Glazed ceramic micro-pot with color gradation. drilled a drainage hole.

This one is rather difficult to explain. It's a find along the shore. Fused shell or barnacles, not sure which or both. I thought it would look interesting between planters. After disinfecting and nuking it first though.

Bought some more Pachyverias.

Who?

Micro size distressed black urn. Drilled drainage hole.

Small olive green urn planter. Drilled drainage hole.

I just had to get some more of these too!

Finally detached some pups from my Echeveria peacockii. 7 new plants total.

A surprise visitor. Is it a grasshopper or a cricket?

Bali Hai Restaurant on Shelter Island, San Diego. Great Polynesian-style eating.

Neil, the back drops are a great idea! That owl I think is my favorite though I'm not sure I can actually have a "favorite"

Great photography! Micro sized pots...2"?

ez

Nicholas- Thanks! Despite what everyone says, you're a nice guy! <g> I hope the owl doesn't fly away...we're supposed to get an "el ninyo" thing with heavy winds and rain.

EZ- Took this pic to show you one of the micro pots Nomen sent to me. He's a nice guy too just don't tell him I said that.

So you can see the scale of the pot.

It has a drainage hole too.

What a cute little pot, I'd want to make it into a fountain of some kind.

And Neil, quit spreading rumors about me :) Now everyone will think I'm nice.

Thanks for the perspective Neil, smaller than I thought!

Thanks for the compliment on the photography EZ! Speaking of photography for the past 3 years I've been using a canon point and shoot 10.1 megapixels with 12x Optical zoom, 720 hd video.

As far as a point-and-shoot goes this is an excellent little camera but, it's time for an upgrade!

I need something with the same portabilitly. DSLR's are great and the one I have in my storage chest has only been used twice this year. It gets to be cumbersome carrying around especially with the lenses and other accessories.

I opted for another point and shoot and again I chose a canon.

I bought this bundle from Amazon to finalize my shopping spree yesterday. I should have it in 2 days, so I can't wait!

What I liked most: 50X Zoom, yeah baby!, 1080P Video, 2 64GB memory cards and a spare battery plus the filters and lenses. And the price! $359.95. I think it was a good deal.

Canon has a 65x zoom also but I think going from a 12x to a 50x zoom will be okay for me.

I have to compromise you know, I will need new plants soon, lol.

Hi Neil,

That foam is a good idea for back drops. I use velvet, but it's not easy to work with. Where did you get the foam? Black isn't always the best color so I like the variety you have, It seems like it would be much easier to use outside, too.

Is that yellow/pink plant an Echeveria? I love it! (Sorry, I think almost every other succulent besides a cactus is an Echeveria if it doesn't look like a Jade or Aloe :-)

And I believe your muncher is a grasshopper. They are very discriminate eaters.

Thanks for the info on your camera. I use a Canon powershot, but I've been looking to upgrade. Since my flowering season is almost over, I won't have to think about it for 6 months.

Neil !!! Some v. cool looking pots, what do you use to make drainage holes in them without shattering the pots?... Are there certain pots one should avoid making drainage holes in?

Minty- It's very easy actually. you will need a standard drill. and a Diamond core drill bit. Less than $20 at home depot. Well worth it. as you will be able to drill through, tile, ceramic, porcelain, etc.,

I found this video on youtube for you explaining the technique.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP2wfsgZLeg

Notolover- Thanks, I like using the foam squares as they're easy to roll up and take with you. They're also non-reflective which helps a lot in bright lighting, especially outside.

I agree with you about certain fabrics especially with velvet/crushed velvet. I use velvet indoors with no flash as it can have unwanted highlights. And because of the nature of the fabric it looks better if photographed when mounded around an object or ruffled up a bit which gives a nice contrast to the subject you're photographing.

About the yellow/pink plant- It's a Graptosedum 'rosa.' Aren't most of our succulents in the Crassula and Euphorbia families? You weren't that far off the mark : )

About the grasshopper- I left it alone. I didn't have the heart to hurt him. I liked his bright green color. I'm a wimp i guess, lol.

I usually don't bother the grasshoppers either, they eat interesting shapes in my pig Opuntias :-) And I catch spiders in the house and put them back outside. I'm a softy, too.

Most years the grasshoppers are tiny and cute, occasionally we get giants. I had a pregnant German Shorthair one summer when the grasshoppers were very big, and she really had a craving for them....it grossed me out. She was probably missing something in her diet????

I'll have to look for that foam.

Neil, thank you very much that video was helpful. Is it okay to drill more than one hole, somehow I think that one tiny hole isnt going to provide enough drainage....

Minty- The drainage hole I created used this drill bit.

The diameter of the hole it makes is a little smaller than the diameter of a papermate pen.

For my needs one drainage hole was sufficient.

I have used it to make several holes...5 or 6 sometimes in the same pot (the pot I did this with is 8" inch pot size or above). Be careful to space them out as the more holes you make in ceramic/porcelain or glass, it can weaken the bottom of the container.

I don't know if this is stressed enough on the video but, you do not need to apply much pressure on the drill when pressing down. In fact, it's better if you don't. You do not want the container to shatter. Picture you smashing down a ripe tomato with your hand on the counter-top, nothing more than that.

I use a basin filled with water and submerge the container or pot up til where the drill bit will be touching it. Do not submerge the drill, just the very tip of the drill bit. For larger pots have a spray bottle with water handy. The drill bit should stay wet while doing this. It would help to have someone assist if necessary.

One last note on this: We are only born with one set of eyes, so protect them! Wear sunglasses if that's all you have.

I hope you can post a pic of what it is you're going to drill and an after pic would be great. I'm sure many would learn from it.

I just bought an owl planter. I can't decide what to put in it. There aren't any plants I desperately want (besides lithops but I don't think they will do well in there).

Neil, was just looking over those camera specs and it looks really nice. Is the 50x zoom a true optic zoom or a digital zoom?

it's 50x Optical Zoom

Neil

is it exactly this one: Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 12MP Digital Camera with 2.8-Inch LCD (Black) ? More than $550 here without all that extra stuff :(

Nicholas- I've tried the camera out in the store and did a print out. I was in best buy and was able to zoom in and read the specs of another product on the other side of the store.

The text was not only legible on the monitor, the print-out was razor sharp. This would not have impressed me on a dslr which, with any standard telephoto lens could do with no problem. But, on a regular point-and-shoot? quite impressed with that.

There is a 65X opt zoom now but, for the couple of hundred dollars that would have cost me extra, the 15x more zoom would have been overkill for my needs. The 50x is also a powerhouse and at the right price. Buying it as a bundle for just a few dollars more was also an attractant. : )

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that is the SX530 HS which has a larger screen and 16MP

Neil, it seems they've come a long way in the past few years since I bought my last camera. I've always wanted a dslr but they are sooo expensive.

Rina- is Canon sx530 HS 16mp 50x optical zoom

here's a link from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Battery-Filters/dp/B00S70INUY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_421_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=16YNVSWTN88Z4X849AMC

Nicholas, if I May..share some advice on that..

An experienced, Professional photographer friend of mine has told me on more than one occasion:

"buy the best camera body you can afford." (his words when it comes to dslr)

"concentrate your effort into buying the better lenses you can as they often cost more than the body of the camera."

He even told me to shop 2nd hand for lenses. Pawn shops are a great resource for cameras, lenses and other accessories. Just be sure to inspect your purchases and be clear about refunds and exchanges.

as an example: The Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro Lens for Canon (67mm) retails for over $600. on sale for $579. 2nd hand I paid $200.

The least expensive dslr camera is still a better quality than the new camera i'm getting.

BestBuy.com has the Canon - EOS Rebel T5 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm IS Lens - Black for $399.99. That is way cheaper than it was just a few years ago.

I rarely use mine but, I wouldn't get rid of it any time soon either. When I need to be serious about the quality of what i'm capturing I bring out the big guns. That being said, I don't attend many serious events such as weddings, etc., or go on nature hikes much anymore, so I don't have that type of a need for it.

It actually became a chore eventually and inconvenient..especially at the airport. All the camera equipment, the laptop, tablet.,etc., I felt like a pack mule.

Photography, like gardening is something personal. No two photographers or gardeners are truly alike. It all depends on how much time, energy and money you're willing to invest.

Bryce- Nice planter! I picture it with a Crassula 'tom thumb,' which has an upright and dense growth that would fill it out quite nicely.

Notolover- I got the foam squares at a craftsman store but, I've seen them at wal-mart and hobby lobby also for about $1.25 each.