Life without flowers would be

pretty pathetic....here are a few from around work today.....spring is coming but it is still nippy out there and I am still using a scarf and hat.....soon it will shorts and tee shirts to go....

Flower structure is the key to plant taxonomy and breeding of course....

But I just want to see the pretty leaves........Phyllotaxy......

I have finished Lab 3 in the Annual and Perennials class that I direct....The lab is for 2 hours and requires a lot of thought prep work on my part which makes for good review....Things were going pretty well I thought, until someone asked a question "what does 2-ranked leaf mean?"...this was relating to something from the web-based lecture that I am not involved in...Of course I did not know but promised to check out...

Well I failed but the awesome MosaicMom found the answer after an detailed search of the internet last night...So this morning and being OCD I now have prepared a twelve slide powerpoint on the topic....these kids are never going to ask another question...

Trouble was I loved it....the answer was something that I remember seeing _5 years ago in basic botany at Oregon State. Now I am refreshed on the topic. Can't wait of lay it on 'em next week.
How someone figured this out in the 1300's is amazing to me...

But still, all I want to do is just enjoy the leaves looking back at me as I stare...forget the rest...

Anyway, below are a couple of adeniums in flower......forget the leaf arrangement just enjoy the flowers.....

PS - I will answer the question in a later blog.

A little more yard color....

Blackberries 'Brazos'..... the red leaves do not show too well in this photo...

The large weeping form of Ilex vomitoria is really colorful this year due to an very impressive berry set. The most we have seen.

Unfortunately the oaks did the same thing and acorns are covering everything around here.

Colorful Winter Florida Outdoor Foliage ....

TPIE has some nice foliage plants but there also are some nice ones outside. Below are a few photos of plants from my yard at home. Pretty good color since it has been cold by our standards. These photos were taken in December not October.

The plant to the lower right is a maple.
Below is the dogwood cultivar 'Mr. Rick Tichy'.

Below here is a native cherry......

There really is quite a difference between summer and winter down here. Today is the first day in weeks that I have not worn a scarf or stocking hat.

TPIE Week Again.....

With all the cold weather we have had it sure seems funny the TPIE 2011 is upon us already.
Nice to see the Tropical plants in all their diversity of color.
Since I have lab 2 today in class I may share a few of these photos with the students.

TPIE is a beautiful show.

Especially some of the plants below....they look like real winners......

Aglaonema rule........!!!!!!!!!!!

Another Class has started..+..MindEscape Sculpture

Well another Annuals and Perennials Class has started with about 20 students (triple the norm). Of course that makes it interesting. Hard to guide that many people in a little greenhouse. But we got the plants potted and ready to grow. It looks like a good group to teach at.
Newly potted plants for the ID portion of the class.

Below: stumbled across a photo of a sculpture that little "Mindescape" made a few years back. I always loved it........maybe that is why a similar one sits in my office.......

Chlorophytum flowers..........

Found a couple of Chlorophytum flowers at work last week.......

Below: Chlorophytum comosum
Here is Chlorophytum amaniense............

Obviously in the same family............

Not sure about the seasonality of these plants flowering...........

I will have to keep a closer watch this year.........

Finally a Surf Fishing trip...........

Took a friend surf fishing a week ago or so............we found a nice runout and set up..........
It was a beautiful day with good water.....we brought home some nice whiting......the week before we had redfish and pompano......

This was one of the 5-6 nice days to fish in the last 3 months.........otherwise it had been weedy, windy, rough water or cold........miserable fishing weather.......(for me anyway).....

My new interest is reading the water for good places to fish......it is about the last area that I need to focus on......I have beat everything else to death and do not need to add any more tools to my tackle box.....

There is a really nice rip current in the photo above........that is where to fish......

See what I mean................surf fishing is one of the benefits of living in Florida......