Few from the backyard yesterday

[Discus-n00b]

Heres a few from the backyard yesterday. All shot with my 100mm macro lens.

These flowers are so cool but hard to get a shot of them as they are in a cramped space.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1576/24796657983_2059f16dc8_b.jpg

Hanging Pitcher Plant
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1622/25305030232_ac2af33927_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1700/25330391631_54f83ec1bb_b.jpg

"Promise of Spring" type of shot. Small pine tree sprouting.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1485/25127762430_3c34cc02bd_b.jpg

The rest are of the dog.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1531/25330392041_ceb59b9ee0_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1531/25424480875_b5940931d0_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1606/25056916349_d15af81954_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1657/24796660103_e118dabed3_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1480/24797771853_71637df3cd_b.jpg

[John_Nicholson]

AS always, very, very nice.

-john

[Akili]

Very Nice,Thanks for sharing!

[Kirbs]

That hanging pitcher plant is really cool! Spring is right around the corner!

All your pictures are nice.

[brewmaster15]

Great shots Matt!

I love the colors on the flower! and your dog is a camera hound for sure!:)







Heres a few from the backyard yesterday. All shot with my 100mm macro lens../.....


Hanging Pitcher Plant
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1622/25305030232_ac2af33927_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1700/25330391631_54f83ec1bb_b.jpg


You have Nepenthes in your back yard? you take it in for the winter right? I am royally jealous..I cant bring mine out except for a few months of the summer... insect eating plants are a favorite of mine!
al

[nc0gnet0]

Coming from someone that just got a foot of snow in their backyard yesterday.......I officially hate you!

Great pictures though!

-Rick

[Discus-n00b]

Thanks all. LOL Rick it's basically fully spring here now, been itching to wash my car and the weather is finally getting perfect for that. Buds on everything too. Sorry! I just looked at our blueberry bushes and they are really pushing out the buds already.

Al, there is a small greenhouse (hence the space limitations to take photos of those pink and purple flowers) back there against the back of the house so we leave most of that stuff out all year round and just have a small heater inside the greenhouse when it gets to cold out. That pitcher plant has tons of pitchers on it, lots of small ones coming in. About the only thing we move in and out is our small lemon bush/tree. We have a stand of Banana plants out there too, don't know what type. They never produce edible bananas (though we have had bunches before) probably because we don't feed the plant correctly and we forgot to cut them down this winter but the new ones are already pushing out of the old stalks.

Sometimes I take for granted all that we can grow down here in our climate.

[SMB2]

Beautiful Fuchsia (?) shot. Love the pitcher plant, now if you could just get a fly sitting on the edge about to fall in...
Looks like the dog does a little gardening as well.

[Discus-n00b]

Looks like the dog does a little gardening as well.

No no, that was my brother's dog staying over for a few days. He does it every time he comes over. He is hyperactive and digs relentlessly. The dog in the first post is one of the most obedient, sweetest, people loving dogs I've ever had. The most damage she does is leaning up against the small fences put up to keep the dogs out of areas with growth in them, she thinks they are a recliner. Here is the culprit in an Iphone shot, guilty as charged. You can't grow any sort of grass or plants in those spots, the dogs just lay on it and kill it. It's been tried many times.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/clemmatt/rusty2_zpsonatlpkt.jpg

Al here is the full plant hanging in the greenhouse.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1502/25332138732_b8bb515591_b.jpg

Crazy how new pitchers grow out of the tips of the leaves and it's just an ongoing link. This image and the one below are a bit noisy, didn't really bother checking any settings just some quick shots a few mins ago.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1705/25154961580_81a9f5027f_b.jpg

Something else we have growing here, Tobasco peppers...
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1539/25082953939_6a8c3195a0_b.jpg

Been looking into planting some Kiwi plants next at the family farm property.

[brewmaster15]

Matt if my botany hasnt forsaken me ...the pitcher is actually modified mid rib of the leaf.Plants are amazing...they have cells that can practically change into anything.

On the kiwi...I actually have a cold hardy one here in CT...its planted outside...need 2..male and female are separate in the one I have. The kiwis are tiny and sweet. Wish I could grow the regular ones.

Al

[Second Hand Pat]

Love the shots Matt, especially the Pitcher Plant. My daughter has one of those in Maryland. I will join you in the "hate" group. We already have baby birds down here. Weather is gorgeous ATM. Have the windows open :p
Pat

[brewmaster15]

Love the shots Matt, especially the Pitcher Plant. My daughter has one of those in Maryland. I will join you in the "hate" group. We already have baby birds down here. Weather is gorgeous ATM. Have the windows open :p
Pat

I'm not liking you guys right now.:bandana: I'm still using my wood stove at night. Its getting warmer...Bluebirds are looking at the houses, but its still raw and the tulips are barely breaking the ground here.

al

[Discus-n00b]

Thanks! Same here Pat with the windows!

There are some really nice trees blooming in the area already, not sure what they are right off the top of my head. Bright pink almost look like cherry blossoms. Right in front of work there is a road lined with them and the state house dome peaking out above them, might try taking my camera to work tomorrow and walking outside and seeing if I can get a good shot. Looked interesting when driving by today.

Yeah I plan to get the two sexes on the Kiwi plants Al, probably need to build a new trellis or support for them though as I hear they can take over. Project for this spring/summer. They are one of my favorite fruits, need to get them in the ground and get them started. Hoping to be able to grow fuzzy full size ones here, we'll see!

[discuspaul]

Beautifully sharp photos, Matt - as per usual from you !

[rickztahone]

Very nice shots Matt. When I the first pic of the pooch it reminded me of my tonks:
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8636/16529082542_e2a654d25b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rbBSnL)Tonks (https://flic.kr/p/rbBSnL) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr

[brewmaster15]

Very nice shots Matt. When I the first pic of the pooch it reminded me of my tonks:
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8636/16529082542_e2a654d25b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rbBSnL)Tonks (https://flic.kr/p/rbBSnL) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr

Now I know I am a fish nut... I subconciously read this as reminded me of my "tanks".left me trying to see what Ricardo saw that I was missing!

[rickztahone]

Now I know I am a fish nut... I subconciously read this as reminded me of my "tanks".left me trying to see what Ricardo saw that I was missing!

lol. I know we have an old thread floating around here somewhere to the tune of "...you know you are a discus nut when..."

[Keith Perkins]

I've always like Fuchsia and that picture makes me long for spring. It was in the low single digits here this morning though, so the Fuchsia will have to wait.

[brewmaster15]

Yep... we got 18F right now. Spring may be coming but SLOWLY.

[SMB2]

Well the Cherry blossoms are just a few weeks away, here....I hope.

95425

[Discus-n00b]

Looks like I'll be attempting to get Bananas this year...
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[brewmaster15]

Looks like I'll be attempting to get Bananas this year...
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Very cool Matt! They sell a cold hardy banana tree out here in CT. I'm thinking I may try to grow some here.

Thanks for the pics.

[Discus-n00b]

Thanks. These are years old trees Al, friend gave them to me because he didn't want them. Planted them and they have done exceptionally well. I have no idea of the type, or even if I can get viable eating bananas off of them. Maybe it's a plantain I have no idea lol We cut down the stalks at the end of the growing cycle when we can and more sprout up. They've even spread up to about 8ft away on their own. This is the first year in a while we didn't cut them down in the winter and let the new shoots sprout from the current stalks and we have banana buds for the first time in a couple of years. And earlier too which hopefully gives us a better chance for viable fruit before the terrible summer heat which they don't seem to enjoy. I've heard mulching them and really pounding them with compost can help a lot fruit wise, and we don't do that.

[SMB2]

Looks like plantain, great when cooked!
Once you have just the green banana bunch, put a plastic garbage bag over the fruit (and some say a few slices of apple in the bag). It helps the fruit ripen. I think the ethylene??? given off by the fruit speeds up the process.
We had both types of trees/plants when we lived in the Caribbean and had more bananas then we knew what to do with. Ate a lot of banana bread. The plant needs a fair amount of water which was tough for us living on a desert island!
It is best to cut down the old plant once the new shoots are along; puts more energy into the new growth.

And THAT is all I know about bananas!

[brewmaster15]

Looks like plantain, great when cooked!
Once you have just the green banana bunch, put a plastic garbage bag over the fruit (and some say a few slices of apple in the bag). It helps the fruit ripen. I think the ethylene??? given off by the fruit speeds up the process.
We had both types of trees/plants when we lived in the Caribbean and had more bananas then we knew what to do with. Ate a lot of banana bread. The plant needs a fair amount of water which was tough for us living on a desert island!
It is best to cut down the old plant once the new shoots are along; puts more energy into the new growth.

And THAT is all I know about bananas!

Hey Stan,correct on the apple and ethylene gas!:)

Some time down the road you should do a thread on your time on that Island and the pictures you took there....would be a great read I am sure.

Al