killed it off.
: Fuschias? Splash of tropical color. Violets? Purple stars swimming in a
Davis is not good for fuschias - too hot and dry. So I'm putting
bougainvilleas in hanging baskets.
: winter-green sea, the hope of spring. Sweet peas? Delicious
Violets are one of my favorites, too. And they *will* grow here in Davis,
at least in irrigated lawns with partial shade.
: scent, and the bounty of early summer. Hollyhocks? Something about them
I love sweet peas, too (the variety called "Old Spice" is nicely scented),
but here they grow in the winter.
: makes me want to have a "swordfight" with them (complete with capes, of
: course...hmmm, maybe it's good that I'm going to see "Zorro" this weekend
: ;-). And on. And on.
:
You ought to love the black hollyhocks then. Since white gardens have
become a cliche, I decided to do a black garden at my garden plot (since I
was limited on space, it is perhaps fortunate for me that there aren't too
many black flowers) and had some of them. They were one of the truer
black flowers.
Hipsters
collection of dead stems and blossoms and started some new. I've usually had
geraniums in my hanging baskets, but this time I took a chance with fuschias. I
hope it's not too hot for them here. Aren't you supposed to pinch the flowers
off now and then, to encourage them to grow and bloom? And what mix of food is
best?
Karen O'
Charlotte L. Blackmer
Noreen Mastascusa <szno...@catbert.ucdavis.edu> wrote:
>Charlotte L. Blackmer (c...@rahul.net) wrote:
>:
>: Go right ahead. I'm dipping my toes in and I do not fit well into a
>: "geek" box.
>:
>Then again, you live in the East Bay, whereas Mattison specified the South
>Bay. So you're exempt.
Heh. I think by Matti's rules I qualify since I am not one of those
Enlightened enough to buy her dinner/buy her paintings/hire her to design
my garden. My arts support bux go in other directions :-)
>: Passiflora are one of God's gifts to gardeners with cyclone fences. I
>: have a purple one (purple passion flower...woooo woooo) covering half of
>: mine. It's quite stunning; all my east coast visitors say "What is
>: THAT?"
>:
>Too bad that the species that produce fruit the size of footballs aren't
>hardy enough to grow in NorCal. Even so, you can grow more types over
>where you are than I can.
There are one or two that fruit that grow here, but since it is on my
front fence, I wouldn't want 'em. Good rule-of-thumb in urban gardens is
"no fruit, no cutting flowers on the front fence". My BF the GG has roses
along her front yard at a busy bus stop - people yank them off the plants.
(She moved her bird-of-paradise to the back yard.)
>: And the hummers love 'em.
>:
>The hummers love the bottlebrush tree in front of my apartment. Which
>reminds me, I want to put something that they like in my window boxes.
Hmmmmm. Could recommend some vines but can't think of anything suitable
for window boxes off hand. Do you have a feeder?
>: It's hard for me to pick a "favorite"; while roses are definitely number
>: one (I favor the old fashioned or Austin roses; one of my major criteria
>
>I would like roses better if they got less aphids.
The aphids seem to like only one of mine, so I think it might be partly a
variety thing.
>: is "must smell nice", lavendar number two, everything else just crowds on
>
>I agree about scent - I have been searching in vain for a scented
>miniature rose. I know that I've seen them listed in catalogs, but any
>that I've found locally have been scentless.
Which is why I grow old roses and Austin (aka English) roses.
"Gertrude Jekyll" perfumes a room quite amazingly, and I'm looking for
"Evelyn" for next season since Austin himself says it smells even
better. And I don't particularly like apricot roses ;-) But then I have
room for a proper rosebed. (Gertie is quite big after about four seasons -
eight feet tall.)
>: in. Camellias? Winter color, and fond memories of childhood gardens.
>
>There are some great camellias in Sacto. That's because their water comes
>from the river. Here in Davis we have well water, and it kills off
>acid-loving plants. Hence camellias must be pampered.
Actually the city water in Davis is bad enough that most things need to be
pampered. I remember it well. Moving to Hetch Hetchyland was a big change
:-)
>I had one
>camellia, a Camellia sinensis (tea), and it did ok through the winter, but
>it appears that the recent heatwave has killed it off.
>: Fuschias? Splash of tropical color. Violets? Purple stars swimming in a
>
>Davis is not good for fuschias - too hot and dry. So I'm putting
>bougainvilleas in hanging baskets.
You *could* grow the fuschias if you had a shady north side. My granny,
may she rest in peace, grew a number of them at her midtown Sacramento
house - under a lath porch-like object on the north side of the house.
I seem to remember bougainvillea being frost-tender,
which is something I don't have to worry about too much sitting as I do on
this honking huge thermal regulator, but you do. I don't remember seeing
it much when I lived out that way. It's all over here (there is a house I
drive by often that is a 20's English Cottage style house...with
bougainvillea growing over the roof, not the far more usual
CecileBrunnerRose/Honeysuckle/Wistaria. I love this town.)
>:winter-green sea, the hope of spring. Sweet peas?
Delicious >
>Violets are one of my favorites, too. And they *will* grow here in Davis,
>at least in irrigated lawns with partial shade.
In the late winter/early spring when there is water...
>: scent, and the bounty of early summer. Hollyhocks? Something about them
>
>I love sweet peas, too (the variety called "Old Spice" is nicely scented),
>but here they grow in the winter.
Actually a spring-into early summer thing here.
>: makes me want to have a "swordfight" with them (complete with capes, of
>: course...hmmm, maybe it's good that I'm going to see "Zorro" this weekend
>: ;-). And on. And on.
>:
>You ought to love the black hollyhocks then.
I've seen 'em! Amazing.
>Since white gardens have become a cliche,
Indeed.
>I decided to do a black garden
at my garden plot (since I
>was limited on space, it is perhaps fortunate for me that there aren't too
>many black flowers) and had some of them. They were one of the truer
>black flowers.
Ooooooooh.
Ken Smith
Just dont let them try to make seeds. With most plants pinching the
flowers off after they have wilted makes them bloom more.
--
--
kens...@rahul.net forging knowledge
Noreen Mastascusa
: In article <199807251617...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
Ken knows his stuff here. The goal of the plant is to reproduce, so if
it's allowed to set seed it'll stop blooming. And I'd recommend a low
nitrogen fertilizer, one where the nitrogen/potassium/phosphorus ratio is
approximately equal, ie. 14-14-14, or 14-12-14. High nitrogen fertilizers
will have the first number higher in proportion to the other two, and will
probably be labeled as being for foliage plants. The type you want should
be conveniently labeled as being for flowering plants. To tell the truth,
I never use a high nitrogen fertilizer, even on my foliage plants - high
nitrogen levels promote weak, succulent growth which is more susceptible
to pests and diseases.
Noreen Mastascusa
: Noreen Mastascusa <szno...@catbert.ucdavis.edu> wrote:
: >:
: >Bay. So you're exempt.
:
: Heh. I think by Matti's rules I qualify since I am not one of those
: Enlightened enough to buy her dinner/buy her paintings/hire her to design
: my garden. My arts support bux go in other directions :-)
:
South Bay men, even those of us who are women and live farther north.
: >Too bad that the species that produce fruit the size of footballs aren't
: >hardy enough to grow in NorCal. Even so, you can grow more types over
: >where you are than I can.
:
: There are one or two that fruit that grow here, but since it is on my
: front fence, I wouldn't want 'em. Good rule-of-thumb in urban gardens is
: "no fruit, no cutting flowers on the front fence". My BF the GG has roses
: along her front yard at a busy bus stop - people yank them off the plants.
: (She moved her bird-of-paradise to the back yard.)
:
Good point. I myself have lost a lemongrass plant and a black sage
(another really cool plant, the leaves are whitish while the flowers are
most definitely black) off of my back porch, which is along a walkway.
: >The hummers love the bottlebrush tree in front of my apartment. Which
: >reminds me, I want to put something that they like in my window boxes.
:
: Hmmmmm. Could recommend some vines but can't think of anything suitable
: for window boxes off hand. Do you have a feeder?
:
I've heard warnings that feeders need to be cleaned out daily or they'll
make the birds sick, so I no longer have one. Hummers like flowers on the
red end of the spectrum, and that are tubular rather than flat. Obviously
this doesn't always hold true. I think that they went after my petunias a
couple of years ago. Red salvia is also good. I'm hoping that they'll
like my 4-o'clocks.
: >I would like roses better if they got less aphids.
:
: The aphids seem to like only one of mine, so I think it might be partly a
: variety thing.
:
Probably.
: >I agree about scent - I have been searching in vain for a scented
: >miniature rose. I know that I've seen them listed in catalogs, but any
: >that I've found locally have been scentless.
:
: Which is why I grow old roses and Austin (aka English) roses.
: "Gertrude Jekyll" perfumes a room quite amazingly, and I'm looking for
: "Evelyn" for next season since Austin himself says it smells even
: better. And I don't particularly like apricot roses ;-) But then I have
: room for a proper rosebed. (Gertie is quite big after about four seasons -
: eight feet tall.)
:
Unfortunately I don't have a yard. So I plant things around the grounds
at work. That reminds me - I work across from the Foundation Plant
Material Service, and one of the crops that they deal with is roses. They
have quite a variety. They clean up viruses from grapes, strawberries,
roses, etc., and the process is quite expensive.
: >There are some great camellias in Sacto. That's because their water comes
: >from the river. Here in Davis we have well water, and it kills off
: >acid-loving plants. Hence camellias must be pampered.
:
: Actually the city water in Davis is bad enough that most things need to be
: pampered. I remember it well. Moving to Hetch Hetchyland was a big change
: :-)
:
Yeah, we use de-ionized water at work.
: >Davis is not good for fuschias - too hot and dry. So I'm putting
: >bougainvilleas in hanging baskets.
:
: You *could* grow the fuschias if you had a shady north side. My granny,
: may she rest in peace, grew a number of them at her midtown Sacramento
: house - under a lath porch-like object on the north side of the house.
:
Unfortunately, my porch faces west.
: I seem to remember bougainvillea being frost-tender,
: which is something I don't have to worry about too much sitting as I do on
: this honking huge thermal regulator, but you do. I don't remember seeing
: it much when I lived out that way. It's all over here (there is a house I
: drive by often that is a 20's English Cottage style house...with
: bougainvillea growing over the roof, not the far more usual
: CecileBrunnerRose/Honeysuckle/Wistaria. I love this town.)
:
In the winter, I take my bougainvillea in to work and hang it up in one of
the greenhouses. And I saw some nice big ones in the DR. I've gotten
quite fond of bougainvilleas, actually.
Hipsters
Karen O'
Charlotte L. Blackmer
Noreen Mastascusa <szno...@dogbert.ucdavis.edu> wrote:
>Charlotte L. Blackmer (c...@rahul.net) wrote:
>: Noreen Mastascusa <szno...@catbert.ucdavis.edu> wrote:
>: >:
>: >Bay. So you're exempt.
>:
>: Heh. I think by Matti's rules I qualify since I am not one of those
>: Enlightened enough to buy her dinner/buy her paintings/hire her to design
>: my garden. My arts support bux go in other directions :-)
>:
>South Bay men, even those of us who are women and live farther north.
Oh, she's just doing that for effect. She's actually met several of the
women who post here. I suspect that she thinks the guys are more likely
to want to buy her dinner, though.
>: There are one or two that fruit that grow here, but since it is on my
>: front fence, I wouldn't want 'em. Good rule-of-thumb in urban gardens is
>: "no fruit, no cutting flowers on the front fence". My BF the GG has roses
>: along her front yard at a busy bus stop - people yank them off the plants.
>: (She moved her bird-of-paradise to the back yard.)
>:
>Good point. I myself have lost a lemongrass plant and a black sage
>(another really cool plant, the leaves are whitish while the flowers are
>most definitely black) off of my back porch, which is along a walkway.
Bummer!
>: >The hummers love the bottlebrush tree in front of my apartment. Which
>: >reminds me, I want to put something that they like in my window boxes.
>:
>: Hmmmmm. Could recommend some vines but can't think of anything suitable
>: for window boxes off hand. Do you have a feeder?
>I've heard warnings that feeders need to be cleaned out daily or they'll
>make the birds sick, so I no longer have one. Hummers like flowers on the
>red end of the spectrum, and that are tubular rather than flat. Obviously
>this doesn't always hold true. I think that they went after my petunias a
>couple of years ago. Red salvia is also good. I'm hoping that they'll
>like my 4-o'clocks.
The first hummer I saw in my yard was drinking from a collard greens plant
which had bolted (tiny flattish yellow flowers).
>Unfortunately I don't have a yard.
Bummer.
>So I plant things around the grounds
>at work. That reminds me - I work across from the Foundation Plant
>Material Service, and one of the crops that they deal with is roses. They
>have quite a variety. They clean up viruses from grapes, strawberries,
>roses, etc., and the process is quite expensive.
They must be quite busy these days.
>: >There are some great camellias in Sacto. That's because their water comes
>: >from the river. Here in Davis we have well water, and it kills off
>: >acid-loving plants. Hence camellias must be pampered.
>:
>: Actually the city water in Davis is bad enough that most things need to be
>: pampered. I remember it well. Moving to Hetch Hetchyland was a big change
>: :-)
>:
>Yeah, we use de-ionized water at work.
I knew people using bottled water for everything in Davis back in the days
when buying water at the store was considered an extravagance by most
folks (but not in Davis ;-)
>: >Davis is not good for fuschias - too hot and dry. So I'm putting
>: >bougainvilleas in hanging baskets.
>:
>: You *could* grow the fuschias if you had a shady north side. My granny,
>: may she rest in peace, grew a number of them at her midtown Sacramento
>: house - under a lath porch-like object on the north side of the house.
>:
>Unfortunately, my porch faces west.
As a note, any of you out there in readerland who live, like me, in a
microclimate that gets a fair bit of fog don't have to worry about this.
>: I seem to remember bougainvillea being frost-tender,
>In the winter, I take my bougainvillea in to work and hang it up in one of
>the greenhouses.
Solves that problem.
> And I saw some nice big ones in the DR. I've gotten
>quite fond of bougainvilleas, actually.
I like 'em too. Flowers much of the year and very drought-tolerant.
Noreen Mastascusa
: women who post here. I suspect that she thinks the guys are more likely
: to want to buy her dinner, though.
:
buy her dinner. I, however, am not one of them.
: The first hummer I saw in my yard was drinking from a collard greens plant
: which had bolted (tiny flattish yellow flowers).
:
I've noticed that hummers don't seem to have read the books detailing what
they're supposed to be attracted to. At work, I've seen them feeding on
California fuschia, fairy duster (Calliandra, a tree related to mimosa, it
has long, thread-like stamens similar to the bottlebrush), and an aloe
that flowered last year after the mild winter.
: I knew people using bottled water for everything in Davis back in the days
: when buying water at the store was considered an extravagance by most
: folks (but not in Davis ;-)
:
When I lived in central Texas the water was high enough in sodium that
samples sent to the lab would come back with a warning that persons with
high blood pressure shouldn't drink it. That water killed a much wider
variety of plants than does the Davis water. When I lived in south Texas
the local water came from the Rio Grande and apparently contained enough
pesticide residue that my grad school advisor warned me not to drink it,
citing a high incident of liver cancer in the area. Davis water
supposedly has a high quantity of boron, which is bad for some plants. It
is also alkaline, and bad for acid-lovers like camellias, rhododendrons
and azaleas, and blueberries. It is also bad for many tropical fish, such
as tetras. Supposedly it is safe for humans to drink, but it tastes so
damn awful.
: I like 'em too. Flowers much of the year and very drought-tolerant.
:
Drought-tolerance is why bougainvilleas are on my porch. Due to my lack
of space I like using hanging baskets, but it's hard to find plants that
will do well in them during the Davis summers. So I've got some
Kalanchoes (succulents), a couple of bougainvilleas, and some Anacampseros
(succulent relatives of the portulaca). Two years ago I had a
purple-leaved sweet potato in a hanging basket, but I had to water it
constantly. I still have it, because it's a beautiful plant, but it's not
in a hanging basket so it doesn't dry out as much.
Ken Smith
Noreen Mastascusa <szno...@dogbert.ucdavis.edu> wrote:
[..alkaline water..]
>as tetras. Supposedly it is safe for humans to drink, but it tastes so
>damn awful.
In general alkaline water is ok to drink. Things like
NaOH + HCl -> NaCl + H2O
happen, so it is much like getting extra salts in the diet. No such thing
happens for plants though, which explains why in some areas of western
Canada there is only grass growing under the pine trees..
[....]
>will do well in them during the Davis summers. So I've got some
>Kalanchoes (succulents),
My mother grows a succulent she calls burrows tail. It might also work
for you. It seems to be unkillable so long as one end of it is wet. You
dont seem to need drain holes in the pot with it.
Bob O`Brien
Noreen Mastascusa <szno...@dogbert.ucdavis.edu> wrote:
>: The first hummer I saw in my yard was drinking from a collard greens plant
>: which had bolted (tiny flattish yellow flowers).
>:
>I've noticed that hummers don't seem to have read the books detailing what
>they're supposed to be attracted to. At work, I've seen them feeding on
>California fuschia, fairy duster (Calliandra, a tree related to mimosa, it
>has long, thread-like stamens similar to the bottlebrush), and an aloe
>that flowered last year after the mild winter.
I often see them flitting around a rather large bush in my back yard
that I think may be oleander. Right now, it's seriously in bloom,
but the neighborhood Couch Penguins are on patrol, and it's been
several days or a week since I've seen a hummiingbird anywhere nearby.
Bob O`Bob
--
"What do you want to reinstall today?"
Cindy Brown
--
Cindy Brown
Cross-stitcher, quilter, designer
http://mypage.ihost.com/ClassicsInTheMaking
"My candle burns at both ends.
It will not last the night.
But ah, my foes and oh, my friends,
It gives a lovely light!"
- Edna St. Vincent Millay
Ken Smith
Bob O`Brien <ob...@best.com> wrote:
[....]
>I often see them flitting around a rather large bush in my back yard
>that I think may be oleander. Right now, it's seriously in bloom,
>but the neighborhood Couch Penguins are on patrol, and it's been
>several days or a week since I've seen a hummiingbird anywhere nearby.
I doubt the couch penguins have much to do with the lack of hummers. The
average couch penguin has a zero to 60 time of about 0.5 seconds. The
hummer actually has a negative zero to 60 time. They are in fact all just
white birds. What seems to be color is caused by the Doppler effect.
It is far more likely that a tastier flower is in bloom.
Noreen Mastascusa
: In article <6pin4a$9il$1...@shell3.ba.best.com>,
Which brings up an interesting point: Oleanders are very poisonous.
Rumor has it that people have died from using it to make hotdog skewers.
It is also flammable, and produces toxic smoke (we've had some nice burns
in the median strips). But what about the nectar? I guess that if the
hummers can drink it, it must be ok. Or did they poison themselves?
Ken Smith
Noreen Mastascusa <szno...@dogbert.ucdavis.edu> wrote:
[....]
>Which brings up an interesting point: Oleanders are very poisonous.
>Rumor has it that people have died from using it to make hotdog skewers.
>It is also flammable, and produces toxic smoke (we've had some nice burns
>in the median strips). But what about the nectar? I guess that if the
>hummers can drink it, it must be ok. Or did they poison themselves?
The sap of the oleander is as toxic as all-get-out. This is part of the
reason they do so well. No bug spray is needed. Having poisonous nectar
would not be a good thing from a reproductive point of view, so I would
not expect it to be.
Oleander is fast growing and poisonous. Plants usually either grow faster
than they can be eaten or make poisons so they dont get eaten. Oleander
seems to do both.
Drew Lawson
>: Are you a geek, or can we all play?
>
>I am an Artist!
>
>IAMANARTIST!!!!!!
>
>Iamananrtist!
>
>IAMANARTIST!
Hmmm. . . Why does "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much"
come to mind?
Culture: n. Slime growing in a dish
--
|Drew Lawson | So many newsgroups |
|dr...@furrfu.com | So little time |
|http://www.furrfu.com | |
Drew Lawson
szno...@dogbert.ucdavis.edu (Noreen Mastascusa) writes:
>Charlotte L. Blackmer (c...@rahul.net) wrote:
>: Hmmmmm. Could recommend some vines but can't think of anything suitable
>: for window boxes off hand. Do you have a feeder?
>:
>I've heard warnings that feeders need to be cleaned out daily or they'll
>make the birds sick, so I no longer have one.
I've never heard anything that strong.
What I've normally read is to clean the feeders frequently, preferably
avoiding adding to their contents -- let the birds empty it, wash,
fill. The main risk that I've heard is having the "nectar" ferment,
which also tends to push the liquid out of the feeder as CO2 is
released.
Do you know of more serious risks?
One of the first things that made a positive impression on me about
this area was the high hummingbird population. We have a few things
in the yard that will attract them, but nothing (other than the
feeder) which can be seem while sitting and looking out the window.
Noreen Mastascusa
:
: The sap of the oleander is as toxic as all-get-out. This is part of the
: reason they do so well. No bug spray is needed. Having poisonous nectar
: would not be a good thing from a reproductive point of view, so I would
: not expect it to be.
Makes sense to me. Except that they're not entirely bug-free - they get
attacked these orange aphids.
: Oleander is fast growing and poisonous. Plants usually either grow faster
: than they can be eaten or make poisons so they dont get eaten. Oleander
: seems to do both.
:
Another defense mechanism is growing spines or thorns. Or irritating
hairs.
Noreen Mastascusa
: In article <6pf37h$jlu$3...@mark.ucdavis.edu>
: szno...@dogbert.ucdavis.edu (Noreen Mastascusa) writes:
: >:
: >make the birds sick, so I no longer have one.
:
: I've never heard anything that strong.
:
: What I've normally read is to clean the feeders frequently, preferably
: avoiding adding to their contents -- let the birds empty it, wash,
: fill. The main risk that I've heard is having the "nectar" ferment,
: which also tends to push the liquid out of the feeder as CO2 is
: released.
:
: Do you know of more serious risks?
Ok, here's what The Bird Feeder Book (by Donald and Lillian Stokes) says:
To make the syrup, mix 1 part white sugar with 4 parts water and boil for
1-2 mins. This will retard fermentation. Store unused portions in the
fridge. Never use honey instead of sugar as it rapidly ferments in the
sun and will grow a mold that is fatal to hummingbirds. Red food coloring
is unnecessary as most feeders have red already on them.
Feeders should be cleaned and the solution replaced every 3-4 days. Scrub
with hot water and vinegar, then rinse. Cleaning is important since
bacteria or fungi can build up, causing the solution to ferment or go
sour.
: One of the first things that made a positive impression on me about
: this area was the high hummingbird population. We have a few things
: in the yard that will attract them, but nothing (other than the
: feeder) which can be seem while sitting and looking out the window.
:
Here are some plants that can be grown on a porch that will attract them:
fuschia, geranium, impatiens, lantana, nasturtium, petunia, sage.
Ken Smith
Noreen Mastascusa <szno...@catbert.ucdavis.edu> wrote:
[..oleander..]
>Makes sense to me. Except that they're not entirely bug-free - they get
>attacked these orange aphids.
There is a good chance that the aphids harvest and store the poison for
their own defence. The monarch butterfly does that with milkweed poison.
>Another defense mechanism is growing spines or thorns. Or irritating
>hairs.
Oh yeah, I forgot those options.
Mystic Zen Biker Twigboy
] Another defense mechanism is growing spines or thorns. Or irritating
] hairs.
Damn, I never thought of that!
Hmmm.... wonder where I can get Rogaine at a quarter past midnight......
--
,-- phil stracchino --- the renaissance man --- lone geek biker --.
\ "I know a cat named Easter, he says, Will you ever learn / You're /
\ just an empty cage girl, if you kill the bird..." -- Tori Amos /
`- '91 Camaro Z28 --- '86 VF500F Interceptor --- '91 VFR750F --'