Wednesday, May 23

Green Scenes


Driftwood in the ivy (click 'em to big 'em)

Money plant. I pulled this one out of the ground because it was growing in a place I didn't want seed to scatter when it matures. I thought you might like to see the "money - coins" at this stage.


Here I have opened a piece of the "money", so you can see the seeds developing. When mature, the seeds turn brown and the discs of the coin shed the green covering, leaving behind a seed packet formed of pearly-looking (almost iridescent) coins. Once they are dried, they open in the wind, and the seed is scattered hither and yon. Anywhere that seed lands, there will be a plant the following spring.



"Nobody home."




These three photos show you what happens when you leave poison ivy unchecked. It takes over the trees and everything in its path. Don't you think we'd be well advised to get some Roundup?










27 comments:

rosemary said...

We had money trees in California when I was a kid. Half of the neighborhood asked my dad to take the tree out becuase they were "spreading" for blocks! If only money grew on trees. The poison ivy looks beautiful, sadly.

Loren said...

I reallly like the driftwood in the plants.

I'd be less happy with the poison ivy since I'm widly allergic to it and poison oak.

Moon said...

WOW, I had never seen the money plant before! How interesting!...And they say money doesn't grow on trees....well it does on leaves anyway lol. Thanks for the great pics.

sonia a. mascaro said...

Love your green scenes, such a beautiful plants, Judy!

Love "Nobody home" photo!

Tabor said...

So you think you have poision Ivy. You don't even know what poison Ivy is!! I have 30 foot tall trees that I thought were a full lovely green and find that they are really tall skinny trees covered in poison IVY!

Cris said...

I had no idea ivy grows like that! And first time I see the money plant! Where did your daughter-in-law live here? Is she still in touch with her host family? I still keep in touch with mine and a couple of friends, we IM every day!

Anonymous said...

My grandmother had a money plant in her backyard, and gave everyone a bouquet of it - shed already - whenever they moved into a new home. Or for any ocassion, really. For luck and prosperity, she said. I still have the bunch (long since dried and preserved) she gave me on my wedding day. It's in a red vase on top of my armoire in the living room.

Joy Des Jardins said...

I love these pictures Judy. There's something about the vibrant green colors of the outdoors that is so appealing. Very cool.

srp said...

Is there any place you let the money trees grow? I always thought they were fascinating plants.

Anonymous said...

So lovely, the greeness of it all. Even the poison ivy looks inviting.


~K!

Maya's Granny said...

Yes, even the poison ivy looks lovely. Here on the west coast we have poison oak, which I seem to be immune to; I've never seen poison ivy and didn't realize that it climbs -- of course, the name would indicate that it does.

Merle said...

Hi Judy ~~ I loved the photos of trees and they are so nice and green.
Thank you so much for the Birthday wishes. That was so nice of you.
Take care, Love, Merle.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Love that tree trunk Judy...What kind of tree is that? I love that extra thin thingy winding around the base....Now the Poison Ivy---THAT'S another story! LOVE those money tree coins, too....I've never seen that before, either!

Anonymous said...

Had never heard of money plant until today. Love your photos. Your garden looks like quite something!

Eddie said...

Judy,
Thanks a lot! Now I am itching all over. I am so allergic to that stuff, I can just think it and break out... looking a picture of it is twice as bad.

Anonymous said...

I really like the driftwood deco....and speaking of poison ivy, just got rid of a bunch for a neighbor.

Seems I am lucky in the sense that poison ivy doesn't seem to bother me but once your neighbors find out...well you end up being the neighborhood poison ivy exterminator. But that's okay...really!

kenju said...

Alan, it is frustrating not to be able to answer your comments! I was in my late 50's before I ever got poison ivy, and the first time was horrible! You might not be as immune as you think, so be careful.

Anonymous said...

Having suffered through a terrible bout of poison ivy at the same time I came down with a terrible bout of bronchitis, I think you should definitely invest in gallons of roundup to use on this most terrible plant of our time. Off with its roots! Be GONE oh itchy plant from hay-el!

I recovered, lived to tell about it, and advocate the use of full strength roundup every chance I get! LOL!
;)

fakies said...

Love regular ivy, but I can do without the poison variety. Calamine lotion doesn't match my wardrobe.

Bobkat said...

Some plants are just voracious!It's incredible how far they spread!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Oh....! Sorry about that! LOL! For some reason I did not realize the poison ivy had such a strong thick vine....It's been many many years since I have seen poison ivy, I'm happy to say....!

Anna said...

So green....so itchy! :)

Carolyn said...

I had a terrible case of PI a few years ago and it left scars that now turn red when I go out in the sun.

The money plants are neat. You can dry them and add to dried flowers, but you already knew that ;)

Shephard said...

I esp. like the leaves in the dappled light. :)
~S

sage said...

that's some pretty healthy poison ivy there Kenju, makes me itch looking at it

Barbara said...

I have poison ivy like crazy at home too. My son seems to get the rash by just looking at the vine! It does seem to be abundant this year.

The money plant sure does look different in its immature state! Very cool.

Peace

Crimson said...

I love that money plant! It's so strange to me that we can all live in the same country and have such different nature all around us. So many things I've never seen before! Love it.