13th Annual So Cal Regional Begonia Show & Sale

    Last weekend we attended the 13th Annual, Southern California Regional Begonia Show & Sale, at Sherman Library & Gardens in Corona Del Mar, California.  It was a great show with some nice looking begonias.  It's always a good time to chat and catch up with begonia friends and make some new begonia friends.

Cane Begonias

b. Looking Glass - Arlene Hoskins

b. White Ice - Arlene Hoskins

b. Snow Ball - Kay Anders

b. Bubbles - Martin Delgado

Unknown - Candy Nakanishi

b. Spreckles - Chris Hogan

b. Little Miss Mummy - Mary Sakomoto

b. Carmen O - Carol Knight

b. Constellation - Candy Nakanishi

b. Frosty Fairyland - Chris Hogan

b. Champagne Girls - Chris Hogan

b. Robinson's Peach - Candy Nakanishi

b. Lu Leonard - Chris Hogan

b. Barbara Rose - Candy Nakanishi

b. Alamo Snow - Chris Hogan

b. Dumbo - Chris Hogan

b. Dolly - Carol Knight

b. Talynn 2 - Mike Flaherty

b. Irene Nuss - Mike Flaherty

b. Miss Janet - Carol Knight

b. Lovely Louise - Carol Knight

Cane Begonias Grown in Standard Form

b. Hazel's Front Porch - Mike Flaherty

b. Rose - Chris Hogan

b. Nakomis - Chris Hogan

Rex Begonias

Rex Hybrid - Norm Nakanishi

b. Black Hole - Arlene Hoskins

b. Randy MK2 - Mike Flaherty

Mixed Begonias

Mixed Begonias - Mike Flaherty

Mixed Begonias Backside - Mike Flaherty

Semperfloren Begonias

b. Charm - Kay Anders

Shrub-like Begonias

b. foliosa - Martin Delgado

b. peltata - Mike Flaherty

b. Cascade - Martin Delgado

b. Richmondensis - Kay Anders

Rhizomatous Begonias

b. Madame Queen - Mary Sakamoto

b. Carol Knight - Carol Knight

Unknown - Candy Nakanishi

b. Kartuz IV - Candy Nakanishi

b. Mrs. Ruth Pease - Candy Nakanishi

b. Kingsbury - Candy Nakanishi

b. Vista Pauper - Norm Nakanishi

b. Prince Noir - Norm Nakanishi

b. Heracleifolia var. Sunderbruckii - Mary Sakamoto

b. Carmel Brown - Norm Nakanishi

b. Medusa - Arlene Hoskins

b. Northern Lights - Arlene Hoskins

b. Vista Pauper - Candy Nakanishi

b. Red Fred - Marilyn Bauer

b. Madame Queen - Candy Nakanishi

b. Erythrophylla - Martin Delgado

b. Heracleifolia - Marty Litton

No Name - Marty Litton

b. Red Fred - Mary Sakamoto

b. Green Fountain - Carol Knight

b. Mr. O'Flaherty - Mike Flaherty

b. Bunchii - Martin Delgado

Species Begonias

b. metallica - Carol Knight

b. acetosa - Carol Knight

b. valida - Martin Delgado

b. sericoneura - Marty Litton

Thick-Stem Begonias

b. Joooles Jewel - Mike Flaherty

b. Boomer - Martin Delgado

b. Boomer - Candy Nakanishi

Semi-Tuberous Begonias

b. Dregei Partita 'Maple Leaf' - Kay Anders

b. Dregei - Candy Nakanishi

Begonias Grown in Terrariums

b. montis-elephantis - Don Delano

b. versicolor - Don Delano

b. versicolor ’Teng Form’ - Don Delano

b. Sesame Sprinkles - Don Delano

b. Melanobullata - Don Delano

b. Cleopatrae - Don Delano

b. ningmingensis var. bella - Don Delano

b. Lyalli - Don Delano

b. bogneri - Don Delano

 

Two Bees, One Coming and The Other Going!

Venus Flytrap 'Mammoth' with a Bee trapped halfway, with it's head in.

Venus Flytrap 'Mammoth' with a Bee trapped halfway, with it's head out.

    This Venus Flytrap 'Mammoth' has caught two bees. Although the traps are pretty good size, it only trapped half of a bee at a time. The first bee was trapped with it's head in the trap and about five weeks later the second bee was trapped with it's head out of the trap.

Venus Flytrap 'Mammoth' before it trapped the Bees

    Here is a picture of Venus flytrap 'Mammoth" before it trapped the Bees.

A Bee in The Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

Bee in Blooms of Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

     Today I noticed a bee among the blooms of this Euphorbia bupleurifolia (AKA Pine Cone Plant).  This plant was a gift from Carol Knight.  Thanks again Carol, and the Bee thanks you too!  Bees come and go quickly, so I had to act fast and took these with my iPhone.  No seed will come of this as this plant is not self-pollinating and who knows how close the nearest Euphorbia bupleurifolia is from here!

Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

Bee in blooms of Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

Lithops AKA Living Stone Plants

 

Lithops

    I enjoy the challenge of growing Lithops (AKA living stone plants) and here I some in a pot with stone just to make it confusing!  These plants are about the size of a US quarter.  If I can keep them alive more the two years I consider it a great success, and these are in their third year of my care!  

Mourning Doves Nesting

 

Mourning Doves - One Adult and two babies 

Mourning Doves can pick some odd places to build a nest and here is one of those odd places.  This hanging wrought iron plant holder is next to Mike's greenhouse and he walks by it multiple times everyday.  Since doves raise multiple broods in a season, it will be interesting to see if they use this nest again.  

Mourning Doves

Mourning Doves

Mourning Doves

Fanfare Blooms!

     

matucana madisoniorum

    I've had this Peruvian cactus Matucana Madisoniorum for a long time.  It's a slow grower but a regular bloomer.  I like the almost smooth like texture with few spines and the fanfare trumpet shaped blooms!

matucana madisoniorum