how are some houseplants

Looking at the group I bought during covid times. Most of them are doing well- in fact, the tiny-leaved 'wandering dude boliviana' is doing fantastic!

It's grown so much. 

All the younger angelwing begonias are doing well, too. 

Except the one with glossy leaves (richmondensis) got very leggy and keeps leaning. I trimmed it and moved to a brighter spot. Put the cuttings in water just in case they root. 

The older begonia still has that second shoot coming up in the pot. It's taller, but no leaves yet. 

Next to it, the rubber plant doesn't look so great. 

And 'friendship' pilea is struggling, so I relocated it as well. 

And the pilea peperomioides faltered a while back- all the smaller leaves at crown were looking dark and wilting. I think I had overwatered it. I let it dry out for over a week, then watered sparingly again. 

Seems okay now- new leaves are growing again and they look fine. 

Not so keen on the coleus 'inky fingers' anymore. 

It just doesn't compare at all to my dark velvety one (dang, where is that plant label? I think it was called 'black witchy' or something) which is still so stunning

I kept it all season as a grand houseplant. 

Swiss cheese monstera has more new leaves. 

Very funny how the new ones grow out all tightly rolled up and then unfold. \

Crown of thorns seems to have finished blooming for now. The flowers finally turned all solid pink, and a few days after I took a photo, started to wither.

last beets, herbs

Pulled the last few golden beets from the garden.

Finally cut some herbs to hang and dry. 

I don't have enough parsley or thyme to do this, and the summer savory suddenly died, but there's a decent bunch of sage. 

What's really done well this year is the tarragon. So I cut several bunches of that. 

Also one small bundle of lavender. To make sachets. 

Cut back the sorrel in the garden, because it was overwhelming the sage and winter savory nearby. 

Still eating some sculpit, but the salad burnet didn't did well here. In fact I forgot it was there, and never ate any of it. 

My digital camera is having issues- I have lots of photos on it but can't move them to the computer. So this will be a journal without pictures for a while. Which isn't nearly as fun.

Edit add 9/18- Found my husband has a little usb device that can plug the SD memory card from my camera straight into computer. So I retrieved all my photos and am updating the posts now!

glory fish

Tucker has eaten nearly all the snails in his tank. A few trumpet snails escape him because they burrow during the day- but now a lot of plants are getting too much algae on them. I've put up background again. Makes it easier to take photos, so I tried for a few good ones of Tucker- but he moves so quickly it's difficult as ever!

He's grown a lot. Tip of anal fin reaches half the length of his tail!

I've started feeding him one earthworm (red wiggler) a few times a week- he really likes that.

how are the angels

Angels doing fine together now

Shirley's condition the same (no fungus on the lip, small pale spot on tail fin, lingering redness . . .) 

same with her golden sister Precious

Not sure about Miss Beautiful. One one side, she no longer has redness where pectoral fin meets the body- 

and the lumps on corners of her mouth are much smaller- mostly because Precious has been nipping at them- but now she seems to be unable to close her mouth quite all the way. I feel this is a bad sign.

out front

In the front bed, my sweet alyssum plants have grown into decent clumps and flowered after all. Pinks:

and purples. Still not very visible from the sidewalk, say- but enough I'm encouraged to try growing more next year.

Also pleased well the chrysanthemums look, since their move forwards- the additional light has helped. Even though think I forgot to do the second pinching, I'm hoping the flowers do better now (not so leggy).

Also doing better is the row of 'main street rodeo drive' coleus. So bright!

The sedums are looking grand, though deer have started to eat them- I need to put out deterrents. Columbine are still green behind the coleus, peony foliage nice, cranesbill filled in, and I've started trimming the small creeping stonecrop to spread around the edge- but didn't take more pictures of all that.

a few garden things

My lovely scented geranium looks recovered now, and is even blooming.

Kale was cut back down to the ground (because I ate it) and new leaves look better, just a few bug holes (I caught the caterpillars)

Zucchini is a grand thicket, but some of the fruits are rotting again before I can pick them. Turn yellow and shrivel, don't grow out nice. My sister says they do this if fail to get pollinated.

I am still not fond of marigolds, but I do appreciate their job- the scent seems to keep away the deer and rabbits (who have eaten all my hostas again). I wonder if I could plant a low wall of marigolds around the hotas. But there's not enough sun. Or at least in a spot that would deter the deer from entering the yard? Hm.

Made a new recipe (from a borrowed library book): lemon bars with thyme in the crust.

I thought it was delicious! 

color progress

Crown of thorn flowers have gradually been turning pinker-

two days later

few days later- one is nearly solid color

yard plants- in flower

I walk across the yard just to look at the 'little kim' hibiscus. It's like pale blushing crepe paper.

The other one has bolder color, not as pretty form (and this one particular flower is a bit ragged).

My sedums are lovely too, in a different way- these on the smaller sideyard are quite green still

while those further down the slope flanking the hydrangea have more bluish leaves, and reddish stems. Not sure if it's just from the difference in sun exposure, or are they different varieties. (The green ones I bought from the nursery, the reddish/blue were a gift from my mother-in-law).

First turtlehead bloom!

Joe pye weed going crazy with flowers, but the midnight salvia I moved (just in front of the stump) looks dead.