July raced by amidst a great deal of working for a dollar.  I turn around and nature has just been racing through its seasonal agenda, so a bit of a photo-documentary follows.  All these pictures are high-density, lots of detail when expanded.

First, a ‘stringybark’ – this is one of the Eucalytpus diaspora I have, showing now in it’s second year a bit of that characteristic.  Now there are many kinds of stringybark and I usually lose the sourcing on my seeds, so which one I’m not sure, nonetheless:

 

Moving along, we find an update on the Encephalartos horridus, where last month I had expressed the hope a new stalk would be coming this year.

 

 

While at adjacent places on the deck, the young jackfuit tree keeps thriving – needs and presently will get a dedicated pot.

 

And just turning 180 degrees, the problematic lulos.  I really want these to flower and fruit and it seems that despite the various environments I try them in, and while they go through thrivings and die-backs, that I don’t have the secret.  Maybe it’s just that I can’t well mimic mountainous rainforest conditions – I don’t know.

 

Nearby, getting a little summer sun and enjoying it though, except that it’s leaves fry when we get greater than a sunny 90, is the macadamia.  I picked up a few nuts on the big island with my younger daughter in 2010.  One of them sprouted and has not looked back.

 

Next to that an herb that is good in omelettes, in sausage, in sauce – purslane.  Grows like a weed, only sprouts in high heat.  Look around, you’ll find it growing somewhere near.  I’ve added it to my cooking in the last few years and am pleased with it.

 

Notice behind it too the wild solanum nigrum – some call it nightshade and if so, so what – the deadly one is atropa belladona.  Do your research, of course.  This one, or a close variant, is also often called wonderberry.  I’ve added it to my cooking as well and preserves made of it – it’s a fabulous thing, a purple berry that’s built like a pea-sized tomato, is sweet and juicy. worth knowing. Easy to find in disturbed waste edges pretty much anywhere. General remarks about foraging must include the caution to pay very good attention and proceed carefully.

While we’re on the subject of solanums at the edge I must mention solanum aviculare:

 

yep, that’s that mottled thing in the picture, next to its cousin the thorny porcupine tomato I’ve previously introduced.  I got some seeds of these from Down Under a couple of years back (2009), they sprouted well, grew well – I have tales of the wintering of the plants, the getting of them to bear fruit, etc, etc, yet to tell, the research to decide if they, known as ‘kangaroo apples’ are or are not poisonous.  Aboriginals eat them when fully ripe, so there’s evidence they’re ok at least at some point.  I’ve eaten them when fully ripe and some say to make salsa of them.  All in all they don’t taste too special but I suppose if survival is the question taste is less of a question.  Thing is this particular motley plant surprised me because it sprouted by itself, from fallen fruit from the previous year, not something I though would happen.  When I save the fruit it’s made and next year plant those seeds I’ll be going into fifth generation North American kangaroo apples – practically vintage, as these things go.

OK, so leaving the bottomless subject of solanum then, a little freak of a euphorbia comes next, growing these last two years behind the palm tree.

 

All that triune wonder at the top with the red edges is new.  It spent almost two years before deciding to grow, so I was not sure if it was just a suspended animation sort of plant.

And finally off the deck we go – not quite a walkabout if we don’t walk about.  First we come to the surprise of the year, a ‘swan melon’ that seeks to dominate the world.  I’ve had at most sporadic luck with squash across the years but this one seems to thrive on hardship.  It has taken over more than its share – and of course, just to be ironic, not a fruit has it borne – as yet it’s an aggressive nuisance.

 

This can be walked past, though, without too much danger – or at least I was able to pass it – perhaps it had had lunch already.

Around to the other side, a tree whose story was told in Resurrection Oak:

connects me each time I behold it.

Now there are some obligatory shots.  As I said in July the platycodon was late.  It did finally arrive

 

And it would not be August if one did not stalk and photograph a dragonfly

 

that one is on a Montauk daisy leaf.

I’ve got two shots of rue – suitable for wallpaper if you like – the intent is deliver the benefits of rue (ruta graveolens) – in ancient times it was hung in doorways to keep evil spirits out, so please, download as wallpaper if you think it will help.

 

 

And I know this is just one of those things that goes on forever but I’ve saved the best for last – the Zombie Cat Pig – yes, that’s right.  Well, ok, it’s really only a stone Zombie Cat Pig, but it should serve as word (or an image) to the wise.