Garden chat & photos for torts and people ♫ ♫

Eric Phillips

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5 Year Member
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Jul 19, 2014
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1,091
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio
So, I planted a Chicago hardy fig tree last year thinking there is no way it will survive through the crazy bipolar Ohio winter zone 6 weather. Sure enough it appeared deader than dead in early April but I decided to cut it back just in case. Sure enough, it survived! Here is the new growth! Looks like figs may happen later this summer after all, crazy...ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1494207468.487073.jpg
 

Momof4

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San Diego
Here's what's blooming in our yard.
My avocado tree is producing for the first time!! I think we planted it about 2yrs ago!
I didn't realize there were so many! Sorry. There's more but I'm done!

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Yvonne G

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Turtulas Len made me jealous of his banana trees so I went out and shot a few springtime pictures of what I have growing and blooming:

I think this is called pineapple guava:

Spring 2017 1.jpg Spring 2017 2.jpg Spring 2017 3.jpg Spring 2017 4.jpg Spring 2017 5.jpg


This is a Cholla or teddy bear cactus. I just LOVE the color of the bloom:

Spring 2017 6.jpg



Spring 2017 7.jpg




My husband brought this one back from one of his motorcycle trips. It was either a packet of seeds or a tiny 1" potted plant. I've been growing this saguaro for over 30 years. I'm holding the camera even with my eyes, and the top of the cactus is even with my nose. In another 30 years it may sprout a couple arms! That is, if I don't kill it first:

Spring 2017 8.jpg Spring 2017 9.jpg Spring 2017 10.jpg


Notice the brown spot on the trunk just below the head of the plant. The picture following this one is what used to be growing out of that brown spot. This is either an aloe or an agave. I can never remember which. This is another one that I bought in a tiny 1" pot and eventually planted in the ground:

Spring 2017 11.jpg Spring 2017 12.jpg

The next three pictures show my giant Cereus peruvianus. It was over 20' tall. Last week it decided it was tired of holding up those heavy branches and three of them broke off.

Spring 2017 13.jpg Spring 2017 14.jpg Spring 2017 16.jpg Spring 2017 17.jpg Spring 2017 18.jpg

The next two pictures are my lovely banana trees - @Turtulas-Len - eat your heart out!!!

Spring 2017 19.jpg Spring 2017 20.jpg Spring 2017 21.jpg
I've never had any luck keeping African violets alive, however, my daughter gave me these a couple years ago because she didn't want them anymore, and I've been able to keep them alive and blooming!! Hooray for me:

Spring 2017 22.jpg

Spring 2017 15.jpg
 

bouaboua

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San Jose CA
Very pretty!

Thank goodness my very large mulberry tree is fruitless.
Yes. I think we are having the "wrong" tree. but, I don't have the yard to have the kind of large mulberry tree that you have.
 

Greta16

Active Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2017
Messages
378
Location (City and/or State)
Western Maine
Here's what's blooming in our yard.
My avocado tree is producing for the first time!! I think we planted it about 2yrs ago!
I didn't realize there were so many! Sorry. There's more but I'm done!

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Beautiful!
 

Greta16

Active Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2017
Messages
378
Location (City and/or State)
Western Maine
Turtulas Len made me jealous of his banana trees so I went out and shot a few springtime pictures of what I have growing and blooming:

I think this is called pineapple guava:

View attachment 207069 View attachment 207070 View attachment 207071 View attachment 207072 View attachment 207073


This is a Cholla or teddy bear cactus. I just LOVE the color of the bloom:

View attachment 207074



View attachment 207075




My husband brought this one back from one of his motorcycle trips. It was either a packet of seeds or a tiny 1" potted plant. I've been growing this saguaro for over 30 years. I'm holding the camera even with my eyes, and the top of the cactus is even with my nose. In another 30 years it may sprout a couple arms! That is, if I don't kill it first:

View attachment 207076 View attachment 207077 View attachment 207078


Notice the brown spot on the trunk just below the head of the plant. The picture following this one is what used to be growing out of that brown spot. This is either an aloe or an agave. I can never remember which. This is another one that I bought in a tiny 1" pot and eventually planted in the ground:

View attachment 207079 View attachment 207080

The next three pictures show my giant Cereus peruvianus. It was over 20' tall. Last week it decided it was tired of holding up those heavy branches and three of them broke off.

View attachment 207081 View attachment 207082 View attachment 207084 View attachment 207085 View attachment 207086

The next two pictures are my lovely banana trees - @Turtulas-Len - eat your heart out!!!

View attachment 207087 View attachment 207088 View attachment 207089
I've never had any luck keeping African violets alive, however, my daughter gave me these a couple years ago because she didn't want them anymore, and I've been able to keep them alive and blooming!! Hooray for me:

View attachment 207090

View attachment 207091
Now THAT is some cacti! Wow.
 

Len B

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Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
heres a few mor pics from the Beach. these two are how i keep my mulberry trees dwarf trees, I cut them way back when the go dormant in winter.mulberry dwarfed a.jpg mulberry dwarfed b.jpg plant X.jpg This is a neat plant, the blooms look like pineapples.I'm right on it's hardiness zone but i has come back for at least 4 springs now. bananacactus.jpg this group of banana trees is where i first started growing banana trees. After the first summer I decided to move them and plant some cactus there instead. I missed a piece of banana tree root and it started growing through the cactus.That one tree as spread into many in just a few years They do fine living together.All my opuntia are loaded with blooms this year and are going to start opening soon.
 

Greta16

Active Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2017
Messages
378
Location (City and/or State)
Western Maine
Any of you flower people know if Lithodora is safe? I can't seem to find it on the TT. I can post a pic later if that helps.
 

TempestRising

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Joined
Apr 29, 2017
Messages
86
Location (City and/or State)
Austin, Texas
I was walking and found this tree overhanging the fence and blocking the side walk! I'm hoping the leaves are edible and this is a fruit bearing tree I can use to add variety to my RF diet. I'm not sure. Anyone have a clue what this could be?20170516_085210.jpg 20170516_085216.jpg 20170516_085201.jpg 20170516_085210.jpg 20170516_085216.jpg 20170516_085201.jpg
 

KevinGG

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Nov 16, 2013
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1,119
Location (City and/or State)
Santa Cruz, CA
I was walking and found this tree overhanging the fence and blocking the side walk! I'm hoping the leaves are edible and this is a fruit bearing tree I can use to add variety to my RF diet. I'm not sure. Anyone have a clue what this could be?View attachment 207635 View attachment 207636 View attachment 207637 View attachment 207635 View attachment 207636 View attachment 207637

Do you know which shape leaves belong to the actual tree?

If so, what leaf type does the fruit belong to?

My first guess was fig, but the crevices in the leaves don't look deep enough and the fruit is a little too perfect looking.

Pretty sure the tree is the living trellis to a grape vine. Only reason I am doubtful is because those grapes look huge. But, from the pictures, it really looks like a grape vine. Grape leaves are very good tortoise food. Fruit can also be fed to your redfoot.
 

TempestRising

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Joined
Apr 29, 2017
Messages
86
Location (City and/or State)
Austin, Texas
Do you know which shape leaves belong to the actual tree?

If so, what leaf type does the fruit belong to?

My first guess was fig, but the crevices in the leaves don't look deep enough and the fruit is a little too perfect looking.

Pretty sure the tree is the living trellis to a grape vine. Only reason I am doubtful is because those grapes look huge. But, from the pictures, it really looks like a grape vine. Grape leaves are very good tortoise food. Fruit can also be fed to your redfoot.
Hi! And thanks for the reply... No I have no knowledge of identifying trees by leaf or fruit etc. I am 100% sure that owning a RF will grow my experience at gardening and being more outdoorsy in general. I thought the "grapes" looked fake that is what caughy my eye about the entire branch. Its huge and hangs down to the ground and covering the path. Lucky me huh! ALSO This thread is amazing. I love all the photos you guys are sharing.
 

Yvonne G

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Any of you flower people know if Lithodora is safe? I can't seem to find it on the TT. I can post a pic later if that helps.

I've never heard of that plant, and nothing comes up on if it's toxic or not in a google search.
 

TempestRising

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Apr 29, 2017
Messages
86
Location (City and/or State)
Austin, Texas
@KevinGG I see what you meant I can tell that there are20170516_094630.jpg 20170516_094648.jpg two different trees well rather there is a vine twisted up in the tree... I walked out and took another look! The larger leaves are the ones bearing fruit the smaller leaves are for the tree the vine seems to be intangled with.
 

KevinGG

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Nov 16, 2013
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Location (City and/or State)
Santa Cruz, CA

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