Kalanchoe Care Special: Hen and Chick Flowers!

Coolest thing I've seen in all the time I've been keeping Succulents!

Pics above and right: The Red Robin Hen and Chicks I only JUST got for my Mom for her Mothers Day/Birthday gift. A month later, BOOM! Beautiful Bubblegum Pink and white variegated flowers! 

Left Pic: I don't know what I did, but now ALL my other Hen and Chick plants (who I must admit wintered here VERY well!) Are making Flower heads. This one is called a "Berry Blue" Hen and Chicks.

Right Pic: This is the Hen and Chick plant that started it all as far as finding Perinnial Succulents that can survive a Zone 4 winter! This is the "Desert Blossom" Hen and chicks and the biggest one I personally have ever owned. :P 





 Final thoughs: I have no idea what the other plants are going to make for flower colors but amidst all the excitement there is a bittersweet moment which is "Once they make a flower head, The "Hen" will die." Thankfully, the "Chicks" will continue to live and once THEY make flowers, THEY die.... and then the cycle just keeps going like that.... unless something obliterates them all!..... what that may be, I have no idea.

God bless and thanks for reading! 

A.M.

 

Kalanchoe Care Chapter 22: Succulent Arrangement.

Okay, I finally got some plant filming done after so long. Enjoy my first attempt at making a Succulent Arrangement! :)

                                      

After filming, I went digging around through the house and found an old bag of tiny river-wash pebbles to make for a nice finishing touch!

 

 

I made sure to not crowd the tiny leaf cutting and micro plants that were trying to hard to grow. I also stuck in the one last piece of Watch Chain and gave it some water. I don't think it's dead, just severely dehydrated.

In other news, my Christmas Cacti are all doing fairly well but they can't handle the extreme sunlight we've been getting so, as much as I LOVE seeing them out in the sun in their bright green colors, I dare not let them stay out there for fear of rampant burning. So, In the house, in their basket in the south facing window is where they will stay. :) 

My Aloe Hawaorthia (Or Aloe Astarte, I can't remember) Is making it's one valiant effort to flower. I imagine it wouldn't be so stretched if it was outside but again, super strong sun. The problem we faced this year was in the span of a week we went from freezing at night to ROASTING hot! And when you have as many plants as I do, I'm NOT lugging that many plants in and out EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Not happening. :P 

As far as my Christmas Cacti go, I wish I knew  why some of the leaves (middle left pic) have been making roots but NOT making leaves. :( Did I mention this has been going on for months and years for keeping these things? @_@

And the bonus Post for you all today is... (drum roll please)
"Anything can be a Succulent pot!"
Check out this adorable little Parrot pot I've had for YEARS after trying my hand at Air Plants (obviously it died) It has no drain hole but it IS un-glazed Clay so it will wick away moisture and I put a bunch of very small rocks in the bottom so it has a drain layer. Anyway, The plant I put in here is the "I-Don't-Know-What" Succulent. I've had this thing for a few years and it's never really grown much but it IS alive so I figured "Eh, what's the worst that could happen?" Really, this thing is just a stump at the bottom with a very short root network, so it should do nicely in here.

This will be watered VERY INFREQUENTLY! Or if the dirt dries out oddly fast. ;)

Thanks so much for reading all the way down. Sadly I have nothing else to say.

Honestly, there's nothing else to see here.

Okay. Here's a funny goat picture! 
 

Alright! Honest to goodness! That's All!! Nothing left to read!

God Bless and have a good day! Later Taters! :)

A.M. The Ocarina Player!

June Update: Sorry. Again.

Like it says, Sorry for no new ocarina uploads or plant updates.

Honestly though, there really hasn't been that much going on besides being swamped with butt-loads of work. (May was nuts) Though I did get one really nifty surprise. Apparently, Aloe Haworthia can make flowers! :O No, I had no idea this was possible either!

Picture is not mine. Just there to give an idea of what plat I'm even yammering about. :P

I have NO IDEA what color flower it's going to make (yes, there's only 1 little bud) but I was SO excited and surprised, I literally carted the poor plant around the house and showed every family member who would've been remotely interested: "LOOK!! It can make flowers!!"


As for ocarina work, I've been swamped with work to the point, I have not had as much time as I would like to devote to music. (I have made some time for piano though :)

Also, Once August rolls around, I will be getting a new phone, ergo, NEW CAMERA!! Hopefully, it will work better than my current equipment... meaning none at all as of now.

If I can't get a new enough phone to have a decent Microphone, I'm going to finally break down and get myself a smartphone Mic like the RODE IXY-L or the Zoom IQ7. Then, it won't matter how junky my phone is! I'll have one of THESE PUPPIES!!

 

Depending on if I end up with an Apple phone or an android, will determine what microphone I can get because most smartphone mics work with only a lightning port.... oh boy....


And that's all she wrote... for tonight anyway.

God Bless, have a great day and thanks for reading!

A.M.

"We are Gathered" Traditional Ukrianian Hymn on Ocarina.

Here's the "next weekend" upload that should've been up yesterday. :P

I'm gonna see about booting myself in the A$$ and get a vlog update for the plants made reasonably soon. (sad and decrepit as they may be from the excessively long winter...)  

On a side note, I was decidedly SHOCKED at the page counter jump after last weeks post. If anyone reading this contributed to that counter jump, THANKS SO MUCH! Knowing that someone out there enjoys my humble ranting and Ocarina playing means SO MUCH to me.

God Bless.
A.M.  

"Thrice Holy" Traditional Catholic hymn on Ocarina [Ukrainian Version]

I'M BACK!!.... and very sorry... :/ Work, work, being sick, my LG phone used for filming dying and my new phone is crap for recording and more work.... yeah... But hopefully I should have some ocarina stuff ready for Easter and a little into May. :) 

Today's Ocarina Hymn.... even though this should've been uploaded before Christmas.... *sigh* I'll get the latest upload done next weekend then you'll all be caught up... :)
The original name for this hymn, sung during Byzantine (or Eastern Rite) Masses (and orthodox masses) is "Trisagion", meaning Thrice Blessed which dates back to the year 400 A.D. (Yeah, old OLD hymn!) The more common name, as seen in the video is "Holy Holy Holy". 
There are many versions of this hymn but this is the version we sing in the Ukrainian church.... at least where I live. :) 
P.S. this is one of my favorites to sing. Enjoy!

Kalanchoe Care Update:
Everything is doing fine. I got 2 of my Kalanchoe to bloom again. My big yellow which never fails to please and my 2014 mystery cutting that survived the aphid massacre of 2015. One of my very first succulents lives on! :) 

My Christmas Cacti are all doing well including some new colors. Pink, and purple. 

I will make a video update for the plants as soon as I can.

God Bless and have a good day!
A.M.  
   

"Immaculate Mary" Traditional French Catholic Hymn on Ocarina.

Sorry about not posting this (or anything else for that matter) when I was suppose to but I have been sick and up to my ears in works of every size and shape over the summer. 

Still, better late then never. 

Fun Facts: This Traditional Catholic Hymn dates back to 1873 and was written by French priest and seminary director Jean Gaignet. 

Kalanchoe Care Chapter 21: Summer cuttings and new plants update!

I'll fill this in later.