RKayne's Blog
RKayne's April 2007 Entries
Last Post 109 days, 3 hours Ago
Apr 30, 2007 | 2:20 PM PST
Tag: Pride of Barbados
Alright so I will NEVER EVER Again try to sprout my Pride of Barbados without my Drop Down Full Spectrum Light setup! NEVER.
Here it is, the only survivor.
Apr 30, 2007 | 2:18 PM PST
Tag: peace lily
Seems fine to me, now...
Apr 30, 2007 | 2:15 PM PST
Tags: Pieris Japonica , Japanese Aucuba , lilac , tulips , cherry , bonsai
OK, so I am not sure what flowering tree is what, as I have ID'd the east coast ones, they are not the same here! I have a couple nice trees in my yard, I think at least one is a cherry LOL and I have a lilac as well as a Pieris Japonica, Japanese Aucuba, and now a place for my Bonsai besides them being scrunched all on a patio. I like the tulips but must figure out what to put there that will be appreciated year round (and cheap...this IS a rental).
p>
Apr 24, 2007 | 12:23 PM PST
Tags: Wisteria , Black Dragon , cuttings
OK, This guy must not notice much! Where I got the cuttings of wisteria, he insisted it was WHITE. Well, I prefer Black Dragon, the purple, and it seems that is what I got! 
As the picture shows, that is PURPLE!!!
And here is my favorite so far, a true keeper!
Apr 24, 2007 | 12:10 PM PST
Tags: Miniature Rose , bloom
Hmm, indoors, mini rose...I haven't killed it yet! It is blooming for the first time since I got it (and YOU know they COME with blooms, why else would ya buy it). 
p>
Apr 24, 2007 | 11:38 AM PST
I sowed Triple Curl Parsley (some will go between my tomatoes, they really do have a great effect when planted together) Garlic Chives, Spicy Globe Basil and Genovese Basil (salad leaf-like) yesterday. I like to use cardboard flats to do this with, then transfer the sprouts as they start going...but I had that classic problem. Too many seeds...so...looking around the yard I realized that I could just put them 'here and there'...so I did. On another note, My girl loves Lavender, so we grabbed her a Provencal Lavender and put it is a spot close to the back door on the patio.
Apr 24, 2007 | 11:25 AM PST
Tags: tomatoes , over grown , grass , weeds , bulbs , garden fork , Early Girl , Beef Steak , Cherry Tomato , Vermicompost , Worm Castings , blackberries , spiders , Sugar Snap Peas , Till , Full Sun
So, 2 days of work.
The first day clearing half of the overgrown mess, the second day
tilling in some worm castings (vermicompost).
This is all hand done, due to lack of space & equipment, haha…My
honey did get her garden fork back so that is what I worked with. Weeds, grass, various bulbs that I have no
use for…some volunteer blackberries (bane of the PNW) and spiders…and here I
have some garden space. This is only
half done, but the hardest part has been done, IMHO. I planted some Tomato’s, an Early Girl,
Beefsteak and a Cherry. I plan on
putting in some Sugar Snap Peas after I build a trellis for them. Personally? I
think I should have a ‘Get Out of Hell Free’ card for doing this…it IS a rental
house, after all! Check out the pics, tell me what YOU think! This spot does get FULL sun, so at least it will produce!
Before:
After:
Tomatoes:
Apr 23, 2007 | 9:38 AM PST
Tags: Tomato , organic , garden fork , bulbs , spiders , jalapeno , Ladybugs , Praying Mantis , overgrown
Ok, so...grass, and a garden fork. Bulbs that do not need to be there...LOTSA spiders, me telling the youngest who was helping me by going back and forth the the yard waste bin for me (wait till I get the pics downloaded) that SPIDERS ARE GOOD, I am the organics kind of gal. He was like...ok...um...spiders good, fine but don't make me touch them! Haha. Kids. He did enjoy the ladybugs though, happy happy JOY JOY, I have breeding ladybugs! He held a couple (not the breeding ones!!) but I did point those out to my Partner because nothing is better than baby ladybugs! Well, maybe some baby praying mantis...my next want on my list. I will get a couple of Mantis egg sacks (love hatching them). So, after a nice back breaking session, the spot is HALF done and not completely done. All I want to get DONE right away is the spot for a couple of Tomato plants...I have not had fresh tomato's (at least out of my OWN yard) for quite some time. As soon as I get the pics downloaded (killed the batteries taking pics, hehe) I will post them. This spot, omg....way too left alone, and it looks like the onyy thing that has been planted there has been flowers and I want veggies, so if I have to recondition a garden spot at a rental house, I am GOING to have VEGGIES, dammit. lol. All I can say is. Ow. If it were not for the garden fork that my Sweetie has, I would not have gotten anything done, lol. Would have been POTTED maters. I got a Jalapeno that will be in a pot, just haven't decided how big of a pot. So, next week, maybe I will get that overgrown MESS finished.
Here is the Jalapeno,
Apr 19, 2007 | 2:45 PM PST
Tags: banana , corm , sprout
My first Banana Corm has sprouted, they said 'Up to a YEAR'...a year...omg...I was thinking it would be forever, and it may be, but here it is, 3 months or so AND I HAVE ONE! I will snap a pic soon, I have rather a few pictures to take and post, it seems!
Apr 19, 2007 | 12:04 PM PST
Tags: Grass , garden fork , tulip bulbs , peony
So, my little patch o'grass will start to become something next weekend...ok maybe the NEXT. My Partner has a garden fork she left at an ex's...it was amicable so we are going to go pick it up next weekend and that will REALLY save my back...this patch is solid grass so will take a LOT of work, not to mention moving the tulip bulbs! The other thing we are going to do is there is a Peony planted there that was part of my Partners Grandmothers so we are retrieving that as well and we will probably pot it in a big pot for ease of transport until we get our own house, rather than renting (and she can move it easier if she decides to dump me ;) )
Apr 9, 2007 | 4:20 PM PST
Tags: yard , veggies , tulips , weed , grass , till , vermicompost , blackberries , PNW
Here is a pic of the bit o' yard I get to plant my veggies, I have already decided where to move those Tulips :D I have to weed out all that grass (and some blackberries, bane of the PNW) and till it, the I will vermicompost it.
And for some comic relief, our cats are looking forward to moving as well :D
Apr 6, 2007 | 2:19 PM PST
Tags: Japanese Elm , Cotoneaster
LOL, not quite what the title implies, eh?
I got a pic of my Japanese Elm and Cotoneaster.
Apr 6, 2007 | 1:35 PM PST
Tags: frost , bonsai , pot , rock , project , wisteria , rock layering
So, this is what I am going to do during the course of the year, my BIG project for the year. I am going to take THIS rock :
And I am going to put one of these White Wisteria Bonsai on it:
I have two of them that are cascading over and don't know which one to do it to. What I need to do is take the one I want and put it in a DEEP pot for awhile, then take it OUT of the pot and put it on the rock where I want it (towards the bottom in a crevice) with a bit of peat in the crease of the rock and the roots all over the place, haha. Then I will bury the whole thing in course sand for about a year. Then it will be ready...not a slow project but I can already see it in my head and am thinking it could be less than a year as I decided to use wisteria. I have had this rock for almost 5 years now waiting for the right project, so I know it is frost proof.
Apr 5, 2007 | 11:07 AM PST
Tags: vermiculture , worm , vegetable garden , schefflera , carrot , tomato , wisteria , beans , peas , african violet , maple , hardy , prayer plan
So I get a veggy patch! WOOT! We move next weekend so I won't be much online for about 4 days (I won't be able to help but to login now and then, keeps the work email lighter and we are going to get Clearwire). First thing I will do is weed it, till it and work the vermiculture (worm poo) in. I plan on tomatoes, runner beans, some peas and maybe corn. If I have room left, I will put carrots in. I can't wait to get started, but my Bonsai's will take precedence as the move will not be kind. I have a lot of white wisteria cuttings that will have to be babied after the move as they will most likely shift in the transfer. I plan on sitting in the back seat with them to minimize this from occurring, but figure it will take a bit more than just the move to harm them for wisteria is notorious in it's hardiness! The maples will ride well, I am sure...the real fun part will be for C to find a new spot for her African Violets, she has two really healthy ones and they love where they are at, but I understand they are rather picky about their permanent living spot, so I bet she will have to move them...alot...till she finds the perfect spot for them ;) I do have a few schefflera cuttings that 'followed me home' recently, but it is almost impossible to kill them. The one cutting I worry about at this time is a prayer plant cutting I have. It is alive so that is all that matters right now, right?
Apr 5, 2007 | 9:20 AM PST
Tags: minature rose , bloom , cat , peace lily , nitrogen , max , tree , climb
My Mini Rose has a bloom starting, I am so going to bring in my camera...success with a plant I never thought I could grow well, but hey, I saw it this morning so no doubt it is a happy rose! Now I just need to get the peace lily happy, I had it up in a relatively dark shelf as my CAT, Max would eat it, so I brought it to the office for safety, and it will get happy now, I am sure it can use some nitrogen. Here is Max climbing his first tree! He will be a year old in May.
Apr 4, 2007 | 5:00 PM PST
Tags: peace lily , nitrogen
I think my peace lily needs nitrogen.
Apr 4, 2007 | 4:29 PM PST
Tags: tomato , juniper , rhododendron , vegetable , garden , bonsai , landscape , japanese maple , yard , plant , sun
So it may be a rental, but it does have a garden area. Looks like we have decided to take the more expensive place, but we will have room to vegetable garden and I will have plenty of space to keep my Bonsai's. The only real downfall of the 'mature landscaping' is it has massive junipers and rhododendrons. Not particularly my favorite, and I will not have much option on how the yard looks...it does have two fireplaces and a great kitchen ( I GET GAS!!!) I do like the setup, but really REALLY wish it had a master bathroom. The boys will HAVE to use the downstairs bathroom because we are NOT going to have to clean the bathroom every five minutes in case someone drops by ;) Good news is the side of the house that has the veggy patch is in FULL sun, so I may be one of the only people who has ever had success with tomatoes in the Seattle area! If we get this house, I will so be taking pictures! Maybe I will be able to talk them into letting me plant one of my Japanese Maple Bonsai's...set it FREE, it would be such a boon to a yard as 'simple' as this one is, at this time.
Apr 4, 2007 | 4:05 PM PST
Tags: bonsai , tree , japanese maple , cutting , repotting , Seattle
I have a couple Japanese Maples set aside for MamabearBSA and Mainegal because they cost SO much away from here (Seattle area) that are 3 years old. They will be getting a couple baby maples as well, but I wanted to make sure they get to take something back with them that is established and there is nothing more beautiful than a Japanese Maple Bonsai! I will take pictures of them soon, as well and update...at the very least they will be able to see the tree's that are going home with them! I have some before and after pics so they get to see how drastic a cutting the tree's will take as I have been informed by them both that they are concerned about how tough they are. I will put it this way, they are 3 years old, and I am just NOW going to repot them! A bonsai, as average, will be repotted at least once a year, but Japanese Maples THRIVE on neglect! So, on that note, here are some of my Japanese Maples at three years old. I have before and after pictures with the winter growth and then their 'spring/summer coat' :D So now is where i get to tease Mamabear and Mainegal....as these are some of My personal babies, hehe...
Before :
After :
Apr 4, 2007 | 3:57 PM PST
Tags: miniture rose , phosphorous , banana , fruit flies , peace lily
I have a mini rose, I got it for Christmas and I know nothing about them AT ALL. So I figured, why the heck not? If it dies, I will just plant something ELSE in the pot :D. Well, it lives, it lives in the office right now along with a peace lily and a plant I should put on an ID thread! It not only lives, but it is FLOURISHING. Have yet to see blooms other than the ones that were on it when I got it, but I figure some phosphorous should do it. I will take a picture of it soon and keep an update going on it's progress! I was told banana peels are good for roses, but I don't think I will try that one in the office! Last thing we need is fruit flies all over the place.
Apr 4, 2007 | 3:46 PM PST
Tags: Maple , bonsai , tree
I recently had a large amount of baby maples 'follow me home' as I love to bonsai, this is fortunate :D I love to bonsai almost any tree but for the maples there is a plan. We have a NW GTG planned and they will have future homes when I take a bunch of them down for a 'training course', an VERY quick one, albeit, but they will be happy tree's! Maples will bonsai just as readily as any other tree and can be very beautiful in the process.
Apr 4, 2007 | 3:36 PM PST
Tags: bonsai , cotoneaster , grow , green , tree , flower , clematis , ponderosa , pine , garden , show
Everything green and growing! I loves all kinds of plants, trees and flowers. Right after the holidays I went and bought a whole bunch of exotic seeds to start her own. I love to bonsai as well. So, my Partner, C bought me and her mom tickets to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. (yep, her mom's a plant freak too)!
We had a really great time! We were there for most of Saturday, ooohing and aaahing over everything there. I bought two bonsai trees (one Japanese Elm and one cotoneaster ) and she bought some lavender and lemon grass products (soap and body spray, yum!). I took a ton of pictures, here are a few of my favorites...
