Author Topic: Fred's Carnivorous Plants and other oddities (Read 92346 times)

fredg · « **Reply #330 on:** May 20, 2017, 11:44:51 AM »

There's a new population of garden spiders in the Darlingtonia house.

Fred's Carnivorous Plants and other oddities

fredg · « **Reply #331 on:** May 20, 2017, 07:10:23 PM »

The Fire Brigade appliance arrived across the road this morning. They got their ladders out and one of the crew went up on the roof and peered down the chimney pots. Result negative.

The Fire Brigade appliance arrived this evening. Same crew, same fire officer on the roof, different roof. This time he was on the other side of the chimney stack. He poked about a bit, removed a bit of this and a bit of that then pulled this thing out of a chimney.

photos ©MrsG

That's a two storey house plus the chimney stack and then the chimney pot. We have no idea how the cat got up there. $:-\$

fredg · « **Reply #332 on:** May 21, 2017, 04:27:49 PM »

Another trip to the pit site to look for the early purple, Orchis mascula. None were to be found in flower over the site but a couple of small orchids were in flower.

There were plenty spotted orchids, Dactylorhiza fuchsii ( and hybrids of) evident, many showing buds but not yet flowering. This of course leads me to post a selection of leaf photos.

First of course is a spotless spotted orchid.

fredg · « **Reply #333 on:** May 21, 2017, 04:31:01 PM »

As can be seen above there is damage to many leaves and not always when the plant is close to the path. This is due to the number of dogs walked in the meadow.

Now back to the spots

fredg · « **Reply #334 on:** May 22, 2017, 05:56:31 PM »

Plenty of new growth in the fernery and it's lush and green now. This crosier (crozier) of Dryopteris erythrosora caught my eye. Who need flowers?

fredg · « **Reply #335 on:** May 25, 2017, 07:48:10 AM »

I had an ooops moment with my failing Heliamphora minor a few months ago. (It happens $:-\$ ) I've finally replaced it with a small specimen of Heliamphora nutans x heterodoxa. I repotted into a super long tom on receipt so we'll see how it goes.

ian mcdonald · « **Reply #336 on:** May 25, 2017, 01:23:02 PM »

Fred, could your "spotless spotted orchid" be a southern marsh?

fredg · « **Reply #337 on:** May 25, 2017, 07:07:08 PM »

It's a possibility Ian. They're very small and just the two on a 4-5 acre orchid meadow. It could also be a hybrid.
The area is reclaimed and I'm not sure if they seeded it or it's natural regeneration.

fredg · « **Reply #338 on:** May 26, 2017, 03:41:30 PM »

This is a " common or garden" Garden Centre carnivorous plant. Pinguicula 'Tina'. She was sitting there begging me to take her home. I condescended to her wishes and she is rewarding me well.

fredg · « **Reply #339 on:** May 27, 2017, 11:39:12 AM »

These are the two pots of Drosera slackii potted at the same time with the same media, in identical pots and are in the same lagoon 4" apart. So temperature, light etc. etc. are effectively the same. Why one pair are in full growth and sending up their inflorescence and the other is having to regenerate from the roots is anyone's guess.

If anyone ever tries to tell you horticulture is an exact science turn away before you chuckle or the poor dear may be offended.

fredg · « **Reply #340 on:** May 28, 2017, 02:06:37 PM »

We are finding pests in the garden and rather than waste them I feed them to the plants. Here's some examples of Drosera regia dining on Lily beetles and Chafers

First, in the middle of the leaf. The tentacles bend over to get maximum possible coverage on the prey and faster digestion.