I have just spent a few days in Phoenix. Here are a few photos to prove it. I stayed at the Sheraton Downtown, and I was pleased as usual with the lovely bar which provided for all my needs. Although there are numerous hotels around I would rather be in the centre, because it gives me access to to all corners. But pride of place is always going to be the Desert Botanical Garden which takes a full day of my time.
Winston James
This is a new visit to the city of Barcelona , and first since the end of active pandemic. I stayed at the Le Meriden Hotel in La Rambla which was very nice. Enjoy the garden, and later tour the city.
As the weather turns, here in the UK, I decided to spend a few days in Miami.
Most of it is dedicated to to what I saw as I visited, and as usual it is generally plants and gardens. I had some social activities, but that will be next time.Winston James
It is summertime, which means splashes of warm weather every now and then, after all this the UK. I am busy tending to my plant collection with an eye on my present Ebay sales which is going better than I expected. I have decided since my last foreign trip to avoid travel because of the confusion which now takes place for anybody who heads abroad. Since I am occupied with Greenhouse activity, I will share with you some of my plant images.
A photo above gives the a good expression of how I keep my plants in the greenhouse. with limited space, the intention is to keep the plants growing, especially as the intention is to prepare them for my Ebay sale catalogue. Considering this is a temperate climate, the greenhouse is my only ‘hot house’ and I have to make the most of it.
If you grow succulents like I do in a temperate climate, you will soon learn the difficulty of growing plants outdoors. It is not that you can cannot grow them reasonably well, it is just that there is never enough heat and sunlight to fulfil the complete cycle, and fruiting and flowering becomes quite difficult. For those of us who are quite ambitious, a greenhouse is the only alternative.
Tree cactus I love growing. Most fit into the Epiphyllum range with names like Selenicereus Disocactus, Cryptocereus, Lepismium, Rhipsalis, Aporocactus and many others. The beauty of these is that you can hang them using the greenhouse in a different way. They need more watering and less sunlight, and can always be accommodated in selected corners.
Winston James Manor Park LONDON
AN ALOE YOU CAN GROW
Family:Â Asphodelaceae
Common names:Â Karasberg Aloe
Aloe karasbergensis is still for some heavily linked to the regular Aloe striata, and is still referred in publication as Aloe striata subsp. karasbergensis. For me it is quite different from the regular ‘striata’, and I have joined with the progressives to give it its only name. It is a plant that is native to Southern Africa and Namibia; and the ‘Karasberg’ refers to the Karas Mountain region, and in the Gariep Valley of the Richtersveld. I have noticed that ths plant is far rarer than I thought, and while visiting Gran Canaria I came across these specimens and was happy to enjoy. Have a look at the video.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/T91FU1qiKrY
I thought I will end with a photo of the traditional Aloe Striata for comparison, but for me the two plants are very different.
Winston James
It is almost the end of October. The pandemic is still very much with us, and in spite of the expected anxieties, life must go on. The last three months have been unsettling as the rules of the UK pandemic has been eased with mixed results, some fearful and yet others manageable. Even now, well organized trips to the continent has offered a very difficult way of travelling. And yet it was very necessary to fulfil these journeys to remind us of how our need to survive fits in to the current landscape. I think after these two three day break in Europe, first to France and then to Spain worked well; now I am ready for the international trip. That should be challenging and yet very well worth the experience. In the meantime let us enjoy the rest of the autumn, and hope the winter is bearable.
The arrival of the vaccine and the ultimate debate of its significance took me by surprise. Even though I expected a few refuseniks ( people who were convinced that the jab was no use to them for numerous reasons), I was more than surprised by the number of people who objected.. For the rest of us it was seen as a much needed strike against Covid virus, which was definitely need urgently. Its impact has already been felt across the world, and yet the debate continues by some on why it is needed. Some of it leaves me quite sad as I see that events to follow will eventually be accompanied by lost of life.
The obvious conflict of the pandemic appear to be how best to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus, and in many instaces how to utilise our resources to keep people alive. The many lockdowns caused not only anxieties, but also demonstrations expressing surprising emotions and intent. Although most developed ccountries have had some of their double dose, poorer countries are still struggling to get even the first dose. This reminds you that whatever the so-called intentions of wealthier world, they are still fallling short. And lots of people are still suffering. The big question is when will it all end. That is difficult to decipher at the moment, as each day appear to introduce a new set of problems and you are left wondering when. The only joy of the last year is that I have had no contact with the Covid-19 virus whatsoever, and that has made my life free of fears and anxieties.
Winston James
Summer 21 is here, and let us be honesst it is a poor representation as far as the weather is concerned. But we have to manage with what we have, and as the pandemic is still around I will concentrate on the elements which enhance my thought processes. Here, I will offer you some photos from my greenhouse experience, and visits to the local UK based gardens.
THE GREENHOUSE: Having a greenhouse is very necessary as it facilitates easier growing of plants, especially tropical plans. It can be absolutely useful in the winter when temperatures fall below what we need, and the plants are affected negatively.
GARDEN IMAGES. This is RHS Wisley, and the photo firstly illustrate plants under cover. The second set of photos remind you that there are lots of things to see outdoors.
What’s Outdoors
Aeoniums were not always some of my favourites, as it took some time for me to understand that they were easy to grow in our temperate weather. now I grow quite a few species some of which are illustrated below.
Winston James on a sombre grey evenng in the middle of summer. This is the UK.
Making YouTube videos should make you conscious about the image you project, but sometimes you casually come up with a topic and resist the temptation to take the ideas much more seriously. Recently I had a look at the thumbnails I produce for my videos and thought they are not very good as they rarely encourage subscribers to run to my videos. Here are a few.
The general problem they look too similar and do not carry much individual characteristics I believe that distinguish them enough to to immediately attract. I should work on some new ideas. Winston
At that this time of the month for the last few years I have always travelled to the state of Arizona. This year will be an exception as the current situation with the pandemic has literally ended all my travel intention. I thought therefore I will reflect via some photos on the areas I have visited in the last few years.
Sierra Ancha is a mountain range in Gila county in central Arizona. It now has improved roads which makes it easier to penetrate, and visit the many archaeological remains which exist.
Arizona for me is still the land of Agaves with many other succulents thrown in to the characteristic xeric landscape.
I love the succulents and I love them when the flowers are in bloom.
And it is important to remember this is the state of wonderful saguaros.
Plant Nurseries are numerous which means that if you are looking for seedlings and young specimens, you will find lots of them in Tucson and in Phoenix.
And there are the cities with active people.
