Odianao's Outbox

The symmetry and complexity of the composition of this photo reminds me of his work.

How gorgeous! I have some swamp hibiscus in my pond that got over 10 foot tall last year, who knows this year.....It's blooms are the color red you get when you look at a bright sun with your eyes closed and big as dinner plates. Texas dinner plates. ;-)

This is interesting, not just that you are showing the size of the flower by inserting your hand into the picture, but it is also good composition in both lines and color.

I'll have to take and add pictures of my tree fern as well. Aren't they just amazing to watch? We just 'lugged' Sheila (its name, pronounced with an Australian accent, or course) out of the garage and into the back yard. Now we need a chiropractor.

Oh, WOW, what a heavenly sight.

Are you related to the artist Escher?

Holy shitsky Batman...How did you do that?

If you want water hyacinths, just check my trash bin in summer. I have to thro out tons of them in the summer. Illegal to sell them here.but I could send them to you free.

Where can I get a husband that does landscaping? I married a poet. Fun, witty, romantic, priceless in every other way. Practical? Well oh well.....

What's a husband that does landscaping? I thought they were instinct! ;-)

oh, this makes me sad. The only fish I had, a koi named Molly would eat out of my hand, and a nasty old heron got her. Don't you just ove your fish though? I name mine, does this one have a name?

flcrazy, thanks. It took some 'engineering thoughtfulness' actually. When I did this 2nd (and last I hope) incarnation of the pond, I added more soil around the edges to raise the depth and also since we can be prone to some flooding in this area, it is about equal to the foundation of the lower part of the house, so that my fish can't be swept away by flood. Also, I learned the hard way with my first little trial pond, that after fertilizing nearby flowers, a good hard rain can make it run off into the pond, and kill the fish. Oh, how many tears we shed over our learning curves ;-) The shape of the pond evolved from just wanting enough wide stoned area from the existing shrub and flower beds. As with all pond owners, you always regret not going deeper. It seemed to deep when our digging it! ;-) This is the seemingly happiest bunch of fish I have ever had, and expect this environment to go on for years and years. Every fish has its own name. None were bigger than my finger when I started stocking them 2 years ago. ...anyway, enough, I type to much and too fast.

SandAndSurf - I also am a transplant from the appalachians (Northern Kentucky) to Charleston SC. You do not have the occasional yearly winter frosts that we do, but tropical gardening is wonderful. Year round blossoms! This plant is called Angel Trumpet Lily. It is supposed to be poisonous if eaten too much, and I've been told by a friend who owns a small nursery, that teenagers sometimes try to break in to get some of it to get 'high'. I have not tried that (as yet) ;-), but even though the blossoms are short lived, the plant grows so fast that there is always another group ready. Kinda like ladies in waiting? I understand they grow to 8 feet tall and I am looking forward to that. Mine is about 3 ft at this point. They come in yellow as well. And the fragrance is divine. This picture was taken this week.

HE's called WRIGLEY. The lord and master of all he suveys...especially my heart

Yes, a little over 30 I think. over half are koi, some pond comets, several red and white fantails, very showy, and two albino catfish that were smaller than my pinkie two years ago, and are now at over 2 feet long starting to look like dinner, but my husband would kill me. In the summers in in South Carolina, I have about 6 huge trash bags full of the hyacinths thrown away each month. They are very invasive and 1 plant can cover an acre in a season here. They are illegal to sell, so I am careful they dont get into any nearby waterway. But they are sooooo beautiful in bloom. Each fish has a name, by the way.

I live in Charleston, South Carolina, US It gets very hot here, especially August, of course. I have a "koolaroo" sun shade sail over the pond to keep the algae down and herons up and away. ;-) I built this pond completely my myself, one spade at a time. This is it's first incarnation, the liner leaked and I had to pull it all up and do over with thicker epdm. I have send mortared in the flagstones. Too many weeds grew up in the sand and gravel. Got sun stroke from the heat twice that summer, but it is worth it. I also built the pergola over the patio with only help to upright the main posts. I'm orginally a Kentucky hillbilly from fine pioneering ancestors, so I guess I'm not afraid of using a little ingenuity and a little sweat. Or maybe I'm just retarded! ;-o

pickerel, elephant ears, ginger, hyacinths in foreground, jasmine climbing pergola in background

The beautiful background reminds me of my long ago childhood in Kentucky.

Oh, how lovely! Makes you want to be there.