The splender of variegation!

Its been a long time since I have written in this blog, in fact i had forgotten about it. But having recieved a couple comments on my adenium post made me think about writing again.
One of the most fascinating things in the world of succulent plants to me is variegated plants! I am head over heals for variegated succulents. So i wanted to share with you a couple that i have.  There is so much character in the designs of variegation and no 2 are ever alike.  Its so fascinating to watch a variegated succulent give offsets also because you never know what the (pups) will look like. Some make have as much or more variegation as the mother plant while others have little to no varigation at all.  A good example of that is my Aloe Brevifolia variegata.....

As you can see there are 2 nice size offsets and wile the green one looks much like the mother plant with very mild variegation...the yellow pup is an exceptional plant with incredible variegation. i found out today that this yellow pup is actually a bit rare.
Another nice variegated plant I have is Haworthia cuspidata variegata. This plant has 3 very small pups that look like they will have nice variegation but time will tell as they grow and become large enough to see exactly what color they have.

Another type of succulent i really admire in the variegated form is Crassula ovata "hummels sunset". (Jade cultivar).
Mine is just starting to get some nice colors on the leaf edge and towards the middle of the leaf. this cultivar of Jade changes with the seasons. It colors up the best in fall and spring were it gets that cool night and warm days.

Creations trusts God unconditionally

I have watch my Passiflora Incarnata plant all winter in my backyard. It has fought to stay alive and even grow during the cold hard winter months. This plant that should be dormant or even dead by now has remained constant in its fight to stay alive and push forward in its life. Last week we had an ice storm here for 3 days, everything was covered in thick layers of ice and the temps were well below freezing. My P. Incarnata plant was sure not to survive this fridged weather and I was certain as I walked outside today that I would find remnants of a very dead plant that lost its struggle. However, my ways are not Gods ways and my thoughts are not Gods thought..so much higher is His thoughts and ways then mine. As I approached my Incarnata plant I was so amazed at what I saw. Though battered and worn by the elements that have come against it, the leaves were shrivels, the tendrils curled and the stems barely hanging on to the fence....but the stems remained strong and the roots are firmly planted deep in the mulch that protects them. There is life still in the P.Incarnata, it has not lost the battle and it has not given up the fight!  If God be for it who can be against it?

The storms of life will come there is no doute, but the real question is when they do will we stand strong even though thick ice covers us and tries to choke the very life out of us or will we stand tall, strong and unwavering knowing that God will be our strength, courage and wisdom? Like this Siberia weeping pea tree covered in ice, yet it does not fall under the weight of its affliction, God sustains it and will carry it through the winter hardship of its life to a time when it will flourish again..but in the meantime its trust is in God unconditionally for its survival.

Or will we be trapped in a cage of our own fears, insecurities, hurts and emotions? Will we lie dormant like the tulip bulbs in this barrel protected by a fencing of wire letting nothing in?

We have choices to make in the hard, cold, desperate times of our lives. The times when it seems like we are so alone, so rejected by the world...so abandoned by those who are supposed to love us. We can choose to stay stuck in that cage of isolation, fear, and aloneness....or we can break forth trusting that God has a plan and purpose for our lives, that He will not leave us were we are at but will help us and comfort us and bring new life to us.

That as the season of harship passes we can rejoice in His great love knowing that He has once again walked with us and even carried us when we needed it. That His promise to never leave us nor forsake us has stood the test of time. And we can look around and even though we may feel alone like we are a single leaf in a world of chaos and conflict.....

Indeed there is beauty among us and we are not alone as there are many that feel as we do. We can reach out with the love of God and help others to grow and flourish in their world of chaos and hardships. We can be the hands and feet of Jesus, the heart of God that helps others to know they are not alone, and that they too can make it through the storms of life and come out bigger and better then ever.

So as the winter rolls on and we continue to fight our way through the battles of life with our hand in His, letting Him guide us in all truth and wisdom..let us not forget to bloom right were we are planted!

Hibernating with our creator God

Today is extremely cold here! It is about 20 degrees right now and has been in the teens most the time for the last couple days. Winter has most definitely set in here in the Oregon desert valley. I decided to take a short walk to the end of my street to the field by the river and take  few pictures of the landscape. The shimmer of the heavy frost covered by a very light snow dusting is just beautiful.It is like some one took a bunch of silver glitter and covered the landscape. As cold as it is the beauty of the snow and ice gives a calm peaceful feeling, a feeling of rest and contentment. Maybe that is because when it is cold like this we tend to enjoy a nice cup of hot tea or coffee and a warm cuddly blanket. And if you are fortunate enough to have a dear mate to snuggle with all the better:)
  For may people winter time can bring on the blues and make us feel closed in but we can choose to see winter in another light, a time of reflection on Gods goodness and all that He has done in our lives through the year. In this time of winter (dormancy) many animals and plants are sleeping and regenerating their bodies and restoring all they had lost during the year and replenishing for the new year to come. In some ways we can do the same, we may not sleep through the winter like a bear or go dormant like a tulip...but we can take time to (hibernate) with God and reflect on the year, what He has brought us through, what He has blessed us with, what He has taught us, and how He has touched the lives of those we have been praying for. The animals and the plants do not ask if they should hibernate or go dormant for the winter they just do so naturally by design from their creator, how much more should we spend time with our creator to reflect and rest. The new year will bring new journeys for us all, I pray we will all place our hand in His and take the journey together. Happy hibernating!

Defying the odds!

Well as I was out walking around my yard today I had to go back and get my camera....All around me is the dead remains of summers plants and the leaves of the huge oak cover the flower beds..BUT, out of the woodwork comes this one plant that is defying the law of nature. It is freezing cold here as you can see by the ice I am holding in my hand from the bucket in my backyard. Yet this PASSIFLORA is still alive and climbing on the fence and one of the dormant lilac trees! To my knowledge I do not have any species of passiflora that should be able to survive in freezing cold 20s weather!

This passie is actually from some seed I tossed out there in summer of 2010 that came up this year in mid summer. And it is apparently VERY hardy, I wish I knew what it is. I am tempted to try to take cuttings but I think they would just die when I brought them into my heated house. I am just marveled at how hardy this one passie is though.

 

 

Starting Adenium aka Desert Rose from seed

The Desert rose is one of my favorite plants to grow and I recently had quit a hard time getting my seeds to germinate. I think it is do to the fact it is winter time and just plain colder now. Even though I have an indoor plant room there is still a lot of difference between summer and winter sowing of seed as I am learning. So a kind man on an adenium group I am on suggested I use the 'paper towel method' to sprout my seeds.
He detailed it out for me and I tried it and it works wonderful and the germination rate is very good using this method.  So I am now going to take you step by step through this method of germinating Desert rose seeds! And I hope you have as much fun and success with it as I have.

The first step is choosing a nice plastic container with a lid to make into you germination container. I like to use empty salad mix containers from the grocery store. They are light weight plastic that have a nice tight fitting lid. And they are a clear see through plastic so I can see the progress of the seeds as time goes on.

 So once you have your plastic container then we take a sheet of paper towel and fold it in half and place it in the bottom of your container. Then place the seeds on the bottom half of the paper towel. At this point I spray the seeds down with water to hold the to the paper towel, then fold the top half over them and spray the top getting it nice and moist but not dripping wet. Place the lid on the container. Dont forget to label what seeds you are germinating and the date you placed them in the paper towel.

I place my seed in rows so that I can label my container easy on the front as to what seeds I am germinating. I also make a note of how many of each variety of seeds and will later note how many germinated successfully.I want to also note here that you will need to spray the paper towel a couple times a day to keep it nice and moist. So check it ever few hours to see that it does not dry out and DO NOT place t in the sun.

As the seeds sprout they will lift the paper towel and you will see bulges under the paper towel. Go ahead and lift the paper towel and take a peek, you will find nice sprouts growing.

I let mine grow till i see a nice green color then I simply gently pinch the seed case and it come right off exposing the flat first leaves that will open up in a few days. These are now ready for planting, but be careful they grow roots into the paper towel so you need to cut the paper towel around the roots and plant that tiny piece of paper towel along with the seedling. Be sure to bury the paper towel with the root in it, but be very gentle, these tykes are fragile..This one in the next 3 pictures is actually a couple days younger then I like to plant them now, I let them grow a little more in the paper towel and get a bit greener before planting.

And now it is just time to wait for the little plant to grow. Be sure that your seedlings get very strong bright light and stay warm! And do not let them dry out at this age. Enjoy the journey:)

New Garden blog

Ever since i can remember I have loved nature, plant and animals. This is my way of sharing in this part of myself with you all. And I hope this blog will also bring glory to God as He is the creator of all things.
God gifted me to work with plants, to grow things and to respect His creation. I want to use this ability He has given me to bless and help others as I share what I grow and the setbacks I have experienced with some plants as well as successes.