Summer Humming

It's a hot one today by Redondo Beach standards; easily into the mid 80's. I trimmed up the Passiflora vines on the pergola because Fall is approaching and I don't need them to get too clustered and consequently sick. Anyway, I was admiring my work when a humming bird came into the yard, took a few drinks from P. racemosa 'buzios', and then landed well very close to me. I was certain if I moved to get the camera that it would zip away, but despite that certainty, I went for it. Sure enough, when I came back with camera already zoomed and in front of my face, it was gone. Then it came right back! It landed a total of three times and I was able to get very close so long as I moved slowly and kept the camera in front of my face. Apparently, they're smart enough to recognize that a face means danger. This was a very cool ending to August.

Yellow is a Bee's Best Friend

A third Passiflora cirrhiflora bud opened today and of course I went bonkers with the camera. I got some good shots including one in particular when a honey bee landed on the corona and took a look around. Since the bee populations have taken a nose dive due to what is referred to as colony collapse disorder, which is just a phrase for something for which no one can agree upon the cause, it's rare to see them. But lately, I've noticed with the citrus smell from P. cirrhiflora, there are a few more bopping about.

Greenhouse

Recently my father and I built a greenhouse in my back yard to replace the flower house that I had originally put up there. The flower house was great last winter. I set it up with the trashcan filled with water and an aquarium heater; some grow lights, and it performed marvelously. Granted, the Winter in Redondo Beach isn't all that severe, but it was warm enough inside to sprout seeds and keep my equatorial species (e.g. P. cirrhiflora and P. serrato-digitata) happy. However, the sun and my constant egress through the zippered door was too much, and it slowly became dilapidated. This Spring I hatched the plan to buy a green house, but there aren't any made for a 5'x5' space that are also free standing. I entertained having one custom built, but the cost of that endeavor was too high. So, this Summer I started thinking about building one. I eventually landed on a supplier for 10 mm thick, twin wall polycarbonate panels for the glazing. To assemble it I purchased a router with a bit large enough to cut a channel in the frame in which the polycarbonate would nest snugly. I purchased some hinges for the door and the roof, which opens using an automatic opener when the temperature is high enough to extend wax filled piston. At my mother's direction I caulked the upward facing edges for the frame to prevent water from rotting out the pressure treated wood. A little weather stripping around the lid and door frame sealed it up except for a pass through for a hose that feeds a mister and an extension cord that powers the fan and lights. I used some plastic scaffolding that was intended for a modular cat tree to build shelves along with some left over polycarbonate. To keep the door shut I attached some magnetic latches to the door and frame. It looks and works great so far. There are already a bunch of seedlings inside. I'll keep monitoring the temperature to make sure the opener is doing its job.

Thanks mom and dad for all the help!

Passiflora Cirrhiflora in Bloom!

It finally happened the day after my first original hybrid opened. Passiflora cirrhiflora opened early on a Monday morning that I happened to be taking off from work. I was up early to catch it beginning to open. The yellow inside was mimicking the sunrise, and when I inspected it after an hour more of sleep, it was open in full glory. There's not much more to say that wouldn't be gilding the passie.

Whip it in the Bud

It's the middle of August. It's not exceptionally warm, but the sun is still high, and the days are still long. Despite this it seems to be taking forever for my two most anticipated buds to open. One is, of course, is P. cirrhiflora. It has several large and small buds on it, but the largest of all is shaping up and beginning to show color through the sepals. That seems like a good sign, but I know that if I hold my breath in hopes that it opens this weekend - I'll pass out. The other is my hybrid, potentially my first to be registered and named. So, that's big for me, and it could be special beyond that and have potential collector value. I'd be perfectly happy with the first of these attributes. I have no clue when that will open, but it may be on the same day as P. cirrhiflora, which would make for one great day to be sure.

Big Red

The highlight summer for the last two seasons has been seeing P. x decaisnea in bloom. The first one opened today, and I took a few dozen pictures in the early marine layer haze.

Passiflora Inventora

Container 1:

• P. holosericea 
• P. 'Manta' (xiikzodz × coriacea) 
• P. foetida 'urbaniana' 

Container 2:

• P. parritae 

Container 3:

• P. × decaisnea (alata × quadrangularis) 
• P. 'Blue-Eyed Susan' (incarnata × edulis) × (incarnata × cincinnata) 
• P. 'Lady Margaret' (coccinea × incarnata) 
• P. 'Saphire' (edulis × caerulea) 

Container 4:

• P. racemosa 'buzios' 
• P. × belotii (alata x caerulea) 

Container 5:

• P. x 'exoniensis' (antioquiensis × tripartita var. mollissima) 

Container 6:

• P. 'Sunburst' (gilbertiana × jorullensis) 

Container 7:

• P. trisecta 

Container 8:

• P. 'Raspberries and Cream' (gritensis x subpeltata)

Container 9:

• P. cirrhiflora 

Container 10:

• P. loefgrenii 

Container 11:

• P. membranacea 

Container 12:

• P. 'Blue-Eyed Susan' x 'Blue Bouquet' 
• P. actinia x (sidifolia x actinia) 
• P. glandulosa 

Container 13:

• P. nephrodes 

Container 14:

• P. serrato-digitata 
• P. luzmarina x ? 
• P. matthewsii 

Container 15:

• P. Donna Brigham ( ? x pinnatistipula) 

In the Ground:

• P. tarminiana 
• P. edulis flavicarpa 

Little pots for little plants

• P. gritensis 
• P. tarminiana 'alba' 
• P. lindeniana 
• P. tulae 
• P. umbilicata 
• P. morifolia 
• P. sidifolia x (miersii x kermensia) 
• P. Mission Dolores 
• P. Mission Dolores x antioquiensis
• P. macrocarpa
• P. Cherry Tart (cupraea x (P. yucatanensis and P. biflora))
• P. subrotunda

Collage

I collected lots of pollen today by cutting down the blooms that emerged. Prior to neutering all of them, although they were already decapitated, I made a little collage.

Donna Brigham the Raspberries and Cream

Today I was at the nursery again. [Cue dramatic music] I found P. Donna Brigham and P. Raspberries and Cream. I had to Google 'DB' and it looked like a very nice Tacsonia on my phone in the bright sunlight of early August. Just adjacent to that one was Raspberries and Cream, an obvious P. gritensis hybrid. Yep, I had to have that too. They both are in the front yard where P. Coral Sea drowned. I changed the pots to ones with holes in the bottom. I am rapidly running out of space. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to make some hard decisions soon if this coming Autumn and Winter don't do it for me. Either that, or I need to figure out how to upside my yard, which I think means moving. I enjoy this hobby too much to just stop collecting.

As soon as Donna Brigham blooms...it did!