A Simple Set of Container Gardens - Gardening and Hobby 36

Some of our neighbors have designed a simple set of container gardens can bring so much joy to our community.

Fig 01- Plants display around birdbath

They discovered a fast and easy way to display cut flowers in their container garden during this season.

One of a simple container garden is a set up one around a birdbath for a beautiful display at one of houses in the neighborhood. it looks stunning with the stem immersed in the birdbath

It's such an easy way to landscape without preparing a garden bed. Just grab some colorful coleus, begonias, or other plants in pots and arrange them around an object of interest.

Fig 02- Arrangement of plant and flowers

We love how a simple idea. Moreover, like other gardens, don't forget to water and fertilize regularly for a thriving little garden.

Fig 03- Several plants and blooming of Magnolia

Have any of you tried this before? Share your experiences and thoughts below!

# Previous postings:

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Flowers at the Walking Path side - Gardening and Hobby 35

We saw several flowers at the walking path side about sometimes ago. Quite pretty flowers.

Fig 01- A purple Daylily.

First, we didn't know who take care or do they just grow “volunteer” like our tomatoes and watermelon?:

- A Wild Watermelon Growing at Yards – Food Variety 33 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Ripening Wild Tomatoes from Yards - Gardening and Hobby 34 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Other days, after looking in details, we saw a sign on the flowers (close to bottom) which are ready for blooming.

Fig 02- A yellow Daylily

It means our assumption was wrong, the true is that someone take cares the flowers, they are not wild flowers.

Fig 03- We saw a sign on the flower, ready for blooming

We believe the flowers are “Daylily,” then confirmed by GoogleID, yes, they are Daylily.

Fig 04- A blooming one, Daylily.

Have a wonderful summer.

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- Crisis of Chicken’s meat and Eggs – Sign 31 | Tanza Erlambang Update

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Ripening Wild Tomatoes from Yards - Gardening and Hobby 34

We talked about volunteer (rough) plants in the backyards during warmer seasons. In our case, we have an unexpected watermelon plant which produced sweet fruit.

Fig 01– Some wild tomatoes

You may read the previous post:

- A Wild Watermelon Growing at Yards – Food Variety 33 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Recently, we have other volunteer plants, tomatoes. We believe “certain birds donated several plants this year from stealing tomatoes from our backyard garden last year or somewhere else recently.”

Love when that happens repeatedly. Is this exciting or what? We have about three tomato plants that are volunteers this year so far.

Fig 02- A Rose-breasted grosbeck

Based on internet searching, we may find there are plenty species of birds consume tomatoes.

Fig 03- A bluebird, sitting at the corner

We have noticed some of these birds visiting our yard. Just few examples are Rose-breasted grosbeck, Bluebird, Cardinal, Mockingbird and Robin.

Fig 04- The volunteer tomatoes

Few postings about birds at our neighborhood:

- A Ruby Crowned Kinglet – Critter 29 | Tanza

- The Female Kinglet at the Backyard – Critter 34 |

- Mockingbird’s Eggs Near my House – Critter 36 | Tanza

- An Indigo Bunting was Seen on Feeder – Critter 37 | 

Fig 05- Tomatoes start to ripe

Have you planted tomatoes?

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- Why are these Foods Stolen? - Food Variety 23

Wild Mushrooms on the Yards - Gardening and Hobby 33

We talked about edible mushroom at previous post:

- Edible Mushroom in the World – Food Variety 24 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Fig 01- A mushroom on the yard

We may wonder why are mushrooms either poison or edible ones growing “very happy” in our lawns.

Is mushroom on yards as indication of good or bad?

In fact, it is because our yard’s soil rich in organic material, just few examples are wood barks, age manure, multiple debris, wood chips, hay, yard debris and rotten leaves.

Then, Mushrooms will break down these organic material, hence make lawn’s soil more fertile.

Fig 02- A single mushroom

Another meaning that by breaking down process, mushrooms will improve plant’s production.

Fig 03- Mushrooms on the stump

So, mushroom is not harmful, but a good sign that our yard is healthy. Our plants will grow well.

Fig 04- A mushroom on the grass

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- Herbs Show at Our City Park – Sign 19 | Tanza Erlambang

- Demanding of Tofu was Increasing During Covid 19 Pandemic – Part 2 – Food Variety 21 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- A Blonde Squirrel at Our Backyard – Critter 16 | Tanza Erlambang Update

- Blooming of Freesia Flowers – Part 2 - Gardening and Hobby 25 | Tanza Erlambang Update

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Blooming of Zinnia Flowers - Gardening and Hobby 32

We failed to grow Zinnia from seeds to flowers last year due to several reasons, one of them was unstable weather condition.

Fig 01- Blooming of Zinnia.

Another reason that we have no experience, just try and fail. We start to grow again Zinnia in the small pots this year, and luckily we success to have beautiful blooming of Zinnia flowers.

There are bout 20 species Zinnias in the world. The flowers native to Mexico, Central America region, and the USA.

Many Zinnia flowers are found in the wild, just few species with hundred of hybrids are grown in the gardens or recreational parks in several countries around the globe.   

Fig 02- A kind of hybrid flower

We grew Zinnia where there were plenty of sun rays. Seeds just few inches below soil in the small pots, it is because light will stimulate seeds to germinate.

After several months, flowers grow and blooming. In our state, Zinnias are blooming around April to May.

Fig 03- Bright color of Zinnia flower

Have you experienced to grow Zinnia flowers?

# Previous postings:

- Cutting the Tree Before Hurricane Coming – Part 2 | Tanza Erlambang Update

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- Drinking Problem in the USA – Sign 18 | Tanza Erlambang Update

The Butterfly Milkweed Plants - Gardening and Hobby 31

The milkweed plants belong to the genus of Asclepias which have plenty species, about 140 kind of plants.

Fig 01- Butterfly milkweed plants.

The 140 species of milkweed plants are found mainly in the areas of North America, Africa and South America.

I have known just two species grow beautifully in our neighborhood, Baton Rouge, LA: Common butterfly milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and Mexican, also well known as Tropical butterfly milkweed (Asclepias curassivica)

As reported by USDA (2023: Which Milkweeds Do Monarch Butterflies Prefer?) that the Common butterfly milkweed plant is preferred by Monarch butterfly to lay their eggs.

Fig 02- Unidentified butterfly, illustration

However, we always find Monarch butterfly drinking nectar of Mexican (tropical) milkweed flowers in our neighborhood areas during Spring times.

Wisconsin Horticulture (2023: Tropical Milkweed, Asclepias currasavica) suggested that Monarch butterfly prefer Mexican Milkweed than other Milkweed plants in Wisconsin state areas.

Fig 03- A Monarch butterfly landing on the Milkweed flower

Do you recognize both Common butterfly milkweed and Mexican (Tropical) butterfly milkweed? What do you think?

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Wild White Flowers in the Spring - Gardening and Hobby 30

Temperature in our place reaches above 70* F (21* C) degree since last week, hence, we may say that Spring is coming. Another sign of Spring is plenty of wild flowers around.

Fig 01- White wild flowers, snowflake

One of wild flowers is white color flowers. After searching and identifying through Google ID, we found the flower includes in the family of Amarylidaceae with genus of Leucojum.

This genus has two species:

1) Leucojum vernum.

- the species also called as Spring snowflake.

2) Leucojum aestivum.

- known as the summer snowflake, or also called as Loddon lily.

Fig 02- Snowflake starts blooming

This Spring snowflake is growing well in our neighborhood and the city garden. Since its perennial, the blooming is observed in the Spring time every year.

I don’t know about summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum). I’ll wait for summer to look for this Loddon lily.

Fig 03- Lovely Spring snowflake

Have you seen wild Spring snowflake in your areas in this time around?

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Blooming of Starfish Cactus - Gardening and Hobby 29

The cactus with scientific name Stapelia hirsuta, strarts blooming after July, during summer months in Northern America every year. Since we live in the southern state, some of flowers blooming in February.

Fig 01- The Starfish flower

Flower looks like “a starfish,” and quite bigger compared to the plant size. In our case, the flower may reach 36 cm (14 inches).

I think, our flower is mixed of flesh and yellow colors. Other blooming colors may different from species to species.

Some of other flower’s colors are:

- gray

- yellowish

- reddish and purple

Fig 02- No single flower yet

In term of odors, we smell quite offensive aromas such as foul odors, stink smell, rotten meat or dead animals.

Fig 03- Close up of starfish flower

The smell to invite pollinators like flies and other insects to come and pollinate the cactus flowers.

Have you seen Starfish cactus?

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