[Exceptionally] Pretty pictures: transmitted light -- Part XLVI

This isn't maybe the prettiest set of transmitted light photos I've got, but what they lack in beauty, they make up for in having unusually diverse textures. Or at least that was the feature that jumped out at me when I first looked at them as a group.

Ordinarily when I post a set of transmitted light photos, I'm doing so because I can't come up with anything else to post. Not the case this time, though: this time, I'm doing it because I had the realization that if I don't start posting them once in a while, I'm never going to end up publishing them all.

(The previous transmitted light posts can be found here.)

Ficus microcarpa.

Alcea sp. Obviously a leaf from late in the season: a spring leaf wouldn't be as scarred and torn.

Acer sp., autumn.

Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash.' One of the two Pulmonarias I planted when we first moved in died this spring; the other had to be relocated and, I fear, may not come back. It needed to be divided, I think, but the husband was the one who moved it, and I hadn't told him it needed to be divided, so . . . we'll see what happens, I suppose. I think I like Pulmonaria well enough to buy replacements if the survivor doesn't come back, but maybe I won't need to. We'll see.

Polyscias scutellaria. The photograph is, I think, a technical failure but an artistic success: the shadows are maybe excessive, but they also make me think of bubble wrap, which I like. (Who doesn't like thinking about bubble wrap, after all?) This is actually, I think, my favorite photo from this set, despite being plainer than most of the images that follow.

Strobilanthes dyerianus.

Epipremnum aureum. It's strangely impossible to come up with a decent transmitted light photo of E. aureum, and I have no idea why. It's like Dracaena deremensis varieties and Tradescantia pallida -- however many different ways I try of doing it, I still always get crappy photos. But what do the three of them have in common that Philodendron hederaceum, Dracaena fragrans, and Tradescantia zebrina don't? It's a mystery.

Glycine max, dead leaf. This improves a bit when full-size. It's also one of the more map-like leaves in this set.

Begonia 'Soli-Mutata.' The texture is pretty striking by reflected light, too, though the colors aren't going to make anybody's list of most colorful Begonias.

Calathea makoyana.

Random plant event: Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash'

I guess spring really is going to happen, then. This doesn't look like much right now, and they're very late compared to last year (last year there were flower buds by early April), but I love seeing them come back. I'd say they're one of my favorite outdoor plants if I were well-acquainted with more outdoor plants; as it is, I just have to say that I really like them, and want more. Because of the way the back yard is oriented and shaped, there aren't a lot of good places to plant more, though. And the husband has been saying since we moved in that they're going to have to move somewhere, because he has plans for the garage, so I may not even get to keep these. We'll see.

I went searching for information about Pulmonarias that would be interesting, and ran into an article by Plant Delights Nursery's Tony Avent. It turns out that a commenter recommended this same article to me the last time I posted about Pulmonarias, but I didn't remember seeing it, and most of you probably haven't either, so go there if you're interested in learning more. Among the tidbits are the actual ancestry of 'Raspberry Splash' (Pulmonaria longifolia 'Bertram Anderson' x Pulmonaria 'Leopard') and an explanation for the silvery spots on the leaves (they're the result of air pockets in the upper part of the leaves, which keep the lower part cooler).

I also had a question the last time I posted about Pulmonaria regarding 'Raspberry Splash's mildew resistance, which I can sort of answer now -- not only have I not seen mildew on this plant for the last two years, both of which were very wet summers, but P. longifolia, one of 'Raspberry Splash's parents, is known for having good mildew resistance. They're also planted in one of the two windiest spots in the yard. I've had more mildew on an indoor Cissus rhombifolia (R.I.P.) than I've seen on the Pulmonarias.

I'm looking forward to the blooms.

Pretty pictures: Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash'

Well, I have a favorite perennial now. I bought two of these last spring, and they were among the lucky purchases which got planted somewhere (along the north side of the garage, in this particular case). I wasn't feeling especially optimistic about them coming back, but they have, and one of the two is now in full bloom, while the other is heavily budded but not actually flowering yet (as I write, last Wednesday).


I bought them without having seen the flowers, so this display is . . . well, I can't say completely unexpected, because I knew they were going to do something, but I didn't expect anything quite this dramatic.


The only thing I don't like about them so much is that handling them at all makes my hands really itchy. I suppose this is why they make gardening gloves.

Assorted random plant events

When I quit smoking, some years ago, one of the things I missed about it was having an excuse to go stand outside for a few minutes at a time, several times a day. I'm not otherwise that motivated to go out. Also the nicotine. I still, sometimes, miss the nicotine. The down side of smoking was that it was giving me asthma. (Possibly lung cancer, also, but that wasn't motivation to stop. I bet very few people ever see their lives saved by asthma.) And it was increasingly expensive (I noticed about a week ago that a pack of Marlboros is up over $6.50/pack, around here; it was $1.40 or so when I started, which wasn't even that long ago.), too. But it wasn't without its benefits: there's something to be said for any activity that gets you outside looking at the weeds, bees, phases of the moon, etc.

So now, I take the dog out a couple times a day (first thing in the morning just to the yard, in case she has to go, and then for a 30-60 minute walk a couple hours after that), which leaves me in a really excellent position to notice not only the things that are happening in my very own yard, like the flowers on our maple tree (I suspect silver maple, Acer saccharinum) --


-- but also things happening in other people's yards. Like for example, I have no idea what tree this is (anybody know?), but the flowers are kind of neat:


I saw a bunch of Pulmonaria in full bloom in someone else's yard, so I checked the ones I planted here at the house. No flowers yet, but I have buds.


Being out and about with Sheba also means I saw my first dandelions a bit earlier than I probably would have otherwise, on April 1:


Nothing particularly showy and gorgeous in this post, but it's interesting anyway, I think. In particular, I don't very often get to look closely at tree flowers, and would almost certainly not have checked out the Pulmonaria at home, if not for the walks. So there's some horticultural benefit to having a dog. Unintended consequences.

[Exceptionally] Pretty pictures: transmitted light -- Part XX

Well, I'd said that the Solenostemon scutellarioides profile was going to go up tomorrow (EDIT: it's been posted since.), but it was obvious a few days ago that that wasn't going to happen, so I'm going to do another transmitted light photos post to give myself a little time to work on the profile. No clue when the profile will be ready: you'll be the first to know when I find out.

(The previous transmitted light posts can be found here.)

Zamioculcas zamiifolia. This was a very hard picture to get: the leaflets are small enough that it's hard to keep extraneous light out of the shot, and thick enough that you need to have the light, like, right there in order to get the picture. It didn't even turn out that badly, considering.

Viola sp. Not really much to see here, unfortunately, but it was a nice, pristine, spring leaf, so I bet you this is as good as a Viola transmitted light picture is going to get.


Ficus maclellandii. Another case of a really difficult-to-get picture that may not have been entirely worthwhile.


Phalaenopsis NOID. Phalaenopsis leaves are so thick that, again, you pretty much have to hold them on top of a fluorescent bulb to get a picture like this.


Parthenocissus quinquefolia. Out for a walk one day, and found some Virginia creeper. So why not get a picture? Turned out well, too.


Anthurium andraeanum NOID (spathe). I keep trying to get Anthurium andraeanum spathe pictures, but I should probably stop. They never work out that well. (Still -- pretty color, at least.)


Epipremnum aureum 'N'Joy.' Can't really see the venation here so well, but the shadows picked up the weird, bumpy texture of the leaves nicely, which makes it interesting.


Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash.' Probably my second favorite from this batch. Not sure why.


Dieffenbachia 'Pacific Rim.' The variegation is more impressive by reflected light, unfortunately. Though not by very much.


Canna 'Phasion.' I kinda have to say this is my favorite, because it's so over the top. And I do like it, honestly (it's also very seasonal, with the black and orange and all), but it's also a little too intense to spend much time looking at. I get, like, ringing in my eyes or something.

Pretty picture: Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash'

I really don't care whether Pulmonaria flower or not; I just love the leaves. Not so crazy about their slightly prickly texture (I get itchy if I have to move them around on a table), but I love the leaves.


A favorite perennial? Well, I don't know. We probably shouldn't get carried away. I mean, there are some very nice Hostas and Euphorbias, and Hemerocallis is occasionally awesome. I could go on. But Pulmonaria has to be up in the top ten, at least.