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YOU CANT SCREW WITH THE NATURAL ORDER/ALTERNATIVES TO PESTICIDE/

We can't and shouldn't try to control every
natural intruder ( insect or animal). Examples include mushrooms and other
fungi, (which are indicators of a healthy environment), frogs lizards squirrels and other animals trying to survive due to our destruction of their environment.
spider webs from spiders controlling insect
populations should be left alone .Nature benefits  us in most cases and we need to be less "sterile" in maintaining our yards and more accepting of the diversity
in our natural environment. How many insects have you seen in your back yard lately - another indicator of a healthy or  unhealthy environment! The predators of insects are found in various locations on plants, including underground as well as nearby in other plants

 ALTERNATIVES TO PESTICIDE

There are disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and
fungi that under some conditions, such as high humidity or high pest
abundance, these naturally occurring organisms may multiply to cause
disease outbreaks or epizootics that can decimate an insect population.
Some pathogens have been mass produced and are available in commercial
formulations for use in standard spray equipment. These products are
frequently referred to as microbial insecticides, biorational, or bio-insecticides.. Formulations of the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt, for example, are widely used by gardeners and commercial growers for the control of caterpillars. Most insect pathogens are relatively specific to certain groups of insects and certain life stages. One of the advantages of the microbial products is that they do not affect beneficial insects and none are toxic to wildlife or humans. The disadvantages being that to be effective, most microbial insecticides must be applied to the correct life stage of the pest, and that you must understand the target pest's life cycle. Microbial insecticides are unlike chemical insecticides because they can take longer to kill or debilitate the target pest. Some microbial insecticides must be eaten by the insect to be effective, consequently, good spray coverage is important.

Microbial insecticides are compatible with the use of predators and
parasites, which may help to spread it throughout the pest
population. Beneficial insects are not usually affected directly because
of the specificity of a microbial product, but some parasitic insects may be
affected indirectly if too many hosts are killed.

Strongylodon macrobotrys JADE VINE AND ITS PROBLEMS

Strongylodon macrobotrys JADE VINE AND ITS PROBLEMS Current mood: adventurous jade vine/Strongylodon macrobotrys A large, twining climber up to 70 ft (21 m) tall, this species is valued for its spectacular blooms. HERES THE PROBLEMS....MUST HAVE LEAVES IN FULL SUN ...ROOTS IN DEEP SHADE. ALSO PROPAGATION IS ONLY BY SEED...ENSURING A 8-10 YEAR WAIT FOR FLOWERS.. IF YOU HAVE THAT TIME..IT IS SOO WORTH IT...3-4 FOOT BLUE/GREEN FLOWERS..WITH A PEARLIKE IRIDESCENCE THAT FILM CANNOT CAPTURE...SEE IT can be seen LIVE AT FAIRCHILD TROPICAL GARDENS.... ITS A MUST SEE e

STAPELIA..12 INCH CARRION FLOWER

STAPELIA....CARRION FLOWER
Current mood: rushed

STAPELIA….THE FUN AND FOUL FLOWER

FROM THIS UNASSUMING TROPICAL SUCCULENT A 12 INCH WIDE FLOWER …..HAIRY.. AND ALIEN LOOKING…THIS STUNNING FLOWER IS POLLINATED BY FLIES…AND SO SMELLS LIKE ROTTEN MEAT….BUT ONLY IF YOU STICK YOUR NOSE IN IT.

ITS SOO FUN WHEN FRIENDS SEE IT….WE NATURALLY ASSUME A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER WILL SMELL NICE….WHEN YOU WARN PEOPLE…THEY DONT BELIEVE YOU…AND SMELL IT ANYWAY. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME………

AMORPHOPHALLUS TITANIUM

The botanical name of this genus of bulbous plants may bring a blush to the cheeks of some delicate souls (it means ‘deformed penis’), and their flowers might likewise be seen as gross and disgusting by those gardeners who believe that good taste in plants resides only in those of chaste pastel colors and delicate textures. Belonging to the arum family, the inflorescence structure is typical, with a large encircling bract (spathe) from the center of which emerges a fleshy spike of tiny flowers, the male and female flowers arranged in separate zones. The spike, as in many aroid genera, terminates in a bare portion called by botanists the ‘sterile appendage’. In the case of Amorphopallus it is large and often knob-like, and is the source of the foul smell given off by many of the species when in flower.

While many believe this is the largest flower in the world...it is not...it is a spathe...{multiple flowers) the largest single flower is listed earlier in my blogs. i grow the smaller species of this amorphophallus peoniflorus...in dormancy now...will photo when it flowers

heres a picture from kew gardens ......................................its about 6 feet tall

CARNIVEROUS PLANTS -SARRACENIA

CARNIVEROUS PLANTS -SARRACENIA
Current mood: sad
Category: Blogging

Sarraceniaceae Common name(s):Pitcher plant
The insect eating Sarracenia genus consists of about 8 species from the eastern part of North America; although they cover a wide area, they prefer to grow in peat bogs or in the sodden ground at the edges of pools. All the species have ODD flowers whose styles develop into a sort of umbrella. The flowers are greenish yellow or purple-red or a blend of these colors, and the same tints are found in the modified leaves, called pitchers, which are just as stunning as the flowers. Insects are attracted to the foliage colors and slide down the slippery sides, drowning in the rainwater that accumulates at the bottom.