Feild of Souls

wikipedia.org/wiki/Om

Nelumbo Titan / Titan Lotus

The lotus grows naturally in full sun, in fields of hundreds, even thousands of acres of fresh water marsh. Our native North American Lotus (Nelumbo lutea) is a large/yellow, and grows not far from my house in Southern Louisiana, U.S. It is an impressive sight, hard to match by any other flowering plant I've seen. It will bloom surprisingly well in shaded/filtered sun, in 5 gallon/ and larger pots//kidy pools with at least 6 inches of heavy topsoil free of organic matter upon which the tuber is planted just barely into the soil. I just add 6 inches of water over the tuber, set the tuber on top of the soil and weight it down with a small stone to keep it from floating. As it forms roots, then leaves, add water at least a foot deep for larger plants, less for smaller, although Ive seen them grow in 8' of water, or tubers may grow suspended in water vegetation, obsorbing nutrients suspended as well, in fairly clear water.

This Titan is a medium to small plant. It is called red by the retailer, but hot pink by God. I buy almost every new ''red'' one that is found in the wild or hybridized, to see if it is indeed red, but they have so far been, all pink. Humm... I grow this lotus and most others in 40 gallon no hole containers.

After the plant is established the (second summer) organic matter will be its food source, as lotus are heavy feeders/crave fertilizer, pond tabs/osmacote/8-8-8/tree tabs. I use tree tablets, although they don't contain the correct npk, it's cheap. I get them on line in 25 lb. boxes for about $45. Those little bottles of pond tabs at big box stores are just a snack for these hungry beasts/too expensive. I have lotus in small ponds the size of a house and throw what ever fertilizer I have over the pond at the first emergence of new leaves in late winter/early spring, but sometimes forget. After the plant is well established, like all other plants they feed off the previous years growth. Sometimes they will eat everything in the pond and go into a hibernation/comatost state, nature's way of waiting for better times.

If you are a whiskey man, lotus are the Crown Royal and seven up of the plant world.

Hidden conviction

Tohono O'odham Indian Nation (maze/path of life) similar to circle of life of other first nations/indigenous peoples of the Southwestern U.S. and common all over the world

  

Fringe Tree / Chionanthus virginicus

The Fringe Tree is small, a well formed/well behaved, native of North America. A really pretty tree, even when not in bloom, it assumes a self maintained mounding habit 15 to 20 foot tall and about the same or slightly wider, almost maintenance free.

It grows in full sun, but also grows as an under-story plant requiring little sun to bloom well, but it will bloom in full shade as it does in its wild state. It forms olive like fruits, propagates by seed carried and spread by birds, but is not invasive. It likes the same environment as a camellia, on the north east side of a Long Leaf Yellow Pine. When in dought, this is the ideal environment for just about any tree or shrub.

During bloom it is a very difficult to photograph because of the slender parts of the flower. I've tried to for many years to get a decent image of this one in my yard ( 45 years old ). The focus mechanism can not see/understand the individual fingers as does the trained/informed human eye, and tends to focus on the entire group.

In these days of information, far traveled men are coming forth with new and most exiting knowledge. We should open our doors of interest/understanding to new forested worlds incomprehensible.

The Fringe tree, sometimes called Grancy Grey beard Tree, looks much better in the natural, and I highly recommend it planted among azaleas, as it doesn't mind having plants growing directly under it, it may even prefer the natural protection/cooling/ mulching/ shading over its roots.

Spring is the time of renewal, and this year is very special above all springs you have known, this is a turning point in the way men will look at the world. Take account of those aesthetics/qualities/reasons of your being, the best in the spirit of all things is needed. Man can learn valuable lessons from the loyal, humble, punctual, unchanging, behavior of nature.