Can ya help a brotha out?

I’m looking for some catnip. I’d prefer to have a whole plant. If you have wild catnip growing in your yard, or know of a place where there is definitely catnip growing, please let me know. I’m trying not to go and buy seed, because it’s getting too late in the growing season to establish a plant from seed.

While riding the Jamaica bike trail yesterday I kept my eyes peeled for the plant, but never saw any. Not even in Wilderness Park. Which is really odd, because that stuff grows like a weed (I mean, it basically is … a weedy herb).

I didn’t find catnip yesterday, but I did find some wild hops. Oh yeah!!! I’m going back later today to dig up the rhizome. I thought I could propogate the plant from just stealing the vine … that was before I learned it was a rhizome. The vine can’t be propogated unless it’s still attached to the mother crown. (You bury a vine under soil and keep it moist — has to be attached to the main plant — it’ll eventually turn into a rhizome itself. Then it can be cut into 4″ segments; make sure each segment has a root, and there ya go!)

Last night my Datura wrightii finally bloomed. I think most of you already watched the disappointing time-lapse video that I posted last night of this plant’s flower bud growing larger (and NOT blooming). Well, below you’ll find a two minute video of time-lapse photography which spans the course of a few hours.

The picture interval started @ 5 mins for the first half hour. But as you’ll see, there was a 5 min interval when the flower was closed, and then on the next 5 min interval the flower was pretty much open 3/4 of the way. So, the next time I do time-lapse photography of this particular plant, I’ll know when the flower’s “uni-petal” (if you will) is partially open, I need to turn on the camera to record video for 5 mins straight, instead of interval photography. If this doesn’t make since to you, just watch the effin’ video… LOL!

Enjoy!

Time-lapse photography requires long hours of patient, hard work for only a few seconds of video footage. Is it worth it? HECK YES!!!

This is my first attempt at time-lapse photography, so I can only get better from here. Right?!

I hope you enjoy … the disappointment. LOL!

*** I love how the whole plant is reaching for the Heavens, really stretching itself and calling out to God for His blessing and help in it’s blossoming. *** It bloomed just a few minutes ago! Keep any eye out for that video, I’ll post it soon.

30 songs in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Sounds awesome through my ipod headphones here at work. I am working, it just playing in the background. Well Ken can listen to his radio at a reasonable level I have been watching parts of it on youtube, but this is the whole show.

Man it is like a live Split Lip Rayfield show any time I want.

So cited.

It is a vigorous herbaceous perennial that grows 30 cm to 1.5 m tall and wide. The leaves are broad and rounded at the base, tapering to a point, often with wavy margins. The flowers are the most striking feature, being sweetly fragrant white trumpets up to 20 cm (8 inches) long, often tinted purple, especially at the margin. There are five narrow points spaced symmetrically around the rim. It can bloom from April to October. In clear weather, flowers open at nearly full dark and wither a few hours after sunrise the following morning; in cloudy weather, they may open earlier and last longer.

The seeds are borne in a spiny, globular capsule (Devil’s Apple) 3 to 4 cm in diameter, which opens when fully ripe. Datura wrightii is found in northern Mexico and the adjoining U.S. states, as far north as southern Utah, in open land with well-drained soils. It is also commonly planted as an ornamental, especially in xeriscapes.

I’m growing this plant, and it’s going to bloom tonight!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Datura wrightii bud; 3 days ago.

Datura wrightii bud; 2 days ago. (purple lips emerge)

Datura wrightii bud; last night. I was hopeful that it would open last night, so I did some time-lapse photography (10mins/6 hrs … coming in a later post). The bud just grew larger. What a disappointment.

Datura wrightii plant w/ 7″ bud; this A.M.

Datura wrightii sepal showing emerging huge petals.
Yeah, it’s Friday… but I won’t be out tonight, because my geek ass is going to be doing more time-lapse photography of the bloom.

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!!!

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