Internet Plant Shopping Wednesday, May 31, 2006 | |

Yesterday, I did something I never thought I would do... I bought a plant for my yard off of the internet. I have a spot in my back yard that I feel is perfect for a hibiscus as it faces south and sits in the sun all day long. I didn't want just any Hibiscus though, I wanted a blue or lavender hibiscus, to go along with the color scheme I already have in the back yard.So, I hit the internet and started my research.

Unsure of if there was even a Hibiscus of such a color, I didn't know what I would find. However, I quickly came across the Hibiscus 'Blue Satin', a relatively new variety of the Rose of Sharon Hibiscus. It is featured on Proven Winners and was noted as the 2005 Top Pick from the Dallas Arboretum.

Jennifer Schultz from the Macon County unit of the University of Illinois extension had this to say about her experience with one of the plants she bought from a catalog:

I gave the little Blue Satin the best spot in the Illini garden–full sun, good soil, plenty of room to grow. Then I pretty much forgot about it, figuring I wouldn't see blooms until maybe next year if I was lucky. Lo and behold I noticed buds on this tiny plant sometime in July. They revealed gorgeous blue flowers with magenta throats and white centers at least three inches in diameter.

I called several local garden shops, and being so late in the year already, none of them had the plant in stock. I then came across Park Seed, who had some quart sized (yeah, that's tiny) containers of the plant available for about $15 delivered. After much thought, I decided to pull the trigger and order one and give it a try. I know it's practically summer, and being in Houston, the temps are already in the 90's, but with my sprinkler system and also watering by hand, I think I can get this little guy growing. Here's a shot of what the blooms look like:

Gardening | Internet Shopping

Black Swallowtail Monday, May 29, 2006 | |

Black Swallowtail
Originally uploaded by zkywords.

I was looking through the window at my back yard and noticed a fluttering around the verbena. Looking further, it was a black butterfly so I got my camera and hoped to get a few good shots.

I knew it was a swallow tail, but I didn't know exactly what species it belonged to, so I went to the US Geological Survey's web page on Butterflies of Texas to find out more. After looking through all of them, I'm left to believe it is a Black Swallowtail.

Bruce Willis Shocker Monday, May 15, 2006 | |

Spotted during game 3 of the NBA Playoffs matchup between the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns was Bruce Willis sporting a long sleeve Wichita State University shirt. Being a long time New Jersey resident and having attended Montclair State University one has to wonder why the love for the Shockers? The only logical conclusion I can think of is that he has a good friendship with Wichita native Kirstie Alley, with whom he acted with in Look Who's Talking and Look Who's Talking Too. No matter why, it's good publicity for WSU.

Wichita State University | Shockers | Celebrities | Bruce Willis

Lanscape Photos Friday, May 12, 2006 | |

A photo from my landscaping in the back yard...

Verbena Tapien 'Powder Blue'

Landscape | Flowers

Super Size Him Thursday, May 11, 2006 | |

George W. Bush's halo is GROWING!

To see what the halo looked like in it's infant stage, go here.

George W Bush

Here's looking at you kid! Wednesday, May 10, 2006 | | |

Quick, what does my son have in common with Kim Basinger and Sir Sean Connery? No, he was not in Never Say Never Again as he wouldn't be born for another 20 years after it's release. Give up? Okay, keep reading.

He was one of many donors, which include Basinger and Connery, for the short movie titled The Key. I happened to venture over to the "press kit" section of the website today, and there on the page is a link to the full credit list. Upon reading it, on page four I come across my son's name among the list of "Thank You's".

You may be curious as to why my son would donate to this movie, and for good reason as he can't even earn a buck yet. It happens that a good friend of ours, Caitlan McFarland, was on the staff for the movie as an art department assistant and a boom operator while she was finishing school at Whittier College in LA. She informed us that the director, Todd Kaufman, was in need of some additional funding to help complete the film, so we made a donation, albeit a small one, on behalf of our son. Now, his name will be forever misspelled... err... etched in the credits for this film.

Celebrities | Movies

April 2006 Part 2 Saturday, May 06, 2006 | |

April not only brought Easter this year, but it also brought another birthday for our son. Can you believe he's three already? Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday he was waking us every three hours in the middle of the night.

Three Already!

With another birthday means another celebration. This year, it was just a sjall collection of family and friends over the weekend of Easter. My wife bought some silly string to help entertain our nephew GB while I got the meal prepared. Check out the hair-do... STYLIN'!

Nice Hair Spike!

After dinner, came the customary cake. Our usually mild-mannered, neat and tidy son broke out of his mold and shocked everyone. Just look at this mess he made of himself. Ah, to be a kid!

What a mess!

family | birthdays

Hydrangea Friday, May 05, 2006 | |

Hydrangea
Originally uploaded by zkywords.

My mother-in-law gave us a couple of her hydrangea's after Mother's day last year, so I found a place in the side yard for them. I didn't really know if they would do anything, and after the summer, I thought I might lose them. However, this spring, they started budding and have now produced these beautiful flowers.

After reading about them, I will need to move them to another location this winter. The place they're at now is a bit too small for how big they will end up getting.