Towhees and Amaryllis, Reindeer and Angels, in the dark December 19, 2014

Welcome to my end of the autumn post.  I am writing this in the second black-out in 4 days.  I really appreciate electricity when I don't have any. 

Today I am linking with-

Wild Bird Wednesday hosted by Stewart M.

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma  and Mystical Magical Teacher

I heart Macro hosted by Laura

This is the most Christmasy bird that comes to eat my black sunflower seeds, I am used to calling it the Rufous-sided Towhee, but the western race is now called the Spotted Towhee.   They are not as bold as the Chickadees, Steller's Jays, and Nuthatches, but I have a few photos.   You must guess what I think makes them look Christmasy-

"Check it out!"

"101, 102...... and they're all mine!"

"A tough nut to crack"

"Don't even think about it!"

They are large sparrows at 7 1/2" / 19 cm, and I haven't observed them having any obnoxious habits, unlike their relatives the Canyon Towhee I had in southern California, who could go down a row of freshly planted corn, pea, or bean seeds and somehow locate each seed.   They had a sneaky technique of jumping backwards digging with their feet and left neat round holes where each seed had been.   

In order to grow those crops I had to cover the planted rows with wire mesh, then lay greenery on top to obscure the view of the ground so the seeds could sprout.  A handy herb for this was Sanguisorba minor, the cucumber-flavored Salad Burnet, which loved San Diego and would spread all over by seed and make lots of 2' clumps of greenery, and it would take a lot of them to get enough branches to cover all the rows.  But I did succeed in outsmarting the Towhees.  There, I could grow peas in the winter.

My featured houseplant this week is the wonderfully Christmasy Amaryllis.  The care for a potted Amaryllis is to put it in a dark place and let it go dormant for 10-12 weeks, then bring it out and water it, and this triggers the bloom season.

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Some Chanukah lights in a special 9-candle Chanukiah (menorah), and also my little tree Chanukiah that has cups a little small for holding candles,

so I use the bigger one.  Chanukah is the Festival of Lights, a time for self-reflection and re-dedication.

Wow, the lights are back on.   Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas.  And Happy Birthday to me.    Hannah

                                                 or cameras are macro

©Weeding on the Wild Side, all rights reserved.   I like to visit your blog and comment but can't if google+ is the only option so will comment here.

Wild Bird Wednesday Nuthatch, Hoya

Autumn is swiftly coming to a close, yet we still have some leaves left on some trees.   Today I am linking with-

Wild Bird Wednesday hosted by Stewart M.

Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma and Mystical Magical Teacher

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

The birds are eagerly awaiting seeds when I go out in the morning, and flit nervously in to grab a seed then escape.  So it is hard to get good photos, here is one of the fastest that often gives me a blur, the tiny Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis-   

"Now you see me, now you don't!"-

Like the Chickadee, they like to roam conifer forests in groups, and can hunt bugs upside down on the undersides of the branches-   "Score!"

"The Masked Marauder Strikes Again!"

"I'm nutty and I know it!"

"I work out!"

Stealth-

The next houseplant in my continuing bloom series is another yellow line plant, leave it on the yellow line of the road and it will survive as long as no one drives over it, Hoya carnosa.  Hoyas are tropical relatives of Milkweed, and share the pentagonal buds that open into 5 pointed stars.

The leaves are thick, dark glossy green with some silver frosting.   The plant blooms on permanent bloom stalks, the spent flowers falling off leave little scars and the next bloom cycle grows from the tip, the flowers arranged in a half-spherical shape.   

The fragrance is delightful, some find it too sweet, and the flowers exude wonderful drops of nectar, which I like to taste, very fragrant.

The Hoya vines are very easy to propagate as well, like tomatoes they form little bumps on the stems, which are precursors of roots, so just cutting the vine above some of the bumps and putting it in a glass of water causes the roots to grow out from the bumps, and when sufficiently long, I just plant them in some good potting soil and stick the plant in a sunny west or south facing window.  Water perhaps once a week, they are not fussy, and in spring, summer, and even into fall they will bloom.   It will take new cuttings a while to grow enough to start making the bloom stalks, or you can be sneaky and root vines long enough to already have some bloom stalks for faster bloom.

In the tropics there are many colors, textures, and sizes of Hoya vines and flowers.   Enjoy!

Wishing everyone a Happy Chanukah, December 16-24, and joyous Christmas season.    Hannah

                                                                                   or cameras are macro

©Weeding on the Wild Side, all rights reserved.   I enjoy visiting your blogs and leaving comments, but can't if google+ is the only option so will comment here instead.

Jumble of Juncos and Triangular Oxalis December 6, 2014

Featured birds coming for seeds this week are Dark-Eyed Juncos.  The Oregon type comes in a range of colors, the male having a near black hood and the female lighter grey, and is around 5.25" / 13.3cm long.  They nest on the ground and once I uncovered a nest with eggs.   I came back once and the nest seemed to be empty, just a round circle of down remaining.   Then I realized I could see the outline of tiny baby bird beaks flush with the down, they compressed themselves so flat they looked like a uniform flat surface.  I didn't look at them again, not wanting to disturb them.  This website has a photo like the nest I saw, and interesting information.  "Inquiring minds..."

"So long and thanks for the seeds"

The male has a black head- "Nom!"

Linking today with-

Wild Bird Wednesday hosted by Stewart M.

Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma and Mystical Magical Teacher

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura


Featured houseplant in my continuing bloom series is a good foliage plant with 3 triangular leaves with near-black edges and dark magenta centers, Oxalis triangularis, which can also bloom in a lot of the spring, summer and fall.   When needing water they close and look like butterflies.  S-facing window-

 It will stay evergreen in the winter if watered, but if I want to divide the plant or give some to someone else I stop watering then and let the tops die down, then I can just knock the plant out of the pot and divide the little bulbs, then replant into several new pots.   Like most houseplants I grow, it is hard to kill and is not bothered by neglect.  If you think it's dead just water and it will probably come back from the dormant bulbs.

I hope you find time to relax and order some vegetable and flower seeds during the holiday season.  I added some new beans and lots of annuals to my grow list for next year.    Hannah

                                                                        or cameras are macro

©Weeding on the Wild Side, all rights reserved.   I enjoy visiting your blog and commenting but can't do so if google+ is the only option, so will comment here.