Nature

HoraceZontal

@wissox83
Ah! That tracks. Reminded me of the view from a spot on the shore in Hyde Park, but it wasn’t quite right — the relationship of the Sears Tower to JH was off.

wissox83

@HoraceZontal yah, you must be thinking of promontory point, a famous park there that juts out into the lake with beautiful views!

RockChalkinTexas 0

Today's photo is of the Baltimore Orioles that migrate through and stopped for a drink.

RockChalkinTexas 0

Today's photo is of a couple of the many sago palms that I planted 18 years ago. They produce new fronds each year and lose the bottom tier, so in essence you get a larger part of the trunk above ground and the new growth produces a taller plant. I cover these in the winter with tarps but a couple leaves got a bit frost bitten, but in all the 9 I have left survived. Most of them are in the ground but there are some in pots that make it easier to move. During the freeze in 2021 I lost dozens of them along with the tall Washitonian palms, like down in South Padre, and many Windmill palms. As houseplants, sago palms make excellent long-lived specimens. They are very slow growing, so be prepared to wait for at least a decade to see much of a trunk develop. Most plants grow considerably broader than tall.

mayjay

@RockChalkinTexas-0 Are sago palms and sago cacti the same thing? We had to give our 3 near our patio away to our neighbors because apparently the "fruits" they produce are poisonous to dogs. They have grown nice and lush ever since, but, to be honest, we found the dog to be more fun...

RockChalkinTexas 0

@mayjay Do you mean "saguaro" cactus? I don't think there is a sago cactus. Mine don't have fruit.

wissox83

Loons at Stormy Lake, WI

RockChalkinTexas 0

@wissox83 I love loons. When I see one, I say in Katherine Hepburn voice, Oh look Norman, the loons!

mayjay

Your first sentence included:

"...the many sago cactus that I planted..."
and then later, you said palms.

So I guess it was inadvertent, but I sure had my Master Gardener wife stumped for awhile when I asked her what the difference was! She says the fruits are little berry-like things. Might be a variety only found here in ante-bellum SC--like so many other things.

RockChalkinTexas 0

@mayjay DUH I just figured out it was my mistake. Sorry for the confusion. I have been working on protesting my taxes ‍️