Been a while since I posted. Here’s a bit of a pictorial catch up.
Been raining Cats n’ Dogs … well cats at any rate. Here is the evidence.
Dora takes cover.
A spot of lunch?
Fuschia
Out and about … This made me smile,
Look at the yellow sign. Feet and inches in this day and age? Well, not in this country at any rate.
The sweet potato experiment …
Beverly mentioned her dad used to grow them in a mixture of sand and soil so I grew these in a bucket with said mixture
and these below in a similar bucket with just soil.
I reckon Beverly’s dad got it right, don’t you?
A Milkweed Locust that came under scrutiny from one of the cats.
Planting garlic cloves. Ella looks on.
Cream Striped Owl Moth.
Another experiment. Carrots. Large bucket full of finely sieved soil. ‘Plant’ the toilet rolls and sow a few carrot seeds in each. The objective being to encourage straight-as-a-die carrots with long tap roots.
Watch this space…..
Teddy Cake.
And to close for this set …
A different perspective.
A Tale Unfolds 
Some nice shots. (But I has me doubts about that locust. Brrrrrr!)
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Took a few goes to get over the squeamish feeling of having one on my hand but after a while the yukky feelings go.
When they open their wings the interior is bright crimson and blue . Quite a display.
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Brilliant idea with the toilet paper rolls for the carrots. . . We can’t grow them at all b/c of all the rocks. (Which grow prolifically!)
The cake is lovely!!
Oh, and thought you’d like to know that we are getting snow tomorrow.
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Hi, You!
I borrowed and adapted the carrot idea from a bloke in the UK. He planted his carrots in potting soil surrounded by river sand.
We’ll see how effective my method is in a few months.
My brother in law was in Spain yesterday. It was snowing where he was and he showed us pics of snow on the nearby mountains!
It’s almost spring for goodness sake!
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Did Emily do the teddy bear too?
I enjoyed your “different perspective.” 😁
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Yes, the Teddy is all cake.
The ‘different perspective’ was shot on a dull day last week while out to fetch fresh flowers for a couple of cake decorations.
Isn’t Don an absolute delight! 😉
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WOW! I’m impressed by Em’s talents once again!!!
Yes, Don is fun-fun-fun! Seriously … at least he maintains his “cool,” unlike so many others that get angry and insulting. SOM immediately comes to mind.
Glad to see you posting again. Hope it’s not just a one-off thing.
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We have been hellishly busy …. a good thing … and if I’m honest I haven’t felt like posting much.
I’ll keep posting but I reckon It’ll not be as frequent as in the past.
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Swear you need to get a You Tube channel.
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Yes, you have mentioned this. I am flattered by your ‘faith’.
There are some really good You Tube gardening types and there are lots of real horrors!
Your compatriot, Mark in Oz, has been doing it for years. He has the gear and the patter and the know how and his presentation is fair dinkum.
It took him ages to get it right and there was a time he almost quit and went back to ‘corporate life’.
I respect his know how and learn a fair bit from the bloke.
Whereas me, I am a hack gardener and I’m sorry, but this is how it would come across.
Maybe one day if I feel I have something really worthwhile to impart or a gimmick way of presenting I might get a channel. Til then ….
But I appreciate your confidence. I feel the love. xxx
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Kisses
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I really can’t imagine perfectly straight carrots. I wonder if they taste any different. Love the teddy bear cake but not the locust.
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The bloke in the UK who I watched on a video grows them for show as well as for the table.
Apparently two almost identical examples of each veg have to be presented.
He grew his in a square wooden box filled with river sand – to maintain moisture – which he cored out with a pvc pipe, filled with potting soil then sowed seed. I think he grew about 20?
Some were a little bit off kilter but not by much but he eventually pulled out a a pair which had grown to around 30cm long and were near perfect! Not a blemish.
Very impressive!
As for the taste? If I can replicate his experiment in my attempt then I’ll tell you in a few months.
The teddy is so cute. People were getting up close to see if was real. The looks and the smiles when they realised it was cake were worth the time and effort spent on its design.
The locust is harmless. I relocated him on an Aloe and after a while he wandered away.
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See…The sweet potatoes came out a lot straighter . Good for you giving it a try.. Another great cake.
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They’re smashing. Thanks for the tip.
They are curing in the shed at the moment. Have to maintain a degree of humidity so they become ‘sweet’ so I’m told.
When they are properly ready I may try baking a sweet potato pie!
I have a couple of others planted in the ground.
I’ll be interested to see how they turn out … probably after out winter has passed.
I already have slips rooting in water and these will be sown as per your dad’s method to see if we can repeat the experiment.
Once again., Thank you, Beverly. It was loads of fun and I learned something.
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I was looking at the shipping container and wondering what was weird about it… Still living in the past here in the US. ;P
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It came to a halt outside the flower market we were visiting for stock. We were stopped behind waiting for the car park boom to be raised.
It just struck me as so incongruous that I had to take a photo.
I haven’t seen anything here indicating feet and inches since I left England – and that was over a week or two!
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Fabulous macros and the Fuchsia was my favourite until I saw the Grasshopper. Sand and soil long and tall, soil squat and fat You know a good gardener to learn from Ark 🙂
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That fuscha is gorgeous and the locust is such crisp clear detailed shot… beautiful!
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A few years ago I ‘pinched’ several small fuschia stems from established plants outside a house I pass on one of my morning jogs.
😉
I managed to root them in water and now have a number of well established plants that brighten up a shady part of the garden near the from entrance.
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That is great. It sure looks like it thrived.
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It is a delight to see your bits ‘n bobs again … as for Em’s cake … what a labour of love to create that realistic looking teddy bear!
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It is still jaw dropping to watch her create these works of art.
All pretty much housebound the past couple of days. Still raining up here in Jo’burg.
I love the rain but there always comes a point during the season when one looks out the door and thinks:
”Enough already!”
🙂
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Goodness gracious! So much to comment on here, where O’ where to begin!
Ah, I know! First “A spot of lunch?” and then “Fuchsia”! It’s amazing how many wonderful predators exist on the planet isn’t it? NO ONE is safe, especially in Ark’s Zoological Jurassic-ish Park & Carnage Extravaganza! I mean, just looking at that image… you can HEAR the crunch of each chomp thru the hopeless bee’s tasty body! 😁 And the Fuchsia? What a magnificent natural representation of almost dizzying, passionate, dripping nectar for any who will partake! My my! 💞 😈
And somber Dora, awww. She needs a dazzling Victorian hat to go with her green parasol Ark! Come on man! 😉
Those sweet potatoes are a gorgeous color of lavender. I take it you will be doing more of those gems, yes? Would love to have seen the undercarriage colors of that Milkweed locust, but I guess she’s female and proper, classy Ladies like her don’t show her hidden colors to just any passer-by with a perverted camera, eh? 🤭 😉
Garlic clove planters? Brilliant! Ya know, garlic or onion necklaces come in VERY handy if you have unwanted guests trying to enter your private premises during full moons! I bet you’d look DASHING with said necklaces Ark! Can we hope to see you fashion one or two!?
Carrot straightening? Hmmm, I better leave that one alone… 🙂 well… until the very last image. MUST comment on the last image!
But first, Em’s Teddy Bear cake. That is simply remarkable talent your daughter has Ark! Where does she get it? What side of the family? And tell the truth Sir! We know you are quite modest, the shy-type, but seriously… WHERE on Earth did Em inherit such an exquisite gift!? 😉
Now, Hillbrow Tower. What would an Ark Exhibit be without closing this extravaganza with the symbolic image of a fertile Johannesburg and its male populous as seen in the delightful Ark’s Zoological Jurassic-ish Park & Carnage Extravaganza with a Twist!? The rest of my week is MADE thanks to this gallery of virility! I tip my hat 🎩 to you Sir Arkesatan. Well done again! 👏 😁
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OH! Almost forgot. How many goals will your Reds win by today/tonight in Lisbon? I say…
3 — 0 to Liverpool. 🙂
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You were damn close!
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With my comments on all your images!? 😉 hehe
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After Konate bumbled I imagine that later, his ears were ringing from the dressing down Klop gave him, irrespective of his goal!
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I thought overall the team played good, sound football. Possession was 66% but felt or looked like a bit more. Mo Salah I thought looked in great form too. It was a good win for sure. 🙂
What about that Uruguayan, Darwin Núñez!? WOW was he impressive! Our game-commentators mentioned Arsenal was very interested in getting hold of him—along with some other wealthier clubs too, I’m sure.
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It looked as if Mo was a yard off his game. Maybe he’s still feeling fed up with his chum Mane?
I hope he comes right on Sunday.
Nunez played well.
He might flourish if he gets signed by a top flight club.
If not, then Arsenal will have to do, I suppose.
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Rainy season now? ☔️
Here we are safe until May June. Jacarandas are still blooming.
Love the cake.
Cheers.
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That Fuchsia is absolutely gorgeous!
As for growing straight carrots, I found the secret is to plant then in a foot or more of loose, sandy soil and allow for adequate spacing. (Religious gardeners swear that conversion therapy also works, but I haven’t tried that.)
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