Thread: What's in your garden?

Originally Posted by Mendip

I'm sorry Shutree, and don't get me wrong - it's a great photo...

But where abouts is the Common Iora? Give us a clue!

I like to put $5 on being that yellow smudge in the midleg of the picture.

^ Aah, got it now.

Did you know BB that I heard that Shutree invented the 'Spot the Ball' competitions back in the 70s.

Originally Posted by Mendip

But where abouts is the Common Iora? Give us a clue!

I spotted it first time Shutree. Mendip is not the prize pigeon-fancier that he makes out.

Originally Posted by Looper

Closest

Closester

Originally Posted by Mendip

^ Aah, got it now.

Did you know BB that I heard that Shutree invented the 'Spot the Ball' competitions back in the 70s.

I had to look it up .
below is a picture that would not be too hard to spot the ball
.

Originally Posted by Looper

Mendip is not the prize pigeon-fancier that he makes out.

Simply jealous of my improving photography skills. I'm sure that oria pic is better than the Greenish warbler and the Indian roller. As for the sunbirds, of course the fact that there were, in fact, no sunbirds in the pics as posted presents a challenge to those who don't grasp post-modern impressionism.
(Or not.)

Sukhothai & Phichit -

Originally Posted by HuangLao

Beautiful little pond. That exactly what I envision doing soon.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Mendip

I'm sorry Shutree, and don't get me wrong - it's a great photo...

But where abouts is the Common Iora? Give us a clue!

Encouraged by these words of support I thought I'd go for an even better picture of the iora. Of course, as soon as I got near it flew off. However, a tiny bird remained. I have since looked at pictures of lots of warblers and other small birds, there are squillions of them in Thailand, and not yet found one with a red patch at the rump which I'd have thought might make this wasy to identify. Does anyone know?

After several false starts , I have officially entered the ranks of the Thai Tomato producers. I will save the seed from that big one and see if I can reproduce the success next year if I am still in Thailand.

Nice, where did you get the beef tom seeds?

This snake was chasing its lunch across the driveway when the dogs saw it. Two out of three dogs ignore snakes completely, the third gives a distinctive 'snake bark'. I am putting it down as a Common bronzeback (งูสายม่านพระอินทร์ (ngu sai man pha inn)) although I'd welcome more informed opinion.

It lost the frog. Judging by the small bulge halfway down I'd say the snake had already eaten one.



Some of its victim's blood still on its face.



One thing I find after I move pics from my phone to the laptop then to TD is that some colours alter. In the original, that blood is more red and the snake's head is more noticeably bronze. In the next pic, the original clearly shows some blue scales halfway down the side of the snake, barely distinguishable here.

Originally Posted by HuangLao

Sukhothai & Phichit -

I really like that pond area, very nicely done.

Frogs. There are maybe 200 different species in Thailand and mostly I cannot identify them. This little chap is sitting on top of an empty vodka bottle in the shed:

(Not pictured.) Mosquitoes. A couple of rainy days and the little bastids are already out in force.

These Hawkmoth caterpillars never seem to stop. These are small plants that I check nearly every day, then suddenly the leaves disappear and you find a monster the size of my thumb.

^amazing hawkmoth monster Shutree. Looks like a Dr Who alien intelligence


It is 4 years since the last time my agaves rocketed forth with their phallic blooms

Last time it was the Agave Attenuata

This time round it is my Agave Americana Marginata...

The little one further back is also getting its little rocket on. They seem to be coordinated. The Attenuata also all blossomed in unison 4 years ago.

This is the end of the lifecycle for these beautiful plants. They grow for 10-20 years. Then explode in this blaze of glory and then die.

The mother plant throws off loads of pups in her final burst of natural exuberance before bringing down the curtain, and natures cycle starts again with the pups.

I have been scattering her pups round the forest to make her final curtain call as productive as I can.

Originally Posted by Looper

^amazing hawkmoth monster Shutree. Looks like a Dr Who alien intelligence


It is 4 years since the last time my agaves rocketed forth with their phallic blooms

Last time it was the Agave Attenuata

This time round it is my Agave Americana Marginata...

The little one further back is also getting its little rocket on. They seem to be coordinated. The Attenuata also all blossomed in unison 4 years ago.

This is the end of the lifecycle for these beautiful plants. They grow for 10-20 years. Then explode in this blaze of glory and then die.

The mother plant throws off loads of pups in her final burst of natural exuberance before bringing down the curtain, and natures cycle starts again with the pups.

I have been scattering her pups round the forest to make her final curtain call as productive as I can.

Looper
They look like giant asparagus stalks, can you eat them?

Originally Posted by ootai

can you eat them?

Ootai, I am concerned that you have been living in Thailand too long.

Originally Posted by Looper

Looks like a Dr Who alien intelligence

They have rather small heads relative to their bodies. When alarmed they tuck their heads down and show a large pair of faux eyes on what would be their shoulders, if caterpillars had shoulders.

Originally Posted by Shutree

Ootai, I am concerned that you have been living in Thailand too long.

Nothing top do with living too long in Thailand, I was crazy before I come here. I just seem to fit in better here.
Really I asked because I love eating asparagus and they look very like that. I have managed to get some growing here but still too early (only going on 2 years) to cut and eat any stalks.

Originally Posted by ootai

Nothing top do with living too long in Thailand, I was crazy before I come here. I just seem to fit in better here.
Really I asked because I love eating asparagus and they look very like that. I have managed to get some growing here but still too early (only going on 2 years) to cut and eat any stalks.

Yes, love asparagus. Here it is mainly the thin version, not bad although I miss the plump English asparagus that is widely grown in the sandy soils of north Essex. (Not by me.)

It was only your question "Can you eat them?" This seems to be the first question the gf asks about a new plant. Her first comment when I ask her about any local plant that she knows will be "You can/can't eat that." Even things she cannot name, if it is local she'll be sure to know if it's edible.

I usually wear gloves when in the garden. There seems to be an unlimited variety of plants and animals out to hurt me. I slipped on some gloves yesterday and got a pain in my finger. Somehow this hairy beast had got in there overnight, I think it was those hairs that jabbed me. No long term harm done - to me.

Originally Posted by HuangLao

Sukhothai & Phichit -

Love the goldfish pond also . Nice design and a cool spot to hung out at.

Originally Posted by ootai

Looper
They look like giant asparagus stalks, can you eat them?

My giant asparagus has begun its final floral fanfare

Haven't tried to eat it yet.

The little sidekick is coming along

I am relocating many succulents and yuccas in a Freedom Of Navigation Operation after several complaints from visitors claiming that freedom of passage was being impeded by foliage

This one is nice with the pink edging

I am not sure if it is yucca or dracaena. Dracaena is oddly enough a member of the Asparagaceae family which includes garden asparagus

Looper your garden looks huge do you live in the forest.