One thing about my son that I admire is his love for science. He enjoys Geology, Entomology, Mycology, Botany and Zoology. I try to fuel my sons curiosity by getting him the items that he needs and it isn't always easy to do. Science kit can be expensive so I have to look for alternatives. I frequent goodwills and discount shops to purchase different kits. There are other ways that attribute to his love for science. Right after a heavy rain I take Brandon to the park or even a walk up the street and we look at the variety of mushrooms. Mushrooms pop out like crazy after the rain and kids love to photograph them. My son loves to see them growing on the trees, on tree stumps and on the ground.
Nature walks are always healthy. I also bought my son a bug kit. He loved it . Please watch the video below as he describes it.
Recently, a neighbor gave me a umbrella tree and told me it was too big for her home. Naturally, since I am the plant whisper I took it. My family gave me a strange look since the umbrella tree did not stand upright, and it had a rather clumsy look. It was no big deal to me since I didn't mind the challenge.
I got a few stakes and some twine and tied up the umbrella tree so that it had a more suitable look. But there were so many wild branches so I figured it needed a trim. It is not a good idea to throw away a viable pieces of a plant. So I decided to try and root the small piece. I had to search the internet to find out how to root a umbrella tree. I was positive that it could be done, I just didn't know how.
To root a umbrella tree it is as simple a placing a thick healthy stem in water. The only difficult part is waiting approximately 4 months for it to have a healthy root system to plant. Please watch the video below where I demonstrate how I rooted my umbrella tree. I frequently, do plant tutorials so please subscribe to my channel Brandy's Botany Bay
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Growing a Venus fly trap has been a truly rewarding experience. I purchased the plant over the summer and it has provided a interesting amount of growth. It has caught a lot of flies that I was not even aware were in my home.
The Venus flytrap can be a easy plant to grow if you follow instructions. ''
The Venus flytrap is a bog plant so it requires constant moisture. It grows in a mixture of sand, and peat most so the soil is always a bit spongy. When you water the Venus you want to be sure you use distilled water or rain water.
Venus fly traps supply their own nutrients so there is no need to fertilize. Those flies are more than enough. When your flytrap catches a fly eventually the trap and that whole stem will die. You want to remove the stem once it turns black. If you do not remove those dead leaves your plant will suffer.
Do not tease your fly trap, inside of the mouth of the trap is a small trigger. The trigger is a small hair like growth that when touched closes the mouth of the Venus. This takes energy and will stress the plant if it is not catching any bugs.
Did you know that dragon fruit is a cactus. It starts out as a small spiky little cactus before it becomes a large massive wild curved stick. I've been growing my dragon fruit that I started from seed for almost three years and I am quite proud of it. It does not require a lot of maintenance and I barely water it. Please check out the video below where I show you how to grow a dragon fruit from seed. If you have any questions please feel free to leave them on my blog or ask them on my youtube channel.
Please check out the video of my mini dragon fruits as well.
I love Henry Doorly Zoo. It is full of things to do!There is a aquarium, butterfly garden, animal rides and a of course a organized selection of animals. For the past two years I makes sure I keep my membership up to date so I can enjoy festivities a well. Please check out the fund video below of my previous visit to the zoo. Please Subscribe to my youtube channel.
Don't spin your wheels. I used to go to the closes merchandiser and purchase pot in singles. That is a waste of time and money. In most cases you need a lot of pots to display for spring so its best to purchase them in larger quantity. Last summer I used panda pots. They were plastic pot that had a terracotta look. 5 of the 12 inch diameter 3 1/2 gallon pots cost 29.00. Typically that would be the cost of one pot at your local store.
I also purchased their 4 inch starter pots and they come in a pack of 50 for $17.00 dollars and are made of recycled plastic. If you needed to purchase pots in bulk with panda pots they can be found at panda pots
Please subscribe to my youtube channel at Brandy's Botany Bay. Also check out my etsy shop where I sell rare and unusual plants it is also called Brandy's Botany Bay. I update my instagram daily so it if would like to see what I am growing follow me on instagram.
One of the most important moves for me is growing plants that you don't typically see. If you are going to grow a tomato grow a yellow, purple or green one instead of the basic red. Going to your neighborhood nursery will give you the typical neighborhood look. But, when you take the time to search for seeds that aren't typical you will stand out. I have shopped all over the Internet for a wide variety of species. Then I decided to start my own seed shop with the off-springs of my adventures. I take great prided in being able to share with others and seeing how amazed they are when they grow great specimens. Please check out my etsy shop Brandys Botany Bay. Please subscribe to Brandy's Botany Bay youtube channel as well.
One thing about my son that I admire is his love for science. He enjoys Geology, Entomology, Mycology, Botany and Zoology. I try to fuel my sons curiosity by getting him the items that he needs and it isn't always easy to do. Science kit can be expensive so I have to look for alternatives. I frequent goodwills and discount shops to purchase different kits. There are other ways that attribute to his love for science. Right after a heavy rain I take Brandon to the park or even a walk up the street and we look at the variety of mushrooms. Mushrooms pop out like crazy after the rain and kids love to photograph them. My son loves to see them growing on the trees, on tree stumps and on the ground.
