Nungali Posted November 29, 2016 While I was away I lost one of my bigger fish to a black snake . I seen him snooping around there. Also I lost 3 and one of them getting large , spotted bristle nose catfish, all dead on the bottom (fish guy said they can eat this algae in the water that only affects them ) I replaced them with two new natives in the inside tank ; crimson spotted rainbow fish . I'll go native from nw on , as I had not realised how many amazing little native colorful fish there are .... and cold water, so no need to go tropical . 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kar3n Posted May 17, 2017 My Hibiscus is blooming like crazy and full of buds! Such a big, happy flower. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted May 17, 2017 2 new rainbow fish as got my bigger tank back * Turquoise Rainbow fish from New Guinea * The large tank was housing the axolotl , a friend 'looked after him ' while I was in hospital ...... he karked it somehow , for some reason . 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted May 18, 2017 (edited) What about dreamfish ? Also known as Nightmare Fish ..... a psychotropic fish that when eaten can give one nightmares . Hamilton ( from the TV doco 'Hamilton's Pharmacopeia' ) ate some in last week's episode . Later he told a fellow researcher ; "I woke up screaming 3 times during the night .... but it wasnt too bad . " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinogenic_fish Edited May 18, 2017 by Nungali 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted May 19, 2017 Yep, there are many aquatic animals that are very harmful and even deadly to humans if eaten or even touched. Beware the pretty box jellyfish. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted May 24, 2017 Well, no complaining about not getting any rain for a while. I have gotten some really good rain the past three days. All fifty of my 55 gallon drums are full and most of the pond areas are full as well. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kar3n Posted May 28, 2017 Anyone know what this is? It is vine-like with more papery than waxy petals. . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted May 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Kar3n said: Anyone know what this is? It is vine-like with more papery than waxy petals. . Possibly? a cultivar of Pachystachys lutea which is usually yellow but also comes in red .. shrimp plant 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Posted May 28, 2017 2 minutes ago, Stosh said: Possibly? a cultivar of Pachystachys lutea which is usually yellow but also comes in red .. shrimp plant That's what it looks like to me. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted May 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Kar3n said: Anyone know what this is? It is vine-like with more papery than waxy petals. . Familiar , I remember examining and feeling flowers just like that , no name , sorry. Anyway, yesterday's adventures out by the fish ponds beside the front path in to the cabin ..... that the hell is that on the ground (in the early predawn light ) ..... a kookaburra ! he didnt fly away but fluttered and rolled along the ground ..... oh O ! Appears to have a broken wing and bad leg. Right in front of the ponds. I have them set up so there isnt a direct dive line into, but I guess he tried to make it and hit something ? So I put him in a box with a blanket and warm water bottle, he spent the rest of the day in cabin, got the fire going to keep him warm, cold last night out there, I doubt he would have made it. This morning he was out the box and at the window ..... thats a good sign ... but, "Dude ! you cant fly ! " yesterday was Sunday, so most things closed. Another two hours vet in town should be open so I take him in there. They will treat native animals for free . Hang in there kooka ... won't be long now . Oh yeah ... the fish seem intact , they have a huge wooden plank overhang ledge to get under and some hollow concrete block 'caves' down on the bottom. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kar3n Posted May 28, 2017 16 minutes ago, Stosh said: Possibly? a cultivar of Pachystachys lutea which is usually yellow but also comes in red .. shrimp plant 13 minutes ago, Brian said: That's what it looks like to me. My son in law bought it a flea market and did not know what it is. I might know a lot about gardening and plant varieties, but I am by no means an expert. Thank you, thank you! http://floridata.com/Plants/Acanthaceae/Justicia brandegeana/13 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted August 30, 2017 And speaking of flowers (in the other thread) I went out front this morning and immediately noticed a Passion Vine flower had opened. First one after cutting the vine back earlier in the year. Beautiful scarlet red. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kar3n Posted August 30, 2017 1 minute ago, Marblehead said: And speaking of flowers (in the other thread) I went out front this morning and immediately noticed a Passion Vine flower had opened. First one after cutting the vine back earlier in the year. Beautiful scarlet red. Picture? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted August 30, 2017 1 minute ago, Kar3n said: Picture? No picture right now but it is the variety that is top-left of this collection. Spoiler https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=passion+flower+vine+pictures&id=E1ACA975862A2219661ACEC5AC43490382940E00&FORM=IQFRBA 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kar3n Posted August 30, 2017 Oh, that is gorgeous! I have a pot with a trellis I'd like to put a vine in. I am thinking I have found it . Thanks for sharing. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted August 31, 2017 Regarding fishes My experiment seems over. Tomorrow is the first day of spring and all fishies are alive and well . - The aquarium guy said I would need a heated a tank to keep them ...... nope ! Fish tank heater Schego 560 $94.00 ( and probably needed more battery power and another solar panel to run it ) 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted October 10, 2017 Gardens . The spring rains have finally started and everything has picked up . A special plant I have been cultivating ( because it loves it here , I bought one 4 years ago now I probably got about a dozen ) . It dies back when its cold so I dry them out and repot the rhizome each year and any extra nodules that have grown off that . Today I tipped out the dry pot from the mother plant , it had another 9 sprouting rhizomes coming out, so I potted them up to. I am ' Elephant Ear rich ' ! This year, the other plant should be huge, going by the size of its rhizome ! Xanthosoma Albo Marginata - ' Mickey Mouse ' Elephant Ear . .... ? 'deformed mouse ear ' that would be . ... but they do draw interest and attention. I also have had success with dwarf red variegated ginger plant that looks great growing around this one's base . ... and .... the rain has just started again ... with all my potted up new babies getting it 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 10, 2017 On 8/30/2017 at 7:36 PM, Kar3n said: Oh, that is gorgeous! I have a pot with a trellis I'd like to put a vine in. I am thinking I have found it . Thanks for sharing. Before planting any, consider that in some climates it is considered an invasive plant. It propagates via seed as well as new growth from the roots. It may naturally spread on its own if not regularly maintained. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 10, 2017 On 8/30/2017 at 9:26 PM, Nungali said: Regarding fishes My experiment seems over. Tomorrow is the first day of spring and all fishies are alive and well . - The aquarium guy said I would need a heated a tank to keep them ...... nope ! Yeah, some fish are able to acclimate to varying water temperatures if the changes are slow and gradual. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted October 19, 2017 More unusual stuff happening in my garden ; My green pitcher plants died during winter so I cut them back to the moss level ( they in a 'peat bog' pot ) . This spring they shot back up, looking very healthy but this weird stalk came up in them. Is it a flower stalk or an invader, It was hanging down with a ball on the end. then started to open this morning .... an intricate spiralling unfolding, but there is a type of ball underneath. I checked it on sunset and it looked shredded, Thinking insect attack, I googled some pics .... yep a flower ... but a strange one ! Here is the bud coming up with a higher one starting to open. Here is the 'shredded ' stage Didn't make much sense until I found this pic of a cross-section ; 'Open the pod bay doors Hal' . Hope I get fruit and seed . 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted July 19, 2018 I guess it's obvious I'm not out working in the gardens this morning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted September 28, 2018 Well, I went outside to do a little work in the gardens. I normally stop working when the temperature reaches 80 degrees. When I went outside the temperature was 80 degrees. I did water a few plants though because the temperature yesterday got up to 106 degrees. That sucks all the moisture out of the plants. Weeds are still growing well though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lost in Translation Posted September 28, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, Marblehead said: Weeds are still growing well though. People love grass and hate weeds. Maintaining the garden is a constant struggle. I have learned to love weeds and hate grass. Maintaining my garden is effortless. Too bad my neighbors hate me... Edited September 28, 2018 by Lost in Translation 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted September 29, 2018 (edited) That 'God-damned weed' that kept growing by my front door path turned out to be a remedy that stopped me going to hospital with kidney stone pain one night . All I could do was crawl , I made it out the front door and up the path, then I remembered about the qualities of that 'weed'. I chewed some up .... I was pain free, back in bed and asleep in 1/2 an hour . I love that weed ! Edited September 29, 2018 by Nungali 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
