Is there anything worse than a computer going down when you are a blogger? Well, that is what happened to me the past few weeks. Glad to be back among the "nerds" once again. Only one comment on this subject...MSN and DELL techs don't have a clue!
Yesterday was the first day outside in the fresh spring air for the newest additions to our family; twenty baby chicks about a month old. Mostly Polish and Houdans with half of unknown lineage at this time. They were extras the hatchery sent to help keep the others warm on their journey over from Texas.
They must have had a rough time of it with the postal workers as half the rare breeds died with-in two days of arriving, much to my great sadness. After seeing that they must have been over-stressed I started adding Colloidal Silver and the Bach Flower Rescue Remedy to their drinking water and lost no more. I will continue this practice to keep them healthy and stress free here on the homestead.
I will attempt to take some pics and send post them if I remember to buy a new battery charger for my camera...Either that or a docking station caught on sale. I used to take many, many, pictures here at The Bamboo Jungle so will include some of those for now.
What is blooming here? Willows, Iris, many wildflowers. Caladiums are popping up out of their recently watered pots. (I over-winter in their pots in a frost free place keeping quite dry) The Bluetes have been blooming for ages all over the grounds and I consider them a sure sign of spring.
The Dogwoods are in bloom as are many flowering trees, but things here start blooming in January so it's hard to keep up. This years start was actually a slow one compared to a normal year.
I am so hoping that we don't get any hurricanes this year. Last year we had to do clean-up from three and it will take years before it looks back to normal again. We had to cut down three willow trees but they are coming back with ease. Now they look like fountains which we can't complain is un-attractive. They are even pulling themselves back into the ponds edge from where they were pushed over from the relentless winds. Db, my dh gave them a helping hand by nailing two by fours onto their trunks and into the ground. They now are floating in the air and will have to be re-adjusted. We have decided to keep them supported by these two by fours and just let flowering vines climb up and around the wood to hide it.
Well, it is 6:47 AM and I need to get out and take care of all the fowl we have here. I can hear the African Grey Geese honking outside this window wanting their cracked corn treat. Later gator!
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
A Breezy March Day
March is a strange time of year no matter where you live. The weather is always up and down and just when you think winter has waved it's last goodbye, it comes into focus again and backtracks.
I was in hopes I could move my house plants out to the back porch this past weekend, but after this last cold front, I see I will have to wait a few more days. Maybe this up-coming weekend...who knows.
I spent part of yesterday planting flats of seeds for the nursery sales, but wish now that I had gotten an earlier start. It is really difficult after these rising electrical costs have hit. I can't heat the greenhouse as we can barely afford the cost of heating our home! Something needs to give before we all go broke!
At only mid 60's today and very breezy, I am not much in the mood to plant. We received a torrential rain in the middle of the night and our wetlands are just soaked. I had to go out early and un-plug the over-flow pipe on the pond so that the excess water could drain off into the woods. There are so many ponds in the woods now that it looks like a swamp in some horror movie. The frogs seem happy, though. They sing all night and into the morning.
I need to get some paint for my latest tire planters. I'm going with Caribbean colors. Will include some pics when I finish up.
later gator....
I was in hopes I could move my house plants out to the back porch this past weekend, but after this last cold front, I see I will have to wait a few more days. Maybe this up-coming weekend...who knows.
I spent part of yesterday planting flats of seeds for the nursery sales, but wish now that I had gotten an earlier start. It is really difficult after these rising electrical costs have hit. I can't heat the greenhouse as we can barely afford the cost of heating our home! Something needs to give before we all go broke!
At only mid 60's today and very breezy, I am not much in the mood to plant. We received a torrential rain in the middle of the night and our wetlands are just soaked. I had to go out early and un-plug the over-flow pipe on the pond so that the excess water could drain off into the woods. There are so many ponds in the woods now that it looks like a swamp in some horror movie. The frogs seem happy, though. They sing all night and into the morning.
I need to get some paint for my latest tire planters. I'm going with Caribbean colors. Will include some pics when I finish up.
later gator....
Sunday, March 12, 2006
What a glorious Sunday here in the deep south! 89F. was kind of hot to be working in today, but my hubby and I wanted to get some things done around here so we got an early start.
While Db was beating down the wild blackberries that were taking over the bamboo grove of five different species of Phyllostachys out front, I was planting Moonflowers on either side of the wrought iron trellis that a friend made for us some years ago. There is much already growing there like wild Morning Glories and Japanese Honeysuckle that takes over everything. I don't care. I love almost every plant God gave us. That is until you hear me cussing after a run in with the Devils Claw vine or Devils Walking Stick trees that abound on our wetlands.
After I planted the Moonflower seeds I brought up all the garden troughs I made many years ago and placed them on the huge, steel, truck bumper Db brought home to use for displaying them. I dumped out all the old soil and will be planting them with cactus and succulents as a nice change from my wild, tropical jungle.
Storms expected tomorrow, but I hope to have enough time to get the back porch cleaned up. I made a lot of pocket planters out of large tin cans that I painted after Db crunched the bottoms for me very neatly down at his shop. I will be nailing them all over this place and filling with Impatiens and any kind of vine that happens to catch my fancy at the moment...that and whichever one I seem to have in abundance.
It's late so I will say; later gator!
While Db was beating down the wild blackberries that were taking over the bamboo grove of five different species of Phyllostachys out front, I was planting Moonflowers on either side of the wrought iron trellis that a friend made for us some years ago. There is much already growing there like wild Morning Glories and Japanese Honeysuckle that takes over everything. I don't care. I love almost every plant God gave us. That is until you hear me cussing after a run in with the Devils Claw vine or Devils Walking Stick trees that abound on our wetlands.
After I planted the Moonflower seeds I brought up all the garden troughs I made many years ago and placed them on the huge, steel, truck bumper Db brought home to use for displaying them. I dumped out all the old soil and will be planting them with cactus and succulents as a nice change from my wild, tropical jungle.
Storms expected tomorrow, but I hope to have enough time to get the back porch cleaned up. I made a lot of pocket planters out of large tin cans that I painted after Db crunched the bottoms for me very neatly down at his shop. I will be nailing them all over this place and filling with Impatiens and any kind of vine that happens to catch my fancy at the moment...that and whichever one I seem to have in abundance.
It's late so I will say; later gator!
Saturday, March 04, 2006
How Did You Get That Nic-Name?
People often ask me how I got the nic-name, "Bamboochik". I have had it for so long that sometimes it's hard for me to even remember. Let me start at the beginning then.
I fist fell in love with bamboo on a trip to south central Florida back in the 70's. My fist husband and I had taken our children to Disney World and were just driving around looking for other sites we might come across on the back roads. All of a sudden, out of the clear blue sky we came up on a smallish billboard advertising REPTILE WORLD....hmmmmmm, now where is this place we wondered. All we could see was a small concrete block home in the middle of nowhere off this two lane highway we were on. This must be the place, we both agreed.
Taking kids in hands we walked up to the front door and were greeted by a person who took our money and told us to go through the kitchen and out the back door....Well, we did and all I can say is I was totally awe-struck! We had walked into a veritable jungle of tropical plants and birds with narrow winding paths going every which way.
It seems to me that I remember some "exotica" type music in the background, but can't be sure since this was so very long ago. All I can really remember is the wonderful bamboo, palms, and other exotic plants on either side of us as we leisurely walked through this man-made jungle. There were small ponds filled with alligators, a snake and reptile house, and I seem to recall a tropical bird show with Toucans, Parrots, and Macaws. I know that it was situated on five acres but I don't think it actually took up more than a couple acres at the time. Very hard to say since the winding paths and thick foliage gave the impression of "never ending".
I believe this is the place of which I speak. It may have changed in all these years but I hope not. http://www.theotherorlando.com/contents/chapters/15/reptile.html
After I came back from my vacation to south central Florida and all of it's tropical beauty that abounds, I was completely smitten with the "Tropical Look" and decided I would make my own place as beautiful as the places I had seen. My first plant purchase was bamboo and I have been surrounded by it ever since along with cold hardy palms, Alocasia, Colocasia, Gingers, and many, many more plants. One of our friends gave me the nic-name, "Bamboochik", and I named my plant nursery and our homestead, The Bamboo Jungle N Gardens or for short, The Bamboo Jungle.
I will be writing some articles on the great things bamboo can do for home owners who are interested in protection from natural disasters such as strong winds, floods and mudslides as well as earthquakes. It is truly an amazing plant!
I fist fell in love with bamboo on a trip to south central Florida back in the 70's. My fist husband and I had taken our children to Disney World and were just driving around looking for other sites we might come across on the back roads. All of a sudden, out of the clear blue sky we came up on a smallish billboard advertising REPTILE WORLD....hmmmmmm, now where is this place we wondered. All we could see was a small concrete block home in the middle of nowhere off this two lane highway we were on. This must be the place, we both agreed.
Taking kids in hands we walked up to the front door and were greeted by a person who took our money and told us to go through the kitchen and out the back door....Well, we did and all I can say is I was totally awe-struck! We had walked into a veritable jungle of tropical plants and birds with narrow winding paths going every which way.
It seems to me that I remember some "exotica" type music in the background, but can't be sure since this was so very long ago. All I can really remember is the wonderful bamboo, palms, and other exotic plants on either side of us as we leisurely walked through this man-made jungle. There were small ponds filled with alligators, a snake and reptile house, and I seem to recall a tropical bird show with Toucans, Parrots, and Macaws. I know that it was situated on five acres but I don't think it actually took up more than a couple acres at the time. Very hard to say since the winding paths and thick foliage gave the impression of "never ending".
I believe this is the place of which I speak. It may have changed in all these years but I hope not. http://www.theotherorlando.com/contents/chapters/15/reptile.html
After I came back from my vacation to south central Florida and all of it's tropical beauty that abounds, I was completely smitten with the "Tropical Look" and decided I would make my own place as beautiful as the places I had seen. My first plant purchase was bamboo and I have been surrounded by it ever since along with cold hardy palms, Alocasia, Colocasia, Gingers, and many, many more plants. One of our friends gave me the nic-name, "Bamboochik", and I named my plant nursery and our homestead, The Bamboo Jungle N Gardens or for short, The Bamboo Jungle.
I will be writing some articles on the great things bamboo can do for home owners who are interested in protection from natural disasters such as strong winds, floods and mudslides as well as earthquakes. It is truly an amazing plant!
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