During a recent visit and plant walk at the NSA Farm with Monica Dirac... we passed the lovely new leafs on the
Brachychiton rupestris in the front yard... knowing that it bloomed like crazy, we began to look for seed pods...low and behold...Monica spotted them.... they are a lovely little boat shaped packet with the seeds looking like a nest of birds....I then realized that i hadn't posted the pictures that I shot of it flowering like crazy a few months ago! so here they are! Enjoy!
Here is a bit of what Wikipedia has to offer about it;
The Queensland Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris) originally classified in the family Sterculiaceae, which is now within Malvaceae, is native of Queensland, Australia. Its grossly swollen trunk gives it a remarkable appearance and gives rise to the name. As a succulent, drought-deciduous tree, it is tolerant of a range of various soils, and temperatures.
It can grow to 18-20 meters (40 feet) in height and its trunk has the unique shape of a bottle. Its swollen trunk is primarily used for water storage. On every tree the leaves are variable from narrow and elliptic to deeply divided. Clusters of yellowy bell shaped flowers are hidden within the foliage, and are followed by woody boat-shaped fruits.
Bottle Trees are commonly found planted in streets, parks, on farms and as features in gardens. Roma, Queensland is one country town with prominent bottle trees. They also grace the new entrance to the Geelong Botanic Gardens (38° South Latitude). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachychiton_rupestris
Happy Thanksgiving!
WhileMonica and I were walking the NSA Farm property, we stumbled upon this plant label...pepino dulce var. ....not knowing what it belonged to, i looked it up....a fun investigation..here is what wikipedia says pepino dulce is: ... Solanum muricatum a species of evergreen shrub native to South America and grown for its sweet edible fruit. It is known as pepino dulce ("sweet pepino") or simply pepino; the latter is also used for similar species such as "S. mucronatum" (which actually seems to belong in the related genus Lycianthes). The pepino dulce fruit resembles a melon (Cucumis melo) in color and flavor and thus it is also called pepino melon or melon pear, but pepinos are only distantly related to melons and pears. A close relative of other nightshades cultivated for their fruit, including the tomato (S. lycopersicum) and the eggplant (S. melongena), which its own fruit closely resembles.
last week, Monica Dirac came to visit the NSA Farm, have a plant walk and pick up the sweet kittens & momma cat who had made their home in the front yard. She has a lovely property in Devoree and the new additions to her animals hopefully will keep the mouse population in the horse/hay barn down to zero! Monica is a fellow plant lover CRFG member and friend of Dad's ... well, as always, you can't leave the NS Farm empty handed..! here she is with all her new treasures! 
the new family having a snack...
practicing climbing...
stopping for a drink at the local watering whole (a nursery pot on the front porch works just fine!)
there go my garden shoes! wonder if it found anything? HA!
guess not....
Stumpy the turtle..
Ghost the horse..
and one of 4 young alpackas....
During a recent visit and plant walk at the NSA Farm with Monica Dirac... we passed the lovely new leafs on the Brachychiton rupestris in the front yard... knowing that it bloomed like crazy, we began to look for seed pods...low and behold...Monica spotted them.... they are a lovely little boat shaped packet with the seeds looking like a nest of birds....I then realized that i hadn't posted the pictures that I shot of it flowering like crazy a few months ago! so here they are! Enjoy!
