I have spiders everywhere here, in an overabundance I think, considering the cobwebs on the balcony and house. They don't harm the plants, they are after other insects. Maybe you can hunt down where he is hiding in the aloe and relocate him.

Good to know. Thanks, Sue.

Same thing here, spiders galore on the cactus and succulents on the porch. They don't hurt anything, just look bad. Now if only they would eat aloe mites, scale insects, and mealybugs.

I picked up a couple of Lupines this week...cuz how could I resist these colors?






I'm thrilled with how well the linaria do here, looking much better than mine ever did in FB. I did not bother to separate my seeds there at the last and so didn't know whether my in ground plants would be purple or the pink flowered (Canon Went). Looks like I got lucky, the first two to be flowering are one of each (maybe mixed, but so far just purple showing on one and pink on the other)...

I grew linaria a long time ago, really liked it, should try them again.

Well, I will have seeds soon if you want some, LMK....I will even separate them...lol...they are really nice. I was thinking about that...where we acquire plants, when we first got them, how long ago. My Canon Wents started with one 4" pot many (20-25 years ago?) years ago from a woman who had a nursery at her house, many unusual plants, before Mary Lou Heard, before Annie.....Chris Wotruba (Perennial Adventures) down by San Diego on Mt. Helix. I'll have to check and see if she's still there...

I haven't done seeds in years but I should try again, my Mom always does and she is up here now so we can both try some perhaps. Thanks for the offer.

I love seeds...think they are major miracles....

Epiphyllum 'Sunset Boulevard'

Very pretty! I've got a couple of new blooms, but it's too breezy to get pictures.

My rhodie that I want dug out is stil here...lol...at the end of the list of priorities, I guess and the funny thing is that it does not look so bad now that it is not the ONLY thing growing out there. I could at least get out and cut out the dead branches...today...some of them are thick and iron-like.

The remaining buds of rat tail cactus is in bloom:


My ever reliable noid Phal doing its yearly bloom:


Phal Baldan's Kaleidoscope and Dendrobium Roy Tokunaga 'Spots' continues on this May:


Gaillardia Mesa Yellow continues as well with its on and off blooming:


Adenium obesum, shows much better the warmer it gets during the day:

First flowers, opened today, on my echiums grown from seed of echium gentianoides "Tajinaste"...hoping they grow into nice big bushes....I've planted maybe 10 of these...

Got a couple more pics today before my batteries died.


Epi. 'color splash' , and another NOID Epi

Love epis!!!! Carol..do you remove the spent blossoms afterwards??

Yes. I cut them off so I don't injure the leaf. I want the energy to go to growth rather than non edible fruit. Besides, those spent blooms look terrible!

Actually, the fruit is edible. It tastes a little bit like strawberry.

I stumbled upon my Dutch Iris..I was just experimenting earlier this March if it will bloom...with the recent cool down..apparently it will try! Hope it will manage to open up! 1 out of 3 experimental 99cents bulbs..not bad


And of all my noid amaryllis, this is the only one trying to make a bloom...just when we will have rains tomorrow..or maybe it will just be a sprinkle! Don't even know what color this would be...exciting!

My one and only Dutch Iris, opens up nicely this morning! Very encouraging to try more of this next season!

Epiphyllum 'American Sweetheart'