I’m turning into that succulent guy,
I rescued unhappy succulents and put them in a new home.
Lithops, center-front, underwent surgery a while back. Hacked to pieces so i could see the internals.
Swatting a fly is tricky, but drones, not so much.
Insects are highly maneuverable flying machines.
An elegant dragon fly detoured through our lounge. It flew through the open slider and circled the room. It hovered briefly in front of me, waved goodbye, then flew into the sunlight.
Impatiens Walleriana, gender fluid.
The flowers are hermaphroditic when they emerge. Once pollen has been released the female side of the flower takes control and remaining male parts are dispensed with.
I have my eyes on you, lots of them. The cicada’s eye view.
Distinctive clicking sounds alerted me before I saw this wee critter. Further down the street, towards the trees, sounds from the massed cicada gathering were deafening.
Cactii recovery operation.
Five months ago I repotted a number of plants that had languished for a year in the tiny pots I found them in. Most exploded into life but one fared less well.
This is a happy tale of Cactii who survive the rigours of life on my deck in Kumeū.
Begonia Masoniana revived.
This plant made a full recovery after sucking up a glass of water..
Fuchsia plants and the flowering frog.
I first became acquainted with fuchsia flowers more than 40 years ago during my “pre camera” days.
A dream chemist’s career in Research and Development with Glaxo Laboratories and Syntex Pharmaceuticals was history.
Turns out my latest cactus is a succulent.
It’s taking longer to become a Botanist than I anticipated. Despite the telltale spines, Euphorbia Aeruginosa is a succulent.
Gymnocalycium Mihanovichii, I think.
My plant recognition app identified this cactus. The flower opened incompletely in the late afternoon sun. It wasn’t the first small Gymnocalycium plant that has failed to open fully for me.
After a quick read through articles by “cactus people” the phrase “incomplete opening” cropped up a few times.
Cactulents in Red
Cactii and succulents have become a passion of mine recently. They are utterly captivating as they adapt to harsh environments with style. Today I just wanted to have fun taking a few pics.
Lithops succulent, light studio box in a leaf.
I’m not a photographer but I take heaps of photos. I like pics that illustrate aspects of science.
Pōhutukawa Season
I love the flowers on this tree. Nothing more to say on the first day of 2025. Happy New Year Everyone
Pleiospilos, a plant that looks like a rock, perfect!
I thought i had just bought the perfect cactus, one that doesn’t stab you and looks like a rock. Its not a cactus, its a succulent apparently.
Streptocarpus Parviflorum with delicate blue flowers is worth a second look.
I bought this plant on a whim. It looked tired and jaded and past its best in the plant shop. It did have several curled-up stems that were beginning to grow; I felt sorry for it. The flower has an unusual stigma and anther configuration. I’ll leave it alone and have a closer look later. Our new cat, Freddy, has also taken a closer look. He broke several flower stems in the process.