I used to work for an elderly couple down the street from me.
This plaque, now in my garden,
is from their garden.
My
tamarix tree
with graceful and delicate pink flowers.
Herb and vegetable gardens.
Stockpile of mulch!
Amaranthus.
Castor bean plant.
I first saw this plant at Tryon Palace in New Bern
on the last leg of our trip across and back the United States.
I knew then I wanted it in my own garden.
And now I have it.
I started about a dozen of these
from seeds this spring
and I transplanted them in a dozen different places
in my garden.
Although this isn't the largest of the plants,
it's the first to bloom.
Interesting fact about the castor bean plant:
"Lately, the extremely toxic components of Castor Beans (including the protein ricin and the alkaloid ricinine) have been the subject of much interest. The most notorious is ricin, a deadly poison found in abundance in the seed and in smaller amounts throughout the rest of the plant. Ricin is a water-soluble protein that inhibits protein synthesis in animal cells, leading to their death. Poisoning occurs when animals ingest broken seeds or chew the seeds. Intact seeds may pass through the digestive tract without releasing ricin. Ricin is incredibly toxic. As little as 0.5 mg (the amount contained in several seeds) can kill an adult. One seed can kill a child. We are not the only sensitive animals. Four seeds will kill a rabbit, 5 a sheep, 6 an ox or horse, 7 a pig, 11 a dog, but it takes 80 to kill a duck. Ricin has been investigated for its potential use as an insecticide."
That's QUACK!
I'm really liking this area now.
Last Spring 2010,
this area was all mint.
I tired of the mint and pulled it all up,
leaving a few plants in the back which,
if untamed, will invade this area again.
Now, I have volunteer sunflowers,
columbine, zinnias, crocosmia,
amaranthus, assorted peppers,
salvia, lantana, and some other stuff
I can't remember.
I used to work for an elderly couple down the street from me.
This plaque, now in my garden,
is from their garden.
My tamarix tree
with graceful and delicate pink flowers.
Herb and vegetable gardens.
Stockpile of mulch!
Amaranthus.
Castor bean plant.
I first saw this plant at Tryon Palace in New Bern
on the last leg of our trip across and back the United States.
I knew then I wanted it in my own garden.
And now I have it.
I started about a dozen of these
from seeds this spring
and I transplanted them in a dozen different places
in my garden.
Although this isn't the largest of the plants,
it's the first to bloom.
Interesting fact about the castor bean plant:
"Lately, the extremely toxic components of Castor Beans (including the protein ricin and the alkaloid ricinine) have been the subject of much interest. The most notorious is ricin, a deadly poison found in abundance in the seed and in smaller amounts throughout the rest of the plant. Ricin is a water-soluble protein that inhibits protein synthesis in animal cells, leading to their death. Poisoning occurs when animals ingest broken seeds or chew the seeds. Intact seeds may pass through the digestive tract without releasing ricin. 
I'm really liking this area now.
Last Spring 2010,
this area was all mint.
I tired of the mint and pulled it all up,
leaving a few plants in the back which,
if untamed, will invade this area again.
Now, I have volunteer sunflowers,
columbine, zinnias, crocosmia,
amaranthus, assorted peppers,
salvia, lantana, and some other stuff
I can't remember.
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