A place to post and chat about plant pics...

Katalina I would use the dialect. I throw in 'Strine (Australian English) all over the place particularly on my dog lists. It has got to the stage where we are getting them returned from US. eg Chooks=chickens.

We are in for a howling gale of a day. About 16 C and some more promised rain. I will believe it when I feel it.



Liz

 

No, the two are not one and the same. :P

So, do pepper plants not require pollination at all (meaning that even if no pollen got to the ovaries, they'd still make fruit with seeds)? I'm just so curious about the tiniest of functions (going to minor in nanotech ;D) and if you really have no idea that's fine, I'll take your expert gardening advice never-the-less. :)

 

Liz,

Where are your dog sites? I have one on Wordpress not a place for interaction just a place virtually for my dog.

http://jungaling.com/bichons/

Awe talk rain. I feel this shower thats happening here, hope it stops I need brown bags lolol

Liz, some forums accuse you of spam if you don't talk proper English.

 

Well then, what is the difference between 'self-fertile' and 'self-pollinating', ShearMe?


In fact, they are one and the same...

That's right, even if no pollen got to the ovaries, the blossoms would still make a pepper fruit, complete with viable seeds! You do not need to take a brush to them, as this will have no effect whatsoever - unless you mix pollen from 2 separate varieties. Then you'll likely have a whole new type, from the next generation of seeds!


: )

 

That definition clearly states that self-pollinating and self-fertile are not the same. Self pollinating means the stamen and carpel touch to achieve pollination but self-fertile means the pollen from one flower can go into the same flower's ovary and produce seed/fruit. To be self-pollinating it must be self-fertile but the reverse is not true.

I will stop brushing my pepper flowers though. :)

 

Unles you want to experiment and see if you can come up with some cool new varieties? If this is the case then keep brushing the pollen from one blossom to the other on two different varieties, and sow the seeds produced, to see what you end up with...


: )



Self-pollination:

Transfer of pollen from an anther to a stigma of the same flower.


Self-Fertile:

Fertilizing itself: describes a plant or organism that uses its own pollen or sperm to fertilize itself.


Plants that can pollinate themselves and produce viable seed are self-fertile - which includes peppers. They do not need any outside interference to produce neither fruits nor seed. Being self-pollinating would indicate that the plant is obviously self fertile, and in that sense they are one and the same. Let's not over complicate this.


: )

 

Here's a couple of pics of some Petunias I grew from seed this year, I love the colour of these ones. gives a nice contrast to the wandering Jew behind them.

Nath

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Very nice,

Love the color Nath.

 

Thanks Katalina,

We had a monsoon shower for around 30 minutes yestrday and I thought that I'd lost them but they bounced back again. I will be trying to collect some seeds from these later on as I really like this colour and have never grown it before.

We'll see what happens.

Nath

 

This summer I was trying to think of the plant that did the most,

Petunia lol i could not think and so I missed out....till next spring.

 

They are good though as come out in bloom from late spring all the way to late fall. My Californian poppies have sprung back into life too. I thought I had collected all the seed pods but I must have missed some and they have self seeded. I'm glad they did too. I had a surprise the other day as I had put the seed pods in a plastic tub on the window sill of the conservatory to dry out and I heard a snap and then a pitter patter and one of the pods had dried out in the sun and cracked open, it jumped up in the air and scattered seeds all over the floor. It took me ages to pick them all up.

I'll put the lid on next time.

 

Nath yr not really cultivating wandering Jew re you????
I have about 1/4 of my garden infested with it and the bush footpath. It eats some of our bush creek areas for lunch.

I was just wondering if it dies back in your climate. Then again I supose it is a well behaved plant like your ragwort. I nearly did not recognise that over there growing along the road such a docile thing compared to the monster we raise here up to 4 and 5 ft high taking over whole paddocks and states..

Liz

 

There are some pretty weeds even here. I admired one such weed all summer then plucked up the courage to knock on their door,

The plant looked like a yellow Iris but the weed flower slightly bigger. I came home with a root lolol thats one weed I do want to be infested with.

I just bought this two weeks ago.

Buy it here:

http://www.bowoodfarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=1198

 

Something very disheartening happened this morning at 2 am...


I caught the tail endings of some drunken thieves stealing my potted plants by the back door today. I am sad to report that my banana plant, my decorative pot of mixed hot peppers, my red geranium, and my yellow rudbeckia, have all been stolen!

The worst yet, is that my nelumbo pond was dumped, and my fish are all dead!


: O


: (



I am too devastated to type anymore - thought it might help, but I really am floored and so incredibly disappointed. I actually caught them in the act but they had a car, and most of the plants were already loaded into the vehicle, so they got away fast.

The only thing left was my white swan cone flower and my passion flower vine, but the rest is history!!!


Have one last look, because everything is gone now!


: (

 

That is so horrid for you HBL, know how you love your potted treasures. Poor fish how cruel.
It is a very sick society that we live in. Hope you got the car number. Make sure that you report it to the police. They will not find your plants... but it will then be counted in the crime figures. We know several people who have had stuff stolen from their gardens/sheds and never reported it. Therefore police assume crime in the area is low, when probably it is not.

We had several bird box stolen once from our trees. Complete with the nests inside.

 

Awe no...bllllastard theives!!

How terrible HBL. I bet your beside yourself with a hammer in your hand...waiting..

Report the theft to the police and get an incident report.

These people are such cowards and always strike in the night. If it does'nt harm a plant get some itch powder and do just one plant all over, make sure its not showing then leave it out at night....by itself.

There was no need to involve the fish, thats just blatant cruelty.

i hope you soon recover from what must be a very sad thing for you HBL.

 

OMG...

why would somebody do that....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yes definitley be sure to report it to the police!!!!!

they took 5 Plants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????? why!!?


:(

:(

 

Because Blake they are obviously cowards, and targeting the area. This a regular occurance in the summer months, its the fish that bothers me. I can't understand why the fish.

Awe come on HBL and re-join your group. I just wish I could send some plants but the restriction don't allow. Anyway you have seed coming as from monday and they want a happy Hollyberry to tend them.

 

Gosh guys - thanks for the support! I am feeling cheered up from it. The truth is, this has really done a number on me! I've been growing things here for a long time now, and nothing this drastic has ever happened.

I will rise above this I know, but it hasn't even been 24 hours yet, and I really am feeling so sad about it. I will come to terms with it though and accept it, I was just really getting attached to my little minnows, and so much enjoying feeding them a bit and seeing them in the mornings. I am just so sorry for their bitter end. I am still crying over it - I can't help it, I am very sensitive.


On the bright side, I suppose it is a good thing now, that I didn't set my indoor banana plant outside, or they would have taken that too!!! At least I still have one left! Also, every plant they took from me, began as one tiny seed, and I have tons more where they came from! I have many more hot pepper plants doing great inside as well. They will never stop the Hollyberry Lady completely!


They didn't get everything, and I intend on carrying on as per usual, but taking my pots into our foyer overnight - the doors to our building are locked so they can't get to them next time! I am taking the vine and trellis in every single night too. They'll never get my plants ever again!



The thieves actually came back for my pond and my passion flower vine but this is when I heard them at the window and went to investigate - interrupting their thievery. I said 'what do you think you're doing'? through the window. They replied 'ah wrong building - sorry' and then walked back to their car where I could hear girl's voices saying c'mon hurry. I saw nothing in their hands, so I actually thought that they were just about to steal my plants but that I had startled them before they could.


If I had any idea what was actually going on, I would have flew down the stairs and absolutely flipped out - you have no idea! Now there would have been some drama!!! My plants would have never left the parking lot! The plants were up so close to the building that you have to actually go outside to see them, so I didn't even know they were stolen until after the thugs were already gone - when I got an acutely weird feeling and decided to go outside just to make sure everything was alright...



They sped off into the night faster than speeding bullets! Most of my plants were already in the vehicle, but I stopped them from getting the rest without even realizing it. Small victory.


: O


The blood drained from my face as I opened the back door, and saw my upside down pond, and nearly all my plants were gone! What an awful and dreadful feeling - I just stood there frozen and shocked - choking instant tears until I could get back inside. I totally had a chance to stop it from happening but I honestly had no idea that the damage had already been done. Oh, my poor fish!!!



: (

 

The thing to do HBL...

...Rise above what has caused this sadness. just make sure everything is under lock by that I mean any entrance and exits. Get a video camera installed that covers both back and front. Get also a security light that comes on when there is even movement from a fly. Annoying I know but this would save you humping plant pots in everynight.

 

If this was my own property, I would most certainly invest in some cameras, but I live in a small apartment building. You would have to see the set-up here to know that my plants were strolen by someone who knew full well they were there!

They didn't just come across them by chance. They are hidden from the world, and that's why no one has taken anything before. I have lived here way too long to know the difference!

I believe some new people from the building next to ours, invited some friends to help themselves! I haven't liked the look of these new characters in the next building and noticed them looking at me when I watered my plants. Didn't think anything of it, but after my plants got taken I put two and two together. The way they were taken so smoothly too, with such confidence - it's someone closer than I know.

My mom totally helped me deal with this in the middle of the night, last night, and called the Police. The Police think it's definitely someone that knew they were there also.

Anyway, actually, I am just grateful to have a locked foyer to bring them into at night at all! They can't get them again! After how devastating that experience was, I am glad I can protect them at night, under lock. When I have my own home though, I will install cameras.


: )

 

I've never even heard of plant thieves... :o

I am, however, positively aware that you will have no difficulty getting your garden booming again! the next time those thieves stop by for a peek and see all the wonderful things you have locked safely inside (if they can see inside?) they will sigh in disbelief and awe.

 

How lucky you are! In the U.K. thieves will steal anything... turf ( whole lawns vanish), natural stone slabs used for paths, specimen trees, etc etc. See.....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/05/houseandgarden.gardens?gusrc=rss&feed=environment

 

I will have to go with ShearMe on this, I have neaver heard of this "and I hope I neaver will". Maby its because we are in the US.??

WOW!!

 

Before last night, it had never personally affected me, but let me tell you - they will never steal my plants again! The tenants were so disappointed and sad today and told me how sorry they were. You guys have been great too - thanks so much for all your kind words and support everyone.

Well, all my plants that were left, are now inside the foyer for the night - locked behind a steel door! Yes, ShearMe, they are totally visible from the windows - just enough to tease and say 'look what you won't be getting your dirty thieving mitts on tonight'!!!


: O


They were coming back to get the pond, but had to dump the water out to be able to carry it to the car first - waaaay too heavy. This is when I interrupted them - or else my pond would have been totally taken as well - and my passion flower vine!

Anyway, thanks ShearMe, for your rather positive and uplifting words, about this not even setting me back barely at all! Made me feel really good to hear that, so thank you. I will be ok, it's just that you guys know how much I love my plants, and how I put my heart and soul into them!

So sad for this season, but they won't ever get me a second time. Never again.


: )