Moss
7 comments
It is one of those days where the are things I should be doing, but I just don’t feel like doing them. So I got a little distracted when I went to water an Elephant Ear. On the soil, various types of moss like to grow, and some are OK, others just want to take over. One had some unusual things growing on it, so I broke out the macro lens and got a photo:
It looks like it has developed spores and will soon be trying to take over.
But I couldn’t let it go with that. I broke out the microscope and got in a little closer:
Of course, that isn’t the only thing going on…
I started some Gladiolus angustus from seed, and more of the flowers have been opening. These are a little more cream colored, but I have to play around with the backgrounds, trying for a nice contrast:
Then there is that one plant that wants to bloom out of season, just to make things interesting. Today it is Hesperantha coccinea. It is supposed to flower in the fall.
Trying to flower early is a Hydrangea. I don’t really have a huge interest in them, probably because they are used along the roadways here and farmers plant them along the rock walls because cows won’t eat them. But I got one that is supposed to be a bright red (H. paniculata ’Wim’s Red’). It is trying to open very early, but it isn’t trying to be red:
Maybe it will be red next year – I am growing it in a pot so I can make the soil more alkaline.
11 Apr, 2019
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Comments
Worth the time you took to get those excellent micro shots, look like little volcanoes.
11 Apr, 2019
How interest g those micro photos looks like tiny seeds in the centre I think that moss is pretty in the 1st photo.
What gorgeous blooms I think I prefer the last one of the Gladiolus angustus and that
Hesperantha coccinea is a stunner fantastic colour. The red Hydrangeas look lovely I bought my son one some years back.
11 Apr, 2019
I had gone with the generic moss, and hadn't considered the liverwort group. It looks like it is Lulularia cruciate. The large "volcanos" are about 2 mm across.
There aren't many red hydrangeas around here because the soil is naturally on the acidic side.
12 Apr, 2019
I had a H. Wim’s Red in my previous garden (neutral/alkaline soil), but it never produced any red!
12 Apr, 2019
I have hydrangea red disc and I am on alkaline soil and it is a good deep pink really . not a true red but lovely. it is also not pH dependent for colour which is ideal.
love the photos.
12 Apr, 2019
Fascinating photo's of the moss, it always makes think of aliens when someone shows macro shots like yours, lovely flowers also Wylie, I really like the colour of your Hesperantha..
13 Apr, 2019
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Is it a moss or a liverwort? Whatever it is, it's fascinating, they are all like little miniature forests when you study them closely, but your photo's are terrific.
perhaps your Hydrangea is just testing the weather and when it decides it's right will burst into bloom a startling red!
11 Apr, 2019