tog of coral gables dailyphoto

There Was A Big Oak

2009-07-19T10:34:00.002-05:00

A thunder bolt killed the oak tree in a second. It didn't take the city long to remove the tree. When driving along this street you feel like your in a green tunnel. Now we have a brake in the tunnel.

Sea Grape / Coccoloba uvifera

2009-07-18T16:22:00.003-05:00

Uses: Eaten fresh out of hand or used to make jams and jellies. When I was a youngster I tasted some of the fruit and thought it was too tart. Because of that I have never tried the jam or jelly. I don't know anyone that likes it. It's sold to visitors. The visitors keep coming, but I'm not sure that they keep buying the jelly.

It Was Once A Beautiful Garden

2009-07-17T08:15:00.003-05:00

The owner worked in this garden for at least 50 years. He still lives in the house, but there is no one to keep up the garden. Now people look and think that it should be sold for two new houses. I still miss his garden.

Breadfruit On It's Third Year.

2009-07-16T07:24:00.002-05:00

Fifty years ago I tried to grow breadfruit, but cold winters killed them. Now the winter weather causes the tree to lose most of the leaves and kills a few tip growths. It's healthy and big enough to produce fruit.

First They Crawl, Then They Walk, Then They Get A Haircut

2009-07-15T07:34:00.005-05:00

Our grandson Sunday

And yesterday, he is a man.

Fantastic Flowers On A Big Tree

2009-07-14T07:27:00.003-05:00

This is the Silky Floss Tree / Chorisia speciosa and it is just started to bloom. This particular tree is always early and then there are other trees that are always late. That gives us a long time to enjoy this beautiful tree.

After A Dry Spring

2009-07-13T06:36:00.002-05:00

In May the grass was brown and then the rain came. We had rain every day in June but July is giving us a few dry days. It's harder to mow the grass if it's wet.

7 am, Saturday

2009-07-12T07:28:00.006-05:00

Our street was filled with trucks and county workers. There was only one open traffic lane and the cars took their tern. I went over and asked three different workers what were the doing. I didn't get an answer, not one of them spoke English.

They worked very quickly and by evening they had 2 big holes that were 6 feet deep. Now I know what they are doing. When they come Monday to finish the drainage wells they don't need to close the road.

The Front Door Just Shouts 'Come On In'

2009-07-11T12:36:00.002-05:00

The Grotto And It's Fish

2009-07-10T07:27:00.003-05:00

The Grotto is behind the Merrick house. Most people don't event know that it's back there.

Someone fed the fish yesterday. That doesn't happen every day.

One Big House

2009-07-09T06:52:00.002-05:00

And this is just the side of the house.

Big Homes

2009-07-08T07:37:00.001-05:00

In our city most of the homes built in the last 10 years are big. Our home is small enough that we can clean the floors and cut the grass. Upkeep of a large house might be a burden to the owners in these hard times. Oh, now I have to go and work in the garden.

Sobralia cataractarum

2009-07-07T07:44:00.006-05:00

This one opens at dawn and is finished by 4pm. You don't have much time to take a picture.

Now this is on it's third day and for a Sobralia that's amazing. Many Sobralias grow on the side of the road in there native countries. If you don't know your orchids you might think that the plant was a reed with pretty flowers. And to see the flowers you must pick the right day and hour to see them.
Chick her to see more Sobralias that I grow.

Sobralia liliastrum

2009-07-06T07:45:00.002-05:00

I grow 7 different Sobralia species. This is the only one that lasts for more then one day. Some don't even last for a full day. You have to be on your toes to even see the bloom.

You Could See Fireworks All Around

2009-07-05T08:24:00.000-05:00

But this was a stopper. It looks like a pineapple.

The Picture Tells It All

2009-07-04T07:22:00.002-05:00

Desert Rose - Adenium obesum

2009-07-03T14:42:00.002-05:00

This is the first bloom on my new Adenium. Doubles are something new and very scarce. The extra petals are not stable and some flowers don't have them while others do on the same plant. The growers of Thailand seem to be the best in producing new clones on Adenium. Check here to see some of the now types.

Orchids At The Front Door

2009-07-02T07:39:00.001-05:00

The Theme Is Empty, Oh Is It Empty

2009-07-01T07:49:00.002-05:00

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

I wanted white hair since I was a youngster because my dad had white hair. His hair was white when he was 35 years old. I went white in my 60's. I still have enough, just like my brains, just enough.
I posted a picture of Venetian Pool when it was empty.

Another Cassia

2009-06-30T08:43:00.002-05:00

This Cassia nodosa reminds me of cherry trees flowers. But unlike the the cherry flower that only lasts for a few days, the Cassia nodosa stays in bloom for at least a month.

Maclay Gardens, Tallahassee, Florida

2009-06-29T07:46:00.002-05:00

We went to Tallahassee for a family reunion. We pretty much know what to expect of the older folks. But seeing all of the young people was the most important part of the reunion. The pictures of yesterday and today were taken in a garden near our hotel.

Sorry I Was Out Of Town

2009-06-28T17:28:00.002-05:00

This past week I missed a few days on my blog. We were out of town. Can anyone tell me were I was?

A Air-Layer On A Breadfruit

2009-06-24T04:20:00.001-05:00

The little branch has a air layer that produces roots to produce a new plant. We could not grow this tree in the past because our winters were too cold. For the last few years we have been able to grow this tree and have it fruit in Florida.

A Strangler Fig

2009-06-23T07:20:00.004-05:00

The Ficus aurea is a strangler fig and native to Florida, Caribbean and Mexico down to Panama. Germination usually takes place in the canopy of a host tree and the seedling lives as an epiphyte until its roots establish contact with the ground. The tree started on the palm to the right. The strangler will in time kill the palm.

Coral Gables Keeps Us Tidy

2009-06-22T06:42:00.003-05:00

Every Friday this city truck picks up the waste on our street. I can put out the garden trash and the city takes it away every week. Most of Miami-Dade has only 2 pickups a year.