Pinus radiata is native to the California coast. In the mid-19th century seedlings were sent to New Zealand for evaluation. The example you see here is from one of those original test plantings in Wellington, New Zealand and is approaching 175 years old. Pinus radiata is now the foundation of commercial forestry in NZ and in Chile because in these locations this species grows faster and larger than in California with trees ready for harvesting in just 30 years.
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Monarch CaterpillarMonarch Caterpillar
A migrating female Monarch placed her egg (the size of a pin head) on a leaf of this milkweed in my garden.
Four days later a caterpillar emerged and started eating. Ten days later, and about 2” long, the caterpillar developed a chrysalis which can be found hanging on a nearby tree or post.
Ten days later, the monarch emerged. Pretty amazing journey for 28 days
Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on just one plant, and that is milkweed, Asclepias. This picture shows Asclepias curassavica.
This genus is herbaceous, perennial and flowering. Monarch caterpillars eat only the leaves of the milkweed.
Milkweed is a beneficial wildflower and is not invasive. Other species use the nectar and some will also eat parts of the plant.
The plant, which has a milky sap, does contain toxins, which can be harmful to pets and humans, so be careful when handling.
post provided by SC.
Recreating a 4000-Year Old GardenRecreating a 4000-Year Old Garden
Read and see what an ancient Egyptian garden is thought to have looked like.
Ancient Egyptian Garden – Hamilton Gardens
here is a news story
Recreation of ancient Egyptian garden opens in Hamilton (1news.co.nz)
Peruvian DaffodilPeruvian Daffodil
Exotic and fragrant! If you want a consistent spring bloomer and a bulb that will reward you every spring then you need to plant Peruvian Daffodils Bulbs (Hymenocallis festalis). They love our zone 10A and they are extremely reliable blooming each and every spring. Also, they produce offspring bulbs on a regular basis every year. You plant one Peruvian Daffodil Bulb and within 5 years you’ll probably have six or seven surrounding the original mother bulb. For some very obvious reasons some people call them, “spider lilies.”