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Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Go with the Floe

My ice plants are being a bit naughty in the garden. They are growing and growing and already spreading like crazy, squeezing out the other plants. To make matters worse, I bought a new kind of iceplant, and put it in the new fire ring in the courtyard. 

pretty red and yellow blooming iceplant

Now I'm afaid I've set into motion some kind of upcoming end-of-summer gladiator battle between the pale tangerine ice plants and the new red-ringed ice plants. The tangerine ice plants are fierce tigery plants, hale and hearty with extra-juicy "leaves." The more delicate red-and-yellow-blooming ice plants have little kitty-toe leaves. Well, I must protect the underdog, or in this case, the undercat! 

pale tangering ice plant bloom las cruces


Now, my ice plants have just put forth a few puny blossoms so far. When they hit their stride, in about two months or so, the entire plant will be covered with blooms, like so, or even moreso:

pretty iceplants new mexico

But for now, the single blooms here and there are the jewels of the garden!

ice plant bloom


That last photo is taken, literally, on the "nature table" by my courtyard window ("There she goes again, talking about her closet-sized courtyard, yap yap yap, aw shaddup."). I took all the things and the tin display pedestals I had on my nature table and put them on a table in the school's lobby yesterday. 

We are preparing for an accreditation visit, and every private school I've seen or worked in has had a nature table. The administrators were a bit doubtful, but when the students saw it, they went wild, predictably wanting to spend most of their time looking through the magnifying glasses at the wasp's nest and the mummified geckos and lizards. I had a wonderful mummified baby rattler, but a moment's inattention and there was a crunch and a half-barfing gulp and a guilty-but-proud look on the face of my chiweenie. He may have only three good legs, but he is as fast as lightning when anything foodish is involved.

I put a print of the toad I found in our garden plot, on the table, too. And just wanted to knock the two sisters' heads together when BOTH claimed they never heard of the "Toad Catcher" game mentioned in the last post. REALLY, LADIES? You argued about it for ten minutes right behind my chair! TOAD CATCHER, TOAD CATCHER! 

I also put some potted orange mint on the table, with instructions to pinch a leaf and then smell. I love to grow pot plants! Oh, that didn't come out right. No, plants in pots, I better say! Not the other!

It was strange to see the kids trying to smell the mint through their masks. What times we live in, yes?

I would look at the seeds on display with the magnifier. I have dozens of unusual seeds to examine. Would you look at the seeds, the hummingbird nest, the wasp nest, or the "mummies"? 


14 comments :

  1. How wonderful for the kids to see nature! I think I would look at it all always more amazing from a magnifier glass.
    Cathy

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  2. I love this idea! I have a hummingbird nest I found on the trail so I would look at that first! Happy day!

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  3. Please share your nature table. Sounds amazing.
    And the sisters...too funny!

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  4. That’s nice a nature table!
    I love your flowers they have such nice colours.
    The first one is really beautiful.

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  5. What a wonderful thing you did! Made this display, for the children to enjoy.

    The whole topic of MASKS in general, is horrible.

    But MASKS on CHILDREN, turns my stomach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    🌷🌷🌷

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  6. Did you take pictures of your table? Would love to see it.

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  7. That iceplant is so cool. What an unusual and pretty flower. I love the color of the tangerine one also. Since the Hummingbird is my beloved bird, I would definitely look at the Hummingbird nest first. The orange mint sounds delightful. I would use it for a tea. : )

    Have a good rest of of the week, Holly.

    ~Sheri

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    2. *I would have felt so bad to see the kids try to smell the mint through their masks. Children are so special, and them having to go to school during this time breaks my heart.

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  8. I've seen a LOT of ice plants in CA, but none had blooms on them. Yours are stunning. So glad you stuck with your guns and created that amazing display.

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  9. I would go straight for the monies would not even get near the wasp nest. Oh my God c h i w e e n i e. I nearly choked on laughter when I read that. I have never heard of these kind of flowers and they're absolutely beautiful I'm off now to investigate ice plants

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  10. What a nice way for kids to learn. I love both colors of ice plants. We call these rose moss here in Michigan, but another annual flower. Janice

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  11. I bet the kids enjoyed the learning experience!! Ice plants are pretty & hearty!! I think I like the salmon colored one better. Hug your chiweenie for me!!

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  12. I love your ice plants. Many years ago, back when I could still bend over to garden, I had ice plants. Mine surely weren't as happy as yours.

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