Flowering Birds

Day 35: My collection of Christmas cacti is largely populated by the more unusual colours: yellow, white, picotee. I have some red/magenta ones as well, but they bloom later and by then, my eye has become somewhat jaded to their beauty and elegance. It is the flocks of early-flowering hybrids I love best, flying in their birdlike forms and feathery petals to my mantel, there to roost until their season is done.

Many long years ago, my husband (not particularly horticulturally adept) succeeded in cross-pollinating two differently coloured plants. We were both surprised when one of the two developed small reddish fruits, heaxagonal in cross-section and about half an inch long. We expected them to drop, but were again surprised when they held on, matured and dried. Bruce split the pods (it was his experiment, after all) and planted the tiny black seeds with care. Perhaps conditions weren't right, or perhaps the seed was sterile; in any event, after months of waiting and hoping, it became apparent to us that nothing further was going to occur.

As I set the Birds out on dark velvet for their portraits, a shower of pollen dusted the fabric's nap. Thinking of Bruce, I'm going to go get a paintbrush.

Crazy For Daisies

Day 264: Oxeye Daisies are a common sight on the southwest Washington prairies. A non-native species, they are not on the invasive plant list although they do frequently out-compete native wildflowers and grasses. They often grow in "drifts," blanketing large areas where conditions are favourable. You should feel no pangs of conscience if you want to stop and pick a bouquet. In fact, these flowers present a great opportunity to explain osmosis to your kids. You undoubtedly have everything you need on hand for the experiment except perhaps the daisies, so take a drive or ride your bike and gather some up.

Fill a vase with water and add several drops of food coloring. Put your daisy bouquet in the water, and in about 24 hours, you should see color starting to infuse the petals from the center. As the daisies stand longer, the color will spread until the flowers no longer show any white. You can turn your daisies red, green, blue or even purple! Planning a Fourth of July picnic? Pick three batches and make a red, white and blue arrangement for your table! Some dye will drain back out of the stems, so wait to combine them until right before presentation.