Search This Blog

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Blue Macro Mandarin Orange Monday, Favorite Plant Pick, December 9, 2013

Welcome to my Monday post, today I am linking to-

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally  

Mellow Yellows Monday hosted by Gemma Wiseman

One of those rare events is occurring, the blooming of my Ric Rac Orchid Cactus, Epiphyllum anguliger, a relative of the famous Night Blooming Cereus, E. oxypetallum, and also sweetly but not overpoweringly scented.    It has been spending time in a south-facing window but is now hanging in my aquaponics frame.   It is my favorite plant pick of the week, for other people's favorite plants, visit Loree's Favorite Plant of the Week Post and also look at the commments section.   A tougher house plant would be hard to find, and easy also to propagate, just whack off a piece.  It has many small cactusy features as well as the big Ric Rac branches.







A Mexican pottery box of a fish for something blue-

It snowed here and got down to 15*F or lower, but we were too busy putting lights for heat on our poultry and rabbits so I didn't take any sensational snow photos.  Winter is early this year.   At Thanksgiving we celebrated our 20th Anniversary of living in this house, we moved in at the tail end of a snow storm then.  Our south woods and some visitors.


 The apple orchard where deer like to come for tasty treats.

Looking forward to the Winter Solstice in a couple of weeks when the days will start getting longer again!    Hannah

or cameras are macro

I love to return visits to your blog but if your comment section requires google + or other restrictive systems I may not be able to comment.... there are widgets that might help.








42 comments:

  1. Fascinating flowers. I have ric rac cactus from a shared cutting and didn't even realize it would produce flowers. Now I know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have the impression it helps if the plant is somewhat behind a curtain or not receiving much artificial light at night. The flowers fade quickly after blooming, so it is exciting when they do.

      Delete
  2. Your Epiphyllum anguliger is gorgeous! We've sure had a big dose of early and cold winter this year! Your woods and visitors are beautiful. Hope you are keeping warm!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Peter, I enjoyed your Thanksgiving decorations. The woods are so tall they shade a big part of the ground so it doesn't thaw in the daytime, and hawks and possibly owls have nested there. Since we don't have a dog, deer feel very comfortable here. They even stayed in the yard fairly close when we were out working when the fruit was on the ground.

      Delete
  3. I have never heard of Ric Rac Cactus. It has a very interesting shape and amazing blooms!
    We sometimes see deer at the edge of our woods, too, but I haven't been able to get photos. They startle and run at the slightest sound. Beautiful creatures!
    Have a wonderful week!
    Lea

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lea, I like the shape of the long rick-rack branches, and I appreciate tough plants. The deer were unusually friendly this year, there were even 2 pairs of faun twins this year.

      Delete
  4. What a beautiful plant...I have never heard of it before...love the blooms. The Mexican fish has such brilliant colors. I so love to see the deer from my back window.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Susie, The fish is very bright. I like colors with black. I can't usually see the deer from inside.

      Delete
  5. Gorgeous blossoms on the cactus!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Gunilla, I like the orangish bracts that encircle the petals.

      Delete
  6. Wonderful colors in these beautiful flowers, very nice!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Leovi, the oranges are accentuated by the camera and lighting.

      Delete
  7. Surely nice to see deer in your yard. The flower has interesting shape and color.
    Like your colorful pottery box.

    http://www.1sthappyfamily.com/2013/12/family-gathering.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lina. The deer are not so nice when they destroy things in my garden, but this was a pretty peaceful year since I have fences on all my beds and they didn't manage to jump in or enter through gates I left open this year.

      Delete
  8. Nice flowers, great post fot BM!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Hans, it's nice to have indoor flowers blooming now that it's snowing outside. It looks like we may get more, too.

      Delete
  9. I've never seen this plant before. It's quite beautiful! Your photos are wonderful. I love it when the deer visit our yards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I've had it a long time, it takes a while to get to this size. We saw a deer when we drove in today.

      Delete
  10. Awesome series of shots ~ favorite are the deer ~ thanks for visiting also, carol, xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, it's not always easy to get shots of the deer. They seemed a little bolder this year.

      Delete
  11. Replies
    1. Thanks, I am glad to have some flowers to photograph indoors.;-)

      Delete
  12. Wonderful yellow and orange flowers abloom. Great !
    Best regards, Synnöve

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Synnove, and they are fragrant as well. I didn't do a good job bringing in my Amaryllis, so I don't know if it will flower for me.

      Delete
  13. Yes, a pretty picture of Mexican pottery, really interesting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Leovi, they used really bright colors.

      Delete
  14. Morning Hannah,

    We have deer living around here too, but I've never been able to get a shot of them. You've done an excellent job.

    Love your Blue heart/fish dish.

    Happy Blue Monday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sally, it is not easy getting the deer shots. If I get a new camera with more zoom then maybe I can get really great shots!

      Delete
  15. I love that Epiphyllum anguliger so much! Of course for me as a foliage lover the ric-rac look is enough but through in that flower and WOW! Yours looks very big and healthy too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I am the pits on taking care of houseplants, so you know it is tough. It's only been blooming for 3 years now.

      Delete
  16. I like the pictures. It is very rare I see a deer. Thank you for sharing the photographs. It must be really nice to have them close to nature.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are fun to watch, but also can suddenly decide to eat something that they didn't eat before, like my Trilliums, and I have to have wire fences on all my vegetable and flower beds except where I grow stuff they don't eat.

      Delete
  17. What lovely blooms. The other shots are nice to see, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Betty, we still have a lot of winter to get through, so houseplants are great. I could wish it were summer here like it is for you, your Delphiniums are beautiful.

      Delete
  18. That is one interesting (and it looks like dangerous) plant! Thanks for introducing us to it. How nice that you had some deer visiting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does betray it's cactus affinities with a few needles but they are small and I haven't actively encountered them. Most of the plant is smooth.

      Delete
  19. So many lovely offerings Hannah! Thanks for sharing the love up-close with I Heart Macro:-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Laura. It's an unexpected pleasure to have blooms on the Ric Rac Cactus now. Thanks for hosting!

      Delete
  20. Good morning Hannah, Nothing like a late visit but I'm glad my busy week has let up today so I can play on my computer. That means visiting you. smile. Thank you for your interesingt comment about the history of your family. You are right about old. HA!

    Love your post about the plant you shared. How beautiful. We too have deer here in the mountains of NC. We love seeing them. Love the sweet heart box in blue.
    Have a hapy week.
    xo, Jeanne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jeanne, grandkids are a blessing, I can't imagine the great-grandkid stage yet, but time keeps marching on. I still feel young at heart.:-) I like the Peter Pan motto, I won't grow up!

      Delete
  21. Great shots of a beautiful plant. Thanks for sharing on Mom71:) Sorry about my late visit too!

    ReplyDelete