All Andrew's Plants has moved to AllAndrewsPlants.wordpress.com
You can find this post here on my new site for the full post and to leave comments.
Musings is better than Mondays because I don't have to post on Mondays and it still gets the point across. And I've been posting enough about plants this month I can take a few minutes to write about something else.
I picked up Plastic Beach, the new Gorillaz album today. I like it I think. I guess if you liked their first two CDs you'll maybe like this? It's not exactly the same, much like Demon Days was not like Gorillaz. It plays very well as an album.
You can listen to Stylo (feat. Mos Def & Bobby Womack) here. It's the first single off the album. It grows on you. I think I prefer On Melancholy Hill which if I remember right will be a future single.
Edit - Rhinestone Eyes is an awesome song off this CD, maybe my favourite. It seems to have swallowed up the demo Electric Shock. Stylo is good, Empire Ants, Glitter Freeze, On Melancholy Hill, & Broken stand out as the best tracks off this album. Also is it wrong that I keep trying to type "Plastic Beech?"
Switching over to something a little different now I've also been listening to some Goldfrapp. I'd heard the name but never the music and now I have and I like it. Pretty well all of it. It would I guess be fair to say that I don't dislike any of it. Highlights include the first album Felt Mountain but especially Human, Pilots, and Utopia. There was a Bonus disk released with the UK and Spanish which is even more amazing (I will be trying to buy this version). Black Cherry is not a bad CD but doesn't stick out in my mind. I listened to it twice today but honestly couldn't comment on anything in particular. Supernature is fantastic, and We Are Glitter which features remixes off Supernature is similarly fantastic. Seventh Tree is the newest CD - it's more down-tempo (like Felt Mountain) but different in that is has a more acoustic folky sound compared to the orchestral/electronic sounds on Felt Mountain. There's also a new CD coming out... Soon? March 22 apparently. Rocket was apparently released as a single yesterday. It has a very 80's sound. And now you're up to date on all their music.
Pilots (On a Star) is my favourite song by the band and it has a very good video that matches the song well - you can watch it here. The song also showcases her fantastic voice.
And to finish off here's an excellent link to a comic about summer. And next winter. And endless summers. Check it out. My take - Sure winter makes you excited for spring... but it doesn't have to be so long or so cold.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Euphorbia myrsinites
All Andrew's Plants has moved to AllAndrewsPlants.wordpress.com
You can find this post here on my new site for the full post and to leave comments.
Euphorbia myrsinites, Donkeytail Spurge
With the melting snow (after a second day well above 10 degrees there's not much left... in by backyard anyway - rain later this week should take care of the rest and help clean things up a bit) I was able to get a good look at the plant that's normally the first in my yard to flower. The pink seems to be winter colour, it will fade to blue once the weather warms up. I also cut back the Panicum you can see to the side, normally it stays upright all winter but that first storm was killer. It's now got full sun for most of the day which should help speed things along.
It grows well in full sun with no extra water. It sends out long (1-1.5') branches that will flower the next spring. I cut all the old growth back as soon as possible as much as possible once the new growth begins to take off. It will seed like mad if you let it and the hard pruning helps keep the plant looking a little neater. While it makes it through the winter well it does tend to look a little rough by the time it's done flowering, and the new growth fills in fast enough.
I think about once a year I say I'm going to get rid of it but maybe because it is first it gets by me in the spring, and then because it keeps looking good for the rest of the summer with absolutely no effort it gets to stay. It's not a favourite but it has definite strong points in its favour.
It is a Euphobia and the sap is an irritant. I have been careful with mine so I can't tell you how bad it is but proceed with caution.
You can find this post here on my new site for the full post and to leave comments.
Euphorbia myrsinites, Donkeytail Spurge
With the melting snow (after a second day well above 10 degrees there's not much left... in by backyard anyway - rain later this week should take care of the rest and help clean things up a bit) I was able to get a good look at the plant that's normally the first in my yard to flower. The pink seems to be winter colour, it will fade to blue once the weather warms up. I also cut back the Panicum you can see to the side, normally it stays upright all winter but that first storm was killer. It's now got full sun for most of the day which should help speed things along.
It grows well in full sun with no extra water. It sends out long (1-1.5') branches that will flower the next spring. I cut all the old growth back as soon as possible as much as possible once the new growth begins to take off. It will seed like mad if you let it and the hard pruning helps keep the plant looking a little neater. While it makes it through the winter well it does tend to look a little rough by the time it's done flowering, and the new growth fills in fast enough.
I think about once a year I say I'm going to get rid of it but maybe because it is first it gets by me in the spring, and then because it keeps looking good for the rest of the summer with absolutely no effort it gets to stay. It's not a favourite but it has definite strong points in its favour.
It is a Euphobia and the sap is an irritant. I have been careful with mine so I can't tell you how bad it is but proceed with caution.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Spring
All Andrew's Plants has moved to AllAndrewsPlants.wordpress.com
You can find this post here on my new site for the full post and to leave comments.
Spring comes late for me. Even today my yard is covered in snow (it apparently hit 14 degrees Celcius, that's 57 Farenheit).
(That also happens to be the full extent of my front yard, viewed out my bedroom window)
I took that picture at 12:30 this afternoon. By mid summer the sun will reach all the way to the bottom of that picture (Where garden ends and bricks start) and I can grow full sun plants no problem, as long as they don't need a hot spring or long growing season, because that's not something I can give them. Keep in mind as you look at that picture that that is considerably less snow than I'm normally dealing with at this time of year.
On the plus side you can see the most amazing Crab apple across the street. In April it will be covered in white flowers even when my yard may still have snow.
You can find this post here on my new site for the full post and to leave comments.
Spring comes late for me. Even today my yard is covered in snow (it apparently hit 14 degrees Celcius, that's 57 Farenheit).
(That also happens to be the full extent of my front yard, viewed out my bedroom window)
I took that picture at 12:30 this afternoon. By mid summer the sun will reach all the way to the bottom of that picture (Where garden ends and bricks start) and I can grow full sun plants no problem, as long as they don't need a hot spring or long growing season, because that's not something I can give them. Keep in mind as you look at that picture that that is considerably less snow than I'm normally dealing with at this time of year.
On the plus side you can see the most amazing Crab apple across the street. In April it will be covered in white flowers even when my yard may still have snow.
Vriesea flower
All Andrew's Plants has moved to AllAndrewsPlants.wordpress.com
You can find this post here on my new site for the full post and to leave comments.
Green/yellow flowers emerge from dark red/brown bracts on this Vriesea hybrid (March 2009)
This is a picture I found recently while going through my archives.
The pups are developing slowly (my fault, too dry for a while) but the mother plant's holding on very well so I've got lots of time still to do a better job looking after it.
You can find this post here on my new site for the full post and to leave comments.
Green/yellow flowers emerge from dark red/brown bracts on this Vriesea hybrid (March 2009)
This is a picture I found recently while going through my archives.
The pups are developing slowly (my fault, too dry for a while) but the mother plant's holding on very well so I've got lots of time still to do a better job looking after it.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Wish list addition: Euphorbia lactea
All Andrew's Plants has moved to AllAndrewsPlants.wordpress.com
You can find this post here on my new site for the full post and to leave comments.
Today I saw a fantastic White/Grey/Crested Euphorbia lactea. It was big, maybe in an 8" pot and very full. What surprised me most (other than the size on a Grey/White Euphorbia lactea) was how little light it would be getting. It's in a basement, away from any windows and apparently it's been there for a long time (years? I don't know). It was starting to grow two new green crests.
I don't remember if it looked exactly like this or not. It wasn't very different but maybe it was green instead of pink at the tip.
(Photo by graftedno1 used under CC license from here.)
I don't think I'm going to go right out and buy one but don't be surprised if I end up with one one of these days. It'll be small though. One time at work we had a big green crested plant for $99 (5 gallon pot?). It was beautiful but way out of my price range.
You can find this post here on my new site for the full post and to leave comments.
Today I saw a fantastic White/Grey/Crested Euphorbia lactea. It was big, maybe in an 8" pot and very full. What surprised me most (other than the size on a Grey/White Euphorbia lactea) was how little light it would be getting. It's in a basement, away from any windows and apparently it's been there for a long time (years? I don't know). It was starting to grow two new green crests.
I don't remember if it looked exactly like this or not. It wasn't very different but maybe it was green instead of pink at the tip.
(Photo by graftedno1 used under CC license from here.)
I don't think I'm going to go right out and buy one but don't be surprised if I end up with one one of these days. It'll be small though. One time at work we had a big green crested plant for $99 (5 gallon pot?). It was beautiful but way out of my price range.
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