Christmas 2017 chores
 

I have a sore throat and cough, so did not go to the Christmas celebration to which I was invited. Instead I spent the day working on an area of my front garden near the driveway. I removed all the pots and straightened up the gravel area.

I drastically pruned an Opuntia macrocentra cactus I have shown here before, which has been turned into a pack rat midden, severely damaging the plant. This clone has very long spines, black at the base and white at the tips. The stem segments (called pads by hobbyists and cladodes by botanists) turn from dull green in summer to bright purple in cold weather. It is a very hardy species if grown on a raised and extremely well-drained mound. Hardy succulent growers grow it far north into the US.

I have about 30 cuttings, from quite small to quite large. I'm guessing it would bloom in a standard 1 gallon nursery container, but it would sprawl well past the container rim at blooming size. It needs full sun in summer, and as much winter light as possible. Indoors in the warmth it probably wouldn't turn purple in winter. If anybody wants cuttings, PM me. I don't mind holding them until warmer weather. They will have rooted by then. I recall gngrhill wanted one. I will take most of the extras to the January meeting of the Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society.

I moved an 8' x 3' / 2.4m x 0.9m bench to the spot. I put my winter-growing bulbs on the bench.

Due to our very warm and dry fall and early winter, things have just begun growing. Lachenalia rubida (Hyacinthaceae) is always the first Lachenalia to flower. It doesn't look good this year due to the late start. The inflorescence should be three times as long, with at least 20 flowers. Many Lachenalia are very fragrant, but not this one. The plant with frilly leaves next to it is an Oxalis.

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I have a lot of different South African bulbs including Albuca, Lachenalia, Moraea, Oxalis, and four big Drimia (Urginia) maritima. Most I have grown from seed imported (with proper permits) from Silverhill Seeds in Cape Town. I grow them in builder's sand in polyfoam drinking cups. The longer they can stay growing in the spring, the bigger they are the following year. Sun on plastic pots forces them into dormancy very early. Most are in 20 ounce cups, which are 6" / 15.25cm tall and 3" across at the top.

It was getting dark when I finished, so these are very poor photos. I will try to get better photos in the light.

The pots on the ground are either rain lilies (Habranthus and Zephyranthes) or various forms of garlic. The vermin leave those alone. My soil is too rocky to plant garlic, so I have to grow it in a raised bed or containers.

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In this photo you can make out the Lachenalia rubida in front of the large terra-cotta pot. I had saffron crocus in the large pot, but they didn't flower the past two falls, and their leaves haven't emerged this year. I suspect they are gone. If that is the case I will put something else in there.

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Feel better but I'm thinking how really good you feel about getting to these chores! Most of what you grow here I'm not familiar with but your knowledge of all the plants is wonderful to read about. Happy New Year.

I'm glad you got all that done but if your throat soreness persist particularly if there is fever and headache please see a doctor. And get some rest.:)

Thanks, no fever, no headache. Just a cold. And I don't trust doctors. They just push pills.

Good work, ES! Everything's done!:bowing

It it serves as consolation I also have a sore throat, cough and can't smell anything.:((
We, people that need to travel to see some snow, have this problem in winter.:biggrin:

I agree that some of them do that. But some do not. Please forgive me, I am not trying to tell you or anyone here how to run their life. I am a retired nurse (school nurse) so sometimes I just can't help myself:oops_sign

It's OK, Lucille, that means you're a responsible person. We like that around here.

Oh, pleeeze.....:rofl::evil:

---------- Post added at 04:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:44 PM ----------

That's very thoughtful, Lucille!

I'm so glad you got all that done. I too try and stay far away from doctors when I have a cold. Sorry Lucille they do have there place just not for that.

I think big pharma has to much push on them. Walla, we can't sell as many pain pills any more so lets lower the blood pressure numbers. Ok I need to stop I'm in a mood this morning.

No offense to anyone.

Shannon I absolutely agree with you. Education + power does NOT = ethics. But at the same time, there ARE some good doctors.
I recall in younger years when working in a poor inner city school, times that parents simply could not afford to buy prescription medication for their kids. So sometimes, I would just write a check to the local pharmacy as a gift to the child. Now there are CHIP programs and so on to help, but I do not know how long they will last under the current administration.
On the bright side, the Publix Grocery stores that are in some areas of the U.S. have a free medication program. It is only a handful of medications, and not any real expensive ones, but still, free is free.

So whenever you see bad guys, if you look around, you will also see good guys. They are not as easy to see because they are often quiet in their good deeds, but they are there.

I hope you are soon feeling better. I am sorry you had to miss your holiday gathering.

I know there are allot of good Doctors out there. I really believe people on there own need to educate themselves. That's a wonderful thing for you to have done for the poor children. The cost of health care itself needs to come down so people can do some for themselves. I don't know if it ever will but between lawyers and insurance company's they have gotten things way over blown.

Perhaps the new administration will finally help the poor inner city. Now that would be a good deed. :waving

ES, I hope you are feeling better by now. That was a lot of work you did. I envy you having that much energy, even when you're feeling under the weather.

Thanks all. There's so little time to do needed chores, there's no time to slack off.