Category / Landscape

by Mike Talmadge

Crepe Myrtle Forest – Bonsai 

About a year and half ago I took the seed pods from our front landscape fuchsia crepe myrtle and stuck them in a brown bag. The following early spring (which is the end of February in Bluffton SC) I put a few of the million seeds I had in little seed pots. Well, last year they grew and I got about Ian 80% success rate and now have about a dozen of them about 10 inches tall.  Some made it back into the landscaping and a half dozen made it into this new creation of a Crepe Myrtle Bonsai Forest. During the seedling process I got a lot of moss collected in the containers and that I used in this display as grass.  Next year the forest will be ready for a shaping, but it looks great today. It came out pretty good as my 5th bonsai, with today adding 2 others to my collection, all from seed or saplings.

by Mike Talmadge

Little Guy Mantis Update

My little buddy found one of my bonsai trees a few weeks ago and has been moving between the many trees effortlessly now. Today’s update shows how much he has grown, now over 1” long. 

by Mike Talmadge

The right tool for the Job.

I always tell my wife Brandi, “You have to have the right tool for the job”, I think I nailed for this one. P. S. the Honda is 22 years old and in top notch condition , single pull start, used once a month for our lagoon bank.

by Mike Talmadge

Micro Mantis

The Smallest Praying Mantis

While trimming my bonsai trees today I came across this bug that I thought was a mosquito, some say the state bird of South Carolina. After further investigation I noticed it was the smallest Praying Mantis I have ever seen! It was not even 3/8”. Watch the video and tell me what you think.

by Mike Talmadge

Manning Up with Flowers

Flower & Garden Show 2011
It has been awhile since I posted to our site, so I figured I would man it up with a “Flower & Garden Show” that we are going to today, however I would rather call it a “Landscape & Garden Show”.

Home Before Purchase
With our new home we had zero landscaping let alone grass. The grass we did get was contractor mix seed which basically grows the first year and dies the next. Compound that with a hard compact dirt, rock and sand mix as topsoil it has be a challenge this last second year with the lawn, but we survived quite well.
On the landscaping side we planted 12 trees and I don’t know how many shrubs, bushes and plants but we where busy.
All in all I have enjoyed the heavy amount of “landscaping and gardening” this last year very much and I think today’s venture should be helpful.
I am going to try and post a few things from the iPhone as we go.
Please post a comment below.