posted September 08, 2014 07:15 PM            

For when T comes around

posted September 11, 2014 10:50 AM            

I was given a Staghorn Fern:

are you familiar with the care of them? It's in a hanging pot now, but someone said it needs to be planted in (on?) wood. It's an air plaint I was told too and doesn't need much water (especially in this humid climate lol )

I have a cactus that now has a baby replica of it growing up from underneath it. I'm wondering if I could separate them or if I should leave it as is? Will breaking them up hurt the root system and end up killing them? I was thinking of giving the baby one to my friend.

When I got it a few years ago it was about the size of a small baseball, now it's about the size of a large cantaloupe. The baby one is about the size of a golf ball at this point. I can show you a photo of it in bloom when I upload the pics to my computer.

And I've been trying to figure out the correct name for this mint plant that my dog is obsessed with eating (it smells like mint and has similar leaves to other mint plants i've seen). It's large shrub size and in a pot. It flowers pretty little purple flowers in the springtime. It has woody stems and branches which I read are very hard to propagate, which is what I would really like to do, so I can have a plant of my own (for her to munch on). Any advice on that?

My dog isn't interested in other mint or any of the herbs I have that are safe for her, but she can't get enough of this mint and it's never made her sick.

I don't think I have any photos of it in bloom. I thought it might be Meehans Mint but I read that that doesn't usually grow as large as this one and is more of a spreading mint....

I tried to start a plant of my own with part of it, but it didn't work.

posted September 11, 2014 12:31 PM            

........

It's been here for years and seems very hardy. It belongs to a neighbor of mine who doesn't really take care of it - i end up watering it a lot. I wonder if it's not in the greatest health though and if the stems are supposed to be that......mm..dry looking.... For the most part the leaves look healthy, but it seems a little weak. I don't know.

When it flowers they do look a lot like this photo of Meehans Mint flowers I found online. They have that almost bearded iris look to them, but very tiny.

says here:
http://wvnativeflowers.blogspot.com/2013_05_05_archive.html

quote:

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The following wildflower is a native and apparently not very common. It is listed as endangered in Pennsylvania and threatened in Tennessee. Trying to identify it was a bear. I had suggestions of Skullcap, Dragon head and others. It is Meehans Mint and I have found it at Brush Creek as well as on the trout creek the other day. It is also popular in home gardens for extreme shady spots and is commonly sold by native nurseries. I've added two photo's from Brush Creek as well.

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posted September 11, 2014 12:37 PM            

*EDIT, still sleuthing..... the leaves weren't matching until I found:

Heart-leaved Skullcap, leaves and flowers look very similar That might be it!
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/hl_skullcap.html

also:

Is Skullcap Toxic for a Dog?
http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/skullcap-toxic-dog-4806.html

posted September 11, 2014 01:15 PM            

Check out this beauty :

Dotted Horsemint

quote:

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Strange Enchantment
The rainy season has begun in earnest here in Florida. Daily afternoon or evening rains are almost guaranteed, and some days are rainy all the way through. The saturated humid air is a little tough on gardeners, especially as the weeds couldn't be happier, but the grey light of overcast days highlights parts of the garden in an almost magical way. For instance, the Dotted Horsemint we planted back in June has finally begin to bloom. The muted and fascinating flowers of this native plant seem to fit the quiet mood of a misty My Florida Backyard.

Dotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata) is a member of the same genus as the more commonly known Bee Balm (Monarda didyma), a popular plant with butterfly gardeners. Dotted Horsemint holds the same attraction for butterflies, but is better adapted to Florida's wet summers - Bee Balm is very susceptible to powdery mildew, and Florida's rainforest climate in the summer months makes it difficult to cultivate successfully. Dotted Horsemint is a good alternative in a Florida native garden.

Although it's commonly called "horsemint" and is indeed a member of the mint family (Lamiacaea), this plant's leaves actually smell like oregano when crushed, and some people use it as a substitute. Native Americans brewed it into tea to treat colds and flu. But for us, the best feature is the enchanting little dotted flower blooms, so strange and unexpected. The delicate colors of the leaves beneath almost glow in the soft light of a clouded afternoon. We feel so fortunate to have this native treasure add its magic to My Florida Backyard.

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posted September 11, 2014 01:53 PM            

Overwhelming beautiful!

I have tons of Monarda but I envy you the dotted horsemint. A must have for my gardens! I have never seen or heard of it.

Mint always has a square sten and can be quickly recognized.

The skellcap "looks" like my Turtlehead also called dragonhead so I suspect it is. It needs moisture and water it tons. The Turtlehead isn`t bothered much with powdery mildew like my Bee Balm. Mine is pink tho

posted September 11, 2014 01:58 PM            

I grow all my air plants in pebble and sand. Perfect support and drainage.
Your baby sure is awesome and healthy looking!!!

ehow has a dividing process:
1

Water the staghorn fern the day before you plan to separate it. Soak enough sphagnum moss in a bowl of water to cover the roots of all of the new divisions, and then squeeze out the excess moisture. Rainwater is best, but tap water will be fine.

2

Divide staghorn ferns when the shield is brown. Staghorn ferns develop a large protective shield, and as the shield turns brown and papery, it will develop a new shield over the top of the old shield, which will gradually decay.

3

Identify the places where the staghorn fern can be divided. Look under the shield, and you'll be able to see small rhizomes, which are stems where new fronds emerge. Each rhizome will have a visible center point, which creates an obvious division between each rhizome.

4

Use a large, sharp knife to cut into the brown shield and between the rhizomes, making sure each rhizome has at least two fronds. Be sure to cut deep enough to divide the rhizome's roots as well. It's healthier for the fern if you divide the staghorn fern into a few larger pieces, rather than several smaller pieces.

5

Wrap the roots of each new staghorn fern in damp sphagnum moss, and mount each fern on a sturdy board or branch. Connect the fern to the mounting board with clear fishing line or strips of nylon stockings.

posted September 11, 2014 02:01 PM            

I wouldn`t separate them either. Just get a bigger pot.

I `m not certain if dogs & skiullcap are compatable. I will snoop around my go to sites & see what i can dig up.

posted September 11, 2014 02:07 PM            

Mine blooms late summer.

posted September 11, 2014 04:35 PM            

The stag horn photo I posted was not mine, but I just went out and snapped a few pics of mine which I will upload and share later.

Sadly, that cactus bloom only lasted a couple of days. Those pics were from a few weeks ago. There were two buds and the second one bloomed for a few days after that one died. Really pretty isn't it? Wish the blooms would hang around longer. The petals felt like very thin delicate tissue paper. I'm looking forward to seeing how many blooms it produces as it continues to grow. Think you are right and I have a larger pot that I am going to transfer them to. The one they are in is a bit small now.

I edited the post above, adding that I think the "mint" plant is a "Heart leafed Skullcap" The leaves and flowers look very similar.

*EDIT after reading that page more closely, now I'm not so sure it's that - the description doesn't exactly fit....looks very similar though. Will help when I can snap pics once it blooms again.

And I added in a link to info on if it's safe for dogs. No wonder why my girl likes it - she's so high-strung and anxious, it must help her feel mellow. Really going to watch her consumption now though, especially until I'm positive what it is. Don't need her overdoing it and having a seizure or get liver problems. Thought it was interesting how it was once used to cure rabies and nicknamed the "Mad Dog Weed".

The pink turtlehead is so pretty! I'd love to see more of your garden

posted September 12, 2014 12:14 AM            

Check this out:

GARDEN DIY: MOUNTING A STAGHORN FERN

Now I know what my friend was talking about re: wood.

.......need to go hunting for a log LOL

There's PLENTY of Spanish Moss hanging from all the trees around here. Wonder if I could use that instead...

& how cool - i didn't know you could do it with Orchids too.

posted September 12, 2014 12:20 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by juniperb:
I have never grown a staghorn but they are dividable at the right time of growth and year.

I grow all my air plants in pebble and sand. Perfect support and drainage.

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Thanks. Yes, I think mine might need less soil and more sand and pebble, or some wood as shown above.

V. cool that you grow air plants.

I found some a long time ago at a shell shop on the beach and picked up a bunch because they were so cheap, along with pretty shells to house them in.

like this:

posted September 12, 2014 12:24 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by juniperb:

Mint always has a square sten and can be quickly recognized.

The skellcap "looks" like my Turtlehead also called dragonhead so I suspect it is. It needs moisture and water it tons. The Turtlehead isn`t bothered much with powdery mildew like my Bee Balm. Mine is pink tho

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Great info. Thank you. I watered the heck out of the poor mystery plant today.

posted September 12, 2014 12:32 AM            

Quite an exciting discovery to a born and bred northerner. Little did i know how common they were down here. lol

posted September 12, 2014 08:42 AM            

I was peeking and snooping from yard to yard ,agape at all the goodies in bloom .

You have adapted so smoothly embraced the plants and lovely weather, now, will you ever visit the yankees again

posted September 12, 2014 08:48 AM            

I tucked them into the curtain near the wood stove and all marveled at my mystry plants.

All winter they thrived.

Come mid summer, they started getting brittle and dying.

Panicing, I called my S.C. neighbor and she said not enough moisture in the air

MI summers arn`t humid enough to support the treasures but the humidity of the pot of water simmering on the woodstove was.

posted October 04, 2014 03:29 PM            

I did find a bunch of air plants on the ground on a walk the other day and thought of you. I'm guessing high winds took them down from whatever perch they might have been living on. I took a few of them home.

Also I think you could have some up there, but they'd need to be spritzed with water a lot and soaked in a dish of water over night maybe once a week.

posted October 04, 2014 04:16 PM            

Apples on early and I made pie out of the Ada`s; Yum!!

I still have most of my gardens to put to bed yet tho .

My Christmas cactus is blooming and I thought of you

Oh! I voted for the winking chi chi

posted October 04, 2014 07:36 PM            

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood for once! 75* out now!!! Supposed to be in the upper 80's by weeks end tho. Glad we are nearing the end of the sweltering season.

Hope you don't get too sick Juni.