Monday, June 14, 2010

Yellow Shrimp Plant...

I discover a baby ladybug crawling on a pot this morning. Yes, I know. That is not technically what the little creature is called, but it works for me. I think it sounds cute.




This is a Yellow Shrimp Plant (Pachystachys lutea) and not to be confused with the just-plain Shrimp Plant (Justica), which is a "cousin." I saw this plant a couple of weeks ago and thought it was interesting, but told myself that I needed to get the plants I already had planted out and not to buy another plant. I thought I would just look at the plant tag to see what it was, though. After all, I love learning about plants.




Well, that was trouble. The tag said that hummingbirds liked it. And I am a sucker for hummingbirds. So, now you see this plant on my deck, waiting for a hummingbird to come along and take a sip. In the mean time, I am enjoying it.




The yellow part is actually bracts and the flowers are the little white tubular things. We think they look like penguins or funny little people. Can you see the one sticking out its tongue and wiggling its fingers? "Nyyaaa!"




My Veronica (probably 'Sunny Border Blue,') is blooming. This is the first plant that I bought and planted after we moved here. And despite my not knowing a single thing about growing things in thick red clay at the time, this Veronica has survived exactly where I planted it. Good plant!


Have a beautiful day!

1 comment:

Helen said...

I have a V. 'Sunny Border Blue', too -- though not the original plant, which died in its first year, but one that self-seeded among some stones and has been going great guns for years. Just risked prising it out and transplanting it to a more suitable garden position. Wish me luck.