Coral Un-Sea-sonably Hot

It's the middle of October, and the weather in Redondo Beach is in the low 80's! To me, that means it time to garden...of course, that's what time it is every spare minute. Nevertheless, I decided to replant some of the front yard. The mealy bugs from the neighbor's yard had done a number on my plants there. I fought them the best that I could, but decided in the end to start fresh. So, I pulled out the most afflicted, and pruned aggressively those that could handle it. The best news there is that the peony which I thought was dying for no apparent reason, was actually just dropping some branches, and new ones were coming in at the nodes. Anyway, I picked up some new inhabitants for the front yard. I have high hopes of course, especially for something I had never seen before. It's called 'Hairy Balls'...yep. Gomphocarpus physocarpus.

Every time I go to the garden store I check the back where they keep the vines. I found some passi's there. They had P. x belotii, P. edulis, and 'Coral Sea' (manicata x ?) in stock. All were healthy with fruit and flowers on most. I couldn't resist, and picked up a 'Coral Sea'. I had an empty pot after all. The only question was where to put it. I decided to put it in the front yard and lean it tendrils on the palm tree growing there. My friend from the Facebook Passiflora group promises me that it will climb up over the house and strangle all the plants on the block. I look forward to that!

Blue Seed Group

I've harvested a few of the 'Blue-Eyed Susan' x 'Blue Boquet' seeds now. They're sticky little things. Since scooping them free of their shells, I've dried them, and freed them from their casings. They're in baggies now awaiting their sowing. I'll have to read up on the best ways to do this before I lose patience and just jam them in the dirt. Wish me luck!

Alata Patience

I've been impressed with the size of my P. alata 'Ruby Glow' (see edit at end of this entry). Late this Summer it took off up one of the legs of the pergola, over the top, and then on a direct diagonal across. Very recently, I noticed that there were a few buds on the main vine. I was as excited as I was surprised, since P. alata doesn't typically bloom the season that it's planted! The leaves look healthy, the tendrils are tentaculous (I made that word up), and now I might get some spectacular Fall flowers. I won't hold my breath though in case the buds are dropped, which is what happened to my P. trisecta.

Well...it turns out that 'Ruby Glow' is actually P. x decaisnean a cross of P. alata x P. quadrangularis. I discovered this vicariously through a very well informed passie friend in the Facebook passion flower group. He noted that 'Ruby Glow' has smaller, less wild, more purple coronal filaments. I agreed, posted the discovery on the Facebook page, and the other experts agreed. So, that's a mixed bag revelation. On one hand, I didn't get what I ordered from Logee's. On the other, I got a spectacular plant with fruit which are rumored to be delicious. I did try to pollinate the blossoms before I knew what I really had. The first with P. racemosa and the second with 'Blue-Eyed Susan'. I'll have to wait to see if I get a delicious reward!

Update: Nope.

Exoniensis Escapade

I took the little path between my house and the condominium complex when I walked home from the grocery today. When I got to the fence that I share with them, I checked out the tops of my bamboo. But, something else caught my eye. Something pink and pendulous was hanging from the bamboo. It was Passiflora exoniensis!! More specifically, it was a withered bloom that I had missed, and when I checked the ground around it, I found one that had dropped!! So I had missed at least two of my first tacsonia blooms!

Well, I pried its wiry grip off of the bamboo and slung it back over the fence the other way toward my pergola. I came around the house, and situated it properly, so that when the next bloom comes to fruition, I'll be sure to see it. What a pity that I missed the others, but at least it's in full health even if it seems to want to run away from home. So, once again, I wait for my first tacsonia blossom.

Laced with Nightshades

I've been patiently waiting for P. trisecta to open (at night) for a few weeks since I returned from my extended time away from home. This morning when I inspected the largest bud to make sure that I didn't miss it, I found an tiny little carnivorous lacewing resting. I still haven't figured out why the plant smells of tomatoes when it's rustled -  a very strange trait.

Update: The bud dropped without ever opening, and I do not know why. I guess I'll wait again.

Race to Racemosa

I was running the first ever Ragnar Colorado, a 189 mile foot race from Breckenridge to Snowmass with my 11 teammates this weekend. Before I left, I noticed that I'd almost certainly miss the first bloom of Passiflora racemosa. Sure, enough, when I returned I found an obviously post-bloomed bud wilted on the ground. But, true to its name there were plenty of other buds on the raceme. So, my first day back I was rewarded with a new flower opening to the Southern sun.

I purchased this beauty from Logee's. It was listed as P. racemosa 'Pink', but in discussing this name with a fellow passi-lover, I've since determined that the name little more than a description and not a true registered name. So, now I go to the Passiflora society to determine this one's proper name! More to come!

The results are in, and not much to my surprise the consensus seems to be P. racemosa 'buzios', which isn't a hybrid of course. Instead it's a cultivar with pink flowers instead of red. Case closed, and bud dropped.

Skipping and Sipping

I've always liked these little butterflies. Only recently did I try to figure out what they are. They have distinct triangular wings that the fold when they land. They actually buzz around when the fly in their darting patterns. I think they're Pelopidas (aka Skipper) butterflies. This one is tonguing my 'Blue-eyed Susan'.