I have an experiment going with this one. A Dendrobium recently divided and mounted on a potted "Pony Tail" Palm.

It looks like it's being hugged!! If I were that Den, I'd be happy as a clam!

Kathy, took this for you with the quarter for scale.

Beautiful! And I like that 2 tone orange one. Never saw one of those!

Found that I have voles eatting things in my back garden. Tomorrow I am off to get poison bait to off them. The articles I have read said they can overtake entire yards and make a big mess. They ate all the Lilies there as well as 200 tulips and gnawed a trees' roots to a pencil point stick. Said you need to kill them, not repel them...then they just move to a different area of your yard. Oh joy!

I took a bit of a walk around the yard today and thought these plants were worthy of photos. First some palms.

Jim

The Bismark and the two tall Washingtonians by the corner of the garage.


The Canary Island Date Palm. Note the Jacaranda beginning to show its blue blooms.


A close up of the Jacaranda flowers.

Then there is the iochroma. The purple ones always bloom first and most.


The caladiums are coming along.


It's always hard not to take a picture when walking by the datura.

Janice, I need to send you my resident red-shouldered hawk for a couple of days. I'm sure he would make quick work of those voles and enjoy doing it.

Here is part of the 130 foot trench I dug for the rubber edging that goes around my new garden. The garden will house a couple of palms, 4 cycads and the cyms in pots. It goes along with my goal of eliminating as much grass as I can. I still need to put down the landscape cloth and cover it all with mulch.

Jim

Lookin good Jim. How old are those beautiful palms? I don't blame you for shooting that datura...

Jim, looks like you have your hands full, everything looks just great!
I love the Jacaranda.

Janice, perhaps you also need to take up Jim on that Black Snake to help you with those Voles.
We have Black Snakes in Pennsy, we do see some of those every so often. 4 feet long and harmless. I have been told that some people keep them around to hunt down Mice and supposedly they are also keeping Rattlers away.
Or, not speaking Latin here, are we talking about a different kind of "Black Snake"?

Albert, nice mounting project there with the Dendrobium.

Jim, that is a fabulous Canary Island Date Palm! Thanks for the tip. If I could corral a nice Hawk to stay in my yard, it would help. As it is, the voles are on their way to vole heaven.

I have moles and voles so I don't grow tulips. Now that the snow is gone, the molehills are everywhere! My lilies were devoured by the red lily beetles. You don't want to know. Awful outside (sleet at the moment) and I'm still hobbling around with my spasmy back. I can't believe this carcass will be able to drive and work tomorrow. I'm doing well to spray the orchids and post here every day....

Hi, Ursula, voles do seem to be everywhere and they are so very destructive! But I draw the line at snakes of any persuasion. LOL!!!
Kathy, hope your back is better... no fun!
Purple Crab today

Gosh Kathy, take care of yourself! That sounds painful.

Janice, I hear you.
The Crab tree is pretty!

The thought of that big hawk is what keeps me moving when I'm out in the yard. I'm sure he is watching.

We had this house built almost 13 years ago and the big palms were planted then. I don't know how old that Canary was when it arrived but it took a truck with a hoist on the back and a backhoe to plant it. I paid $1,800 for it then. The Bismark is younger. I bought it at Lowe's for $45 in a 7 gallon pot. It is worth thousands now.

Janice, I could send you a black snake but I'm not sure the hawk would cooperate. Besides, he'd eat the snake enroute.

Jim

Yes, Kathy, thinking of you and wishing you a speedy recovery.

Jim

Thanks all. Back in bed. Glad it's yucky out. Matches my mood.

Kathy, have you tried the big yoga ball? I used to have horrible muscle spasms...and that ball was amazing!

Thanks for the offer, Jim, but I'd rather be overrun with voles than see 1 snake.

I have one-I should try it! Thanks Janice!