Brashley Photography blog Mid-Week Monochrome challenge
Mid-Week Monochrome – MWM – #59
Tag: challenge
Thursday’s Special: Pick A Word – May 2021
It is time for another Pick a Word themed challenge. As usual you get five words to choose from:
AGITATED- feeling or appearing troubled or nervous
ALPINE- relating to high mountains
DERELICT- the state of having been abandoned and become dilapidated
ENCLOSED- surrounded or closed off on all sides
MEDIEVAL- relating to the Middle Ages. “a medieval castle”
Color your world – Turquoise Blue
V.J.’s Weekly Challenge : Trees
Common names: Koorsboom (Afrikaans), mooka-kwena (Northern Sotho), umHlosinga (Zulu), nkelenga (Tsonga), munzhelenga (Venda).
This tree is popular amongst birds for nest building as the thorns add extra protection against predators such as snakes. Young branches and leaves are eaten by elephant and the leaves and pods are eaten by giraffe and vervet monkeys. Monkeys and grey louries also eat the flowers. The gum and green seeds are eaten by baboons. Insects such as bees are attracted by the yellow colour and sweet scent of the flowers and perform a pollination role.
Uses
The wood is hard, heavy and a suitable general purpose timber but it should be seasoned before use otherwise it is likely to crack. The main stems and larger branches are used to fence out hippo from fields on the Pongola flood plain and the timber is reputed to be used for boxwood. Medicinally the bark is used for treating fevers and eye complaints.
V.J.’S WEEKLY CHALLENGE
Weekend sky #29
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #149 – Cool Colors – Blue and Green
The Lens-Artists Challenge is hosted this week by Tina
This week we are returning to the color wheel and its cooler members, which include blue (primary) green (secondary) and blue-green or blue-violet aka purple (tertiary).
Silent Sunday : Aloes
Fandango’s Flashback Friday — May 21
Fandango asks if you would like to expose your newer readers to some of you earlier posts that they might never have seen?
This post was originally published on 21 May 2015
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Few bulbs are easier to grow than amaryllis — and few bloom with greater exuberance and beauty. Just plant the bulb in good potting soil. A support stake is handy for keeping the blooms upright, but little else is required: water regularly and provide bright, indirect light. Blooms will appear four to six weeks after planting.
If your amaryllis is not already potted, plant each amaryllis bulb in a heavy, 6-8″ pot. Lightweight pots may tip over. Plant the bulb, pointed-end-up, in potting soil. Do not use soil from the garden because it will not drain properly. Pack the soil gently around the bulb so approximately one-third of the bulb remains above the soil line.
Place the pot in a sunny location and water sparingly until you see about 2″ of new growth. From then on, water regularly. As the plant grows, turn the pot periodically to encourage the stalk to grow straight. Within five to eight weeks, you will have an exciting and dramatic floral display. To prolong the blooms, keep the pot out of direct sunlight.
For Bloom Next Year
Amaryllis can be encouraged to blossom again the following year. It takes a little planning and extra care, but is quite simple and very rewarding. After the flowers have faded, cut the flower stalk to within 1″ of the top of the bulb. Continue to water and feed the plant regularly with a liquid houseplant fertilizer. Amaryllis will grow a number of leaves during the spring and summer. This will help the plant produce energy for the following year’s bloom. In mid-August, begin withholding water and let the foliage die back naturally as the pot dries out completely. Store the dormant bulb in a cool, dark and dry place for a minimum of eight weeks. About five to eight weeks before you want the amaryllis to flower again, repot the bulb in fresh potting soil and resume watering — sparingly at first. Once you see new growth, increase watering. You can expect another dramatic floral display within five to eight weeks. By following these basic care guidelines, you will be able to encourage your amaryllis to flower year after year. – http://www.gardeners.com/
Mid-Week Monochrome – MWM – #58
Brashley Photography blog Mid-Week Monochrome challenge
