Today I went outside to do some transplanting for lunch. The lens on the camera has been cleaned…sure enough, there was a sticky sunscreen blob right in the center. At least I’m remembering to wear sunscreen! Joining me today were a pair of mud daubers who took advantage of my muddy transplanting mess. They’re very noisy so I wasn’t afraid of stepping on them in my bare feet. They sound like an amplified mosquito. They’re quite pretty in the sun. This one came back to the exact same spot every time and enthusiastically stuck its little face as far down into the mud as it could, sticking its rear-end up in the air. Admittedly more interesting than my transplanting work.
my noisy digging buddy
My Jade plant, or Crassula ovata, has needed transplanting for quite a while. It prefers to dry out in between watering, but the pot I had it in did not have a drainage hole in the bottom. Forgetting that fact, I had over-watered and it was withering from the goopiness. The new pot has drainage and I will not water it for a month just so it can air out. Jade plants are low maintenance and can be an indoor or outdoor plant. They are evergreen and will bloom if you give it enough sun. Lots of sun will give the fleshy leaves a little pink color around the edges and a Jade plant left in shadier areas will get very glossy very dark jade coloring. They are known as money, luck, or friendship plants.
Jade and Mother-in-Law's Tongue
The Mother-in-Law’s Tongues, or Sansevieria trifasciata, also got a new home. Oh, I just love Latin plant names! These succulents make excellent houseplants. They spread by a creeping rhizome, so they do well outdoors as well, as long as they don’t get too much sun. Mine were outside and I will leave the bigger ones out, putting this little one in the house to see how it does.
Mother-in-Law's Tongue - long, sharp, pointed
To test my camera lens for cleanliness, I got a close-up of the ‘Cape Town’ Blue Felicia, or Felicia amelloides, which is always one of my favorite flowers to visit.
'Cape Town' Blue Felicia
Also got a close up of the Euryops chrysanthemoides, or Daisy Bush. Euryops means ‘large eye.’ Yes, I agree:
Euryops chrysanthemoides
And just because I was having fun, a lovely picture of the Hydrangea. There will be no taxonomic info on my Hydrangea because there are a hundred different species and one species has over 600 cultivars. One day I may identify mine, this is not that day.
Hydrangea pamelopticus - teehee
Thanks for joining me for lunch, now get back to work!
Pam in the Garden 