A bit Click Cuckoo ...

The other day I came home and had a serious urge to take my camera outside. The day was really overcast; I didn't on getting the best shots, but sometimes you just have to go for it just the same. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I discovered most showed up in great "technicolor". These photo's were all taken in our yard. As much as I'd love to take credit for what's growing, I can't. Uber-Spouse is the one truly green thumb ... and the planner/planter, too. If you have a little time, I'd be happy to give you a close up (you can click on any image for a larger version).

This first photo is a close-up of the pistal and stamins of a hibiscus that lives in our front yard (there are three hibiscus bushes in all - all three in front):

There's something pretty amazing about them, don't you think? Here's an even closer view:

I'm pretty sure there's an alien species that looks just like that. Wild.

This next little bloom is from our mysterious Jamaica Cherry tree (also known as Strawberry Tree). We bought it at ECHO two years ago (at the same time we bought the mango and avacado trees) and didn't know very much about it. It seems to regularly bloom and fruit throughout the year. Last year all the fruits were infested by tiny critters, so I couldn't be convinced to try any ... it's said to be something of an aquired taste, too, so I'm hesitant anyway. This year we haven't seen any of the critters ... don't know how, but seems they've moved on. The small blooms are fairly delicate - sort of like tissue paper:

When the blooms die, they dry out before dropping:

I don't understand why some call it a strawberry tree as the tiny fruits look way more like cherries than any strawberry I have ever seen. They start out like little green pods, elongate and then round before turning from gree to red:

Here's another bloom:

Can you guess what this next image is?

It's a decaying Rubber Tree Plant leaf. The rubber tree use to live on our lanai, but was getting really pot bound & we'd been talking about moving it to the yard for some time. The day after it was moved, we got some crazy windy/rainy weather which didn't make for a super smooth transition from sheltered to exposed. I was so facinated by the decaying process - I'm sure I took more than a dozen shots from different angles. (Don't worry, this rubber tree plant is a fighter ... you'll see ...)

Here's one of Uber-Spouces newest ... a PAPAYA tree! We've only had it a few months and it is already bearing fruit. This little tree isn't more than 4 ft high right now. It's really quite cool. I had no idea what papaya trees looked like ... let alone the fruit (with the exception of the pieces found in tropical dried fruit mixes ... I know, pretty pathetic). The tree has a really neat way of growing. The trunk (at least this one) is fairly straight and sturdy with branches coming out parallel to the ground and evenly spaced/spread. The leaves and fruit are huge:

Here's a look under the leaf canopy and above the largest fruits (you can see a newer smaller one poking it's little nose above the third branch from the bottom on the right). The leaves are an incredibly bright green:

Here's a close-up of the big papayas:

OH! ... I was so into snapping pics of the tree that I NEVER even noticed this little guy - he just happened to be in one of the photographs ... isn't he a doll?!?

see ... big leaves:

and they have really cool yellow/white veins:

and gnarly monster toe roots:

here's a close-up of the little papaya:

Remember that decaying rubber tree plant leaf? This is the plant it's from:

A few of the leaves closer to the ground didn't make it (and yes, I did remove the dead/dying leaves from the plant after snapping the pictures). Most of the other leaves look really healthy and are getting their shine back ... plus, check out the new shoot ...if you aren't familiar with the rubber tree plant, that long skinny red thing is a new leaf. Plants seriously amaze me. I hope you enjoyed the little exploration through the yard.

Be well, breathe well. ~M~