Weed Wacker

I was taking a walk in the neighborhood taking photos of the bulbs that were showing off, when I spotted something a little different. By now you've probably figured out this entry is about a rabbit, but this is not your ordinary rabbit-it's an inner city rabbit. I came across this guy (or girl) out on a busy street where it was sitting beneath a bush eating the Dandelions. This is the third or fourth wild rabbit I have seen in Chicago in all my years here.

I know in many parts of the country this rabbit is a common sight and pest in gardens but here in my neighborhood it's a rarity. It paused it's lunch to allow me to get up close and be able to take a few pictures of it. I'm impressed by it's presence in my 'hood when I take into consideration the loose cats and dogs that it must have avoided to get this far in life. Seeing it brought out the kid in me and made me want to have a rabbit, especially one that goes around the garden eating weeds.

Home Made Greenhouse

When starting out with growing from seed it's easy to go way get caught up and buy everything on a shelf to help you grow from seed. One of the things that I always want to buy are those plastic mini-greenhouses for seed starting. The thing that keeps me from buying them is the small size and usually the price.

I guess I'm too cheap to spend the money on them, so like many people before me I decide to make my own. The one in the photos attached is made from an ordinary soda bottle I cut in-half, poked drainage holes, filled with soil and added seeds to it. The top I just slid inside the bottom half to close the bottle back up. I know some people use tape to seal it but I don't find it necessary. If you cut a few vertical slits along the rim of the bottom half it will make it easier to slide the top half down.

What you end up with is basically a little seed starting greenhouse that works just as well as the ones you buy at the garden centers but it only cost you about a dollar. The money you save you can spend on more seeds, pots, soil etc.

I leave my tops off of my home made greenhouses, and I find that even with the top off enough humidity gets trapped while allowing air circulation. No need to constantly be venting like with the commercially available ones.

I've added a picture of what the seedlings look like inside. The seedling you see are mixed Scabiosa seeds I traded for.

First Sign of Spring

Last fall I came across some bulbs at the discount grocer ALDI. They came 60 in a box for about 3 dollars. I bought two boxes and planted them and hoped for good results. I think it was 3 dollars well spent. I will have to check with them this year to see what they carry. I've been waiting since the weather has warmed up for them to bloom. I've seen lots of other bulbs around here flowering for a while now and I kep wondering if mine would ever bloom. Well, this week mine all seemed to have sprung out of the ground overnight. They're only about three colors blue, yellow and white. There are a couple of blooms that look more purple than blue but I'm only considering them one color. Here are two pics of my first ever bulbs to bloom. Hope you enjoy them. I have some other bulbs growing I'll post those seperate because I can't remember what those were suppose to be.

A rose by any other name...

I have seen this plant in the Home Depot Garden Section many times and have wanted to buy it but never was really serious about it. Yesterday I saw it in another store and this time looked closer at the name. The tag from Exotic Angel names it as Senecio String of Nickels, it's origin is suppose to be Namibia (where the heck is that?). I bought it since I already have a Senecio Rowleyanus String of Pearls and figured I could have a collection.

It turns out that this plant may be a Dischidia (a family of epiphites from S.E Asia) and not a Senecio, as it is labeled. Last night the plant stayed in my room, it smelled like a handful of candy which I can't really put my finger on. It was a very sweet and intoxicating smell. If you look closely in the picture there is a little white flower. I'm not sure if the candy like smell came from the flower or the plant but it was very strong and quiet welcoming. I think I love this plant, even if I am a little disappointed in it not being a Senecio. I'm guessing the plant I've seen on line commonly called String of Bananas is also not a Senecio. So much for collecting all three. LOL.

Party Of Five plus a booster seat.

Just the other day I had been thinking that I wanted to concentrate my buying to specific plants. I was thinking I would only buy AOs, EOs and Lithops. Then today I went into a garden center and came across these Euphorbias. There were so many nice looking Cacti & Succulents, I saw six EOs and I came home with five of them today. I couldn't decide on which ones to buy so I bought most of them. These five Euphorbias are about the diameter of a soda can and if you look closely on the left there is a little baby plant peeking out. So I guess I technically came home with six of them.

You can click on the picture if you care to get a larger view. I'm going to set these next to the two little EOs I already have to give them an idea of how they will look like when they grow up some.

Euphorbia Obesa flower

This is the second time since this winter that this little guy has bloomed for me since I got it late this past summer. I know these blooms to most are nothing all that special but I'm a big fan of these plants and I appreciate the bloom just as much as if it was on an Orchid. Technically this is my first C&S that has bloomed for me. I'm still waiting on that pot of Hens & Chicks to bloom. I think I may be waiting for a while more.

Chicago Throws A Garden Party

Chicago will be host to the first Urban Gardening Show. The show is aimed specifically at gardeners in city lots and small spaces like, decks and patios. It will be held May 13-21 at Butler Field in Grant Park.

Garden in a City, as the show is called, "is an in-ground show will provide a unique and engaging visitor experience..." I guess that means the displays will hold some of the things that are commonly found in gardens in Chicago like; loose newspapers, empty aluminum cans, condoms and drunk Cubs fans peeing on your lawn at 3 am?

For more info check out the Garden in a City website for a list of sponsors, vendors and location/directions or call 312-742-4817.