Cacti

A cactus (plural cacti or cactuses) is any member of the succulent plant family Cactaceae. They are often used as ornamental plants, but some are also crop plants.
Cacti are distinctive and unusual plants which have adapted to extremely arid and hot environments, showing a wide range of anatomical and physiological features which conserve water. Their stems have expanded into green succulent structures containing the chlorophyll necessary for life and growth, while the leaves have become the spines for which cacti are so well known.
Cacti come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. The tallest is Pachycereus pringlei, with a maximum recorded height of 19.2 m,[1] and the smallest is Blossfeldia liliputiana, only about 1 cm diameter at maturity.[2] Cactus flowers are large, and like the spines and branches arise from areoles. Many cactus species are night-blooming, as they are pollinated by nocturnal insects or small animals, principally moths and bats. Cacti's sizes range from small and round to pole-like and tall.

I recently had the chance to photograph in a friends greenhouse and his collection of cacti really caught my eye.

Dale

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums are a genus (Chrysanthemum) of about 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and northeastern Europe. Amongst florists and in the floral industry, they are commonly referred to as "mums".

History

Chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BCE. An ancient Chinese city was named Chu-Hsien, meaning "chrysanthemum city". The flower was introduced into Japan probably in the 8th century CE, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal. There is a "Festival of Happiness" in Japan that celebrates the flower.
The flower was brought to Europe in the 17th century. Linnaeus named it from the Greek prefix chrys-, which means golden (the colour of the original flowers), and -anthemon, meaning flower.
Ornamental uses
Modern chrysanthemums are much showier than their wild relatives. The flowers occur in various forms, and can be daisy-like, decorative, pompons or buttons. This genus contains many hybrids and thousands of cultivars developed for horticultural purposes. In addition to the traditional yellow, other colours are available, such as white, purple, and red. The most important hybrid is Chrysanthemum × morifolium (syn. C. × grandiflorum), derived primarily from C. indicum but also involving other species.
Chrysanthemum leaves resemble its close cousin, the mugwort weed -- so much so that mugwort is sometimes called wild chrysanthemum -- making them not always the first choice for professional gardeners.
Chrysanthemums make a welcome addition to the garden, in particular because their late flowering offers advantages when the other garden plants are winding down for winter. Outdoor flowering chrysanthemums will need protection from hard frosts.

Culinary uses

Chrysanthemum flowers are boiled to make a sweet drink in some parts of Asia. The resulting beverage is known simply as "chrysanthemum tea." Chrysanthemum tea has many medicinal uses, including an aid in recovery from influenza.
The leaves of several species such as Chrysanthemum coronarium, the Garland Chrysanthemum, which is grown commercially in East Asia as a leaf vegetable, known as tung ho or shungiku In China, the greens are often stir-fried simply with garlic and dried chili peppers. The colour of the cooked greens is dark, their texture dense and mucilaginous, and their flavour fragrant and complex.

Insecticidal uses

Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum [or Tanacetum] cinerariaefolium) is economically important as a natural source of insecticide. The flowers are pulverized and the active components called pyrethrins, contained in the seed cases, are extracted and sold in the form of an oleoresin. This is applied as a suspension in water or oil, or as a powder. Pyrethrins attack the nervous systems of all insects, and inhibit female mosquitoes from biting. When not present in amounts fatal to insects, they still appear to have an insect repellent effect. They are harmful to fish, but are far less toxic to mammals and birds than many synthetic insecticides and are non-persistent, being biodegradable and also breaking down easily on exposure to light. They are considered to be amongst the safest insecticides for use around food. (Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides based on natural pyrethrum, e.g., permethrin.)

Cultural Significance & Symbolism

In some countries of Europe and in Japan, chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are only used for funerals or on graves. In China, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of lamentation, while in some other countries, of honesty. In the United States, the flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful.
The Chrysanthemum Throne is the common name given to the Imperial throne of Japan. The chrysanthemum is the monshō, or crest, of the Emperor of Japan; therefore kikukamonshō literally means the Chrysanthemum Crest.
The chrysanthemum is one of the "Four Junzi Flowers” of China (the others being ume, orchid and bamboo), known in Chinese as jú. The jú is said to be a favourite of Tao Qian, an influential Chinese poet, and is symbolic of nobleness.
The chrysanthemum is the flower of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia National Men's Music Fraternity.
Chrysanthemums were recognized as the official flower of the city of Chicago in 1966.
The term "chrysanthemum" is also used to refer to a certain type of firework shell which produces a pattern of trailing sparks similar to a chrysanthemum flower.]
The chrysanthemum is also the flower of November.
Information gathered from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia

Some of you may be wondering why I've posted this information about mums, well it's because this post is dedicated to them of course. You may not know this but my brother Jim has worked at Yoder Brothers, Inc. for almost 40 years now and their primary crop is the chrysanthemum. So here are some photos I recently took of mums, some are natural and others have been touched up a little in Photoshop.

Enjoy!

Fall in Kentucky

Sorry everyone for taking so long getting new post up here.

It's been a pretty busy summer, so forgive me OK?

I recently took a much needed vacation to Kentucky to see my family - it had been two years. My brother and I got there just as the leaves were changing but as you can tell from these pictures the color was just right.

I can't make up my mine which shoot of this old cabin I like the best, the one of it alone at top or the one with the barn included, below.

Jim and I did a lot of ATV riding while we were there and I ended up in places I'd never been too before, like this little hollow.

Jim's gonna shot me but I just had to include this one. Our nephew, Andy, yelled at him for taking his ATV in water this deep. Later Andy was talking about almost floating the ATV across Slate Creek. I think Jim was being had!!!

Meet Andrew James Conyers, the best 6 month old I've ever seen. Ain't those baby blues something?

Trade Show Orchids

Tropical Plant Industry Exibition 2005

A little over a year ago my brother and I went to Ft. Lauderdale to the South Florida Tropical Growers Trade Convention. The show was held in one of the largest convention centers on the east coast of Florida and by the end of the day I think we both would rather have taken a long nap then face the 90 mile drive back home.

My brother has been a grower for Yoders for almost 30 years now, so there were quite a few people there who knew him. He is also growing and breeding gingers at his own nursery, some which I will be posting later.

Besides seeing alot of plants that I'd give my eye teeth for a pinch of, I had my camera out. The orchids in this post haven't been shared, I found them when I was searching for pictures to use in another post.

These three pictures

are of a

Cymbidium Hybrid

Cymbidium hybrid

Another

Cymbidium hybrid

Lc. Mari's Magic

V.rhynchostylis gigantea

I have learned one very important lesson - always and I mean always carry a notebook with me so I can write these names down. Oh and one other thing, I don't own any of these orchids, I'd be happy to take donations!

The Kids!!!

You can learn many things from children.

How much patience you have, for instance.

~Franklin P. Jones

Trust me this also works with beagles and cocker spaniels!!!

Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they're going to catch you in next. ~Franklin P. Jones

I totally agree with this – especially at night when the kids take me for my nightly walk. Seriously how can something so small be so strong?

There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

And to make sure we never slept in.......