Sunday 26 February 2017

I think we have a Dragonfruit

I was walking around the front garden the other day looking for the egg that Hildegarde the chook lays amongst the Agapanthus most days and while I was there admiring what is left of said front garden after Hildegarde has single handedly double leggedly wrecked, I came across what I used to think was a Dragonfruit plant but as it had never fruited I decided it must just be a cactus as the CEO is always putting cuttings in the ground around the place and then forgets what they are.


Amaryllis Belladonna


I had been keeping an eye on this 'cactus' as the CEO is keeping track of which coloured flowers they are producing ......


It did look a little different from the other plants so I made sure I had my camera with me in the mornings as the flowers don't last very long....



....and there it was completely opened last Wednesday week...a beautiful flower...



...which very quickly died and now there is a swelling at the base of where the flower was and I have checked online and I am sure it is a Dragonfruit and is getting its first fruit. It was planted a number of years ago, possibly eight and originally was a cutting from Mt.Isa. So it would be a bit out of its comfort zone here I guess. I can't wait to see the fruit and taste it although I think the CEO said it tastes like perfume. Well, that's something to look forward to :-)


As I said Hildegarde and sometimes her friends who join her are making short work of the front garden while I wait impatiently for a chook pen to be built but I am not holding my breath. I'd build it myself if I knew how to and was about 40 years younger...well maybe about 10 years younger and I have considered buying one of those kit ones online but I saw on someone's blog what one of them looked like after a couple of years and it was falling to pieces. 

Never mind, in the scheme of things that isn't really a problem and certainly not anything to worry about. So I tell myself. Anyway I felt much better about my week when I read about the one that Mem Fox had recently as she was detained at LA airport by immigration officials when she was on her way to speak at a conference. She was questioned for two hours before being released and said she collapsed and sobbed when she got to her hotel room. I used to work in a library so have a soft spot for Mem who is just a little older than myself and felt so sorry for her. I mean who could do that to the author of  'Koala Lou' :-) You can read about the saga here on the ABC website.  For my Northern Hemisphere readers, Mem Fox is a well known and much loved author of children's books here in Australia who had never had any problems travelling to the US before and really likes the American people. 



I hope everyone has a great week. I have been totally unmotivated and a bit flat this past week due to this and that plus the closure of the Down to Earth Forums which was a shock as I have learned so much from there and have made so many friends some of whom I have met in real life. Understandably Rhonda want to spend more time with her family as she has little grandchildren to nurture and love as well as the rest of her family and, of course, that scallywag Scottie dog, Gracie who I met last November. 

I will take a photo if we end up getting some fruit on the Dragonfruit plant in case anyone is interested in how they grow.  





19 comments:

  1. such a beautiful flower they are too; we sold a lot of them at our markets last year, the lady who bought them said it seemed the only plant the goats didn't touch!
    gorgeous Amaryllis Belladonna too
    yes, am still upset over losing the forum, been reading there but can't find anything on this new forum (for after DTE) i am hearing about, do you know anything of it?
    great post as usual
    thanx for sharing

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    1. Selina, it is in maintenance mode at present as I think the girls were overwhelmed with people signing up and needed to work things out. If it still goes ahead it should start after the forum closes. I can let you know.

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  2. I was sick when I read about Mem Fox. It is bad enough to be going through this mess here, but we have only ourselves to blame that we have our current leaders. For my part, I never thought it would happen and that their reach would be so long and so devastating.

    As a former librarian and a human being I weep for, well, for everything connected with this.

    As for the forum, the bunch of you know enough to keep a site operating, continuing and being there for all of the people who have yet to connect with you wonderful babes.

    Juds

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    1. Juds, it was a bit strange for Mem Fox to be detained I must say but there must have been some kind of mix-up. I hope she is okay now. Her books are great and kids love them.

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  3. Hi I am wondering if you know other like minded dte folk on the sunshine coast .It would be nice to link up,I wish we lived in your active groups area for the friendship Cheers Affussa

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  4. Afussa, check the forum before it closes in mid March as we are having a get-together on the Sunshine Coast in July. Perhaps some of you could start up a simple living group in your area like we have.

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  5. Affussa can you email me and I will give you more details. Thanks.

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  6. Nana Chel I am not a fan of Dragon Fruit. They have a kiwi fruit texture and taste exactly like my imagination told me a cactus would taste. I have I friends who salivate over the thought of having a piece of this fruit. Hope you enjoy it.
    I was thinking of you this morning as I made some Tamarillo Chutney. I have a red tamarillo but the plant had suffered terribly with the ongoing heat. The fruit wasn't quite ripe and kept falling off. Rather than losing the lot I made the chutney. These little fruits are not easy to peel when not fully ripe. Still the smell of the final product is delightful. Hope it tastes as nice.

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    1. Jane, I made a Tamarillo and Mustard Relish a while back with the yellow tamarillos. The recipe is in the recipe section at the top of the page if you are interested. I think from memory that they were easy to peel after boiling them.

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  7. I suspect that a dragon fruit will not look like a dragon! Will be watching with bated breath!

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    1. Kathy, it is red on the outside and quite an exotic looking fruit.

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  8. Chel, I am appalled to hear that story about Mem Fox as well, as an ex Librarian also as a global citizen who appreciates the right to freely travel without harassment. I will also be interested to hear how your Dragon Fruit progresses as I though it was more a tropical fruit. A while ago you mentioned the red flower in your yard which grows like a weed. I think it is the Flame Lilly, the national flower of Zimbabwe,South Africa. My next door neighbour who is South African gave me that info. Have a good week, Pauline

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    1. Thanks for that info about the Flame Lilly, Pauline. I am trying to get rid of it as it seems to want to take over what is left of the front garden.

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  9. Chel, I just love that you have a chook called Hildegarde! (I think Mem Fox would love that name, by the way;) Only the other day I bought one her latest book called, aptly, "I'm Australian Too!" Meg

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  10. Meg, I am sure Mem would love that name. LOL! I just love her books but haven't read the latest one as yet.

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  11. First what a beautiful flower. I am sorry the forums were closed. I know a lot of people loved it. Bless you.

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  12. The Dragon fruit is specially interesting to me Chel, as Brian has a couple of them growing in pots, waiting for something to happen, and I had no idea what we might be waiting for until now. :)

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  13. Yes, yes, one dragon. What colour will it be? Waiting to find out, watch the birds when it is nearly ripe, lost about a dozen of mine that way. Love your floral pics.

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  14. Chel did you receive my email? the souer dough arrived and is ok.I sent you some pea seeds to the address provided.Cheers Affussa

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