My Love Buzz is Back!!!

Yay!! Today I finally got to get some succulent and cactus time in.  I went to visit the L.A. Arboretum since I have a membership I got got for my birthday.  The S.G.V.C.S.S. Cactus and Succulent  show/ sale was happening today, so I got to see a lot of great stuff. [There were some very nerdy enthusiasts there.]
I never realized that there was a Spiny Madagascar Garden at the Arboretum.  The plants were amazing... especially the Alluaudia Procera that were quite large. It was a good short, trip.  I got to see a peacock strut his stuff too!   It was a hot day, so I only looked at the succulent gardens.  It's 85 degrees in November! I'm going to get to do some long over due yard work today, so I'll post picture from the garden soon!

The Madagascar Garden:

The highlights from the show:

This "Century Plant," which I believe is an aloe, was finishing it's bloom.  It's amazing how many little plants are produce off of the "prostrate." I found a really small baby I put in my purse.  We'll see how it grows...

Swagged Out Aloe Marlothii

This Aloe marlothii has bloomed!! It is huge.  Probably 3ft in diameter and the bloom is bout 3 ft in height.  I've had it for a couple years and has finally showed it's stuff.  The growth of the bloom has taken about 3 months [Feb - April] and is incredible how fast it grows. For any friends that follow me on instagram [Classiopia], you've probably seen all the images that I've been postiong of my blooming aloe.  I wanted to put together a montage of the growth of this amazing "prostate" and here it is...

For this entry's music accompaniment I'll just post what I've been into as much as I've been interested in watching this "swagged out" aloe bloom [It changes every day]. I love A$AP ROCKY . He's from Houston and is keeping psychedelic hip hop alive!! Still sippin' on Purple DRANK.  

And since I usually throw in an outlandish comparison, I'm posting some Bongwater too. Bongwater, a late 80s/ early 90s art rock band,that probably couldn't be anymore opposite than ASAP, but the psychedelic qualities and the use of reverb in their music does have some similarity. There is also a glorification of marijuana from both, where A$AP puts weed on a pedestal and sings tribute to the purple he smokes and Bongwater is named "Bong"water. Another reason I'm posting Bongwater is because I think their music is good, incredibly witty, and importantly sarcastic and more people should know about them.

A friend of mine just pointed out that this Bongwater song sounds like their tribute to The Free Design... Thought I'd share it too.

Recent Pictures in the Garden....

Along with new pictures of the garden I have to post a new music find...

I have a love for 60s and and 70s psyche rock and usually happen upon a new band when I'm looking for videos etc of the ones I already like.  Jan & Lorraine are a recent find for me.  Some of their stuff has that typical folk/psyche sound of the late 60s, but they have this really weird way or harmonizing that makes their music sound really "trippy." I really like this song of theirs'... I can only describe it as "so weird."

Biography

Much mystery surrounds Jan & Lorraine, a female duo who recorded an obscure folk-rock album, Gypsy People, in London in October 1969. Jan Hendin and Lorraine Le Fevre both sang (often in harmony) on the record, did the ensemble arrangements, and also wrote (working separately) most of the material. Too, Hendin handled electric and acoustic guitars, piano, and organ, and Le Fevre contributed acoustic guitar as well. In part because the LP didn't sound much like other British folk-rock efforts of the time, it's been thought that Hendin and Le Fevre might have actually hailed from North America, despite the record being cut in London. And it does have a greater American influence to its mildly psychedelic late-'60s folk-rock than most British efforts in the genre, with stirring, slightly strident singing; some slight pop accents with a little similarity to the early work of Joni Mitchell, Jefferson Airplane, Fairport Convention, and even the Seekers, though the resemblance isn't explicit; and some occasional exotic Eastern sounds on tamboura and tabla. The record's slightly moody and introspective, though pleasant (and sometimes a little loosely drifting) in feel, and one presumes that the "D. Graham/M. Chapman" songwriting credit for "Gypsy People" could signify a tune co-written by noted British folkies Davy Graham and Michael Chapman. A couple noted musicians who were definitely involved in the recording were Pentangle drummer Terry Cox, who contributed percussion, and top British session drummer Clem Cattini. The album was reissued on CD in 2006. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/jan-lorraine#ixzz1m1aJHdPR

The Euphorbia are growing fast! And the agave is taking over! I had to remove three pups the other week.  If I just left it the whole yard would be taken over.

Miiko with euphorbia shrubs, savila, and aeoniums behind her. 

This Aloe marlothii is about to bloom!! It is huge.  Probably 3ft in diameter.  I've had it for a couple years and it is finally ready to show off this spring. YAY!

This is the Sedum spectabile that I'm grooming in the first picture.  It totally dies down in the winter.  It's neat to watch it grow back because it looks like the leaves grow in the ground before they come up on a stem.

Gentle Spirit...Take Me to the Cactus Mart

My friend Wes gave me a copy of Jonathan Wilson's Gentle Spirit  album on vinyl at the end of the summer and I became obsessed.  I ended up buying two copies on itunes and Lee also bought one.  He played at Pappy and Harriot's in December and we went up there to see him. Here's a review of Gentle Spirit which sums it up better than I can.  I would of mentioned the Eagles in the review and with my vast vernacular would have said "f'n awesome." 

4.0 out of 5 stars softly stirring, neo-folk/psych rock ballads, October 5, 2011

By 

Charlie Quaker "The Quaker Goes Deaf" (Normal, IL.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gentle Spirit (Audio CD)

2nd album from North Carolina artist--softly affecting, gently soul-stirring, luxurious neo-folk rock ballads with a perceptive singer/songwriter insight and an abundance of introspective psychedelicc /atmospheric intricacies. A Laurel Canyon-like place where calming, rich textures move with ease into a riveting psych-rock arena. This is not made for a short attention span, but it feels like it will be a long-lasting, slow-growing album with a subtle depth of mystic spirit. Includes guest appearances from members of Black Crowes, Jayhawks, Vetiver, and a Gordon Lightfoot cover. Recalls artists such as Neil Young, the Goldberg Sisters, Elliott Smith, Syd Barrett/Pink Floyd, Jackson Browne, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Nick Drake, Spiritualized, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Robbie Robertson, Low. 

 

On the way up to Pioneer Town/ Joshua Tree, I always make a stop at the Cactus Mart in Morongo Valley.  I've probably mentioned this place in other posts. They have a great selection and reasonable prices.  The nursery also has cool little gardens around the property and a coy pond.  In the summer I usually look around as quickly as possible because it's so hot, but it was nice and cool this time and made it much easier.  This trip I ended up purchasing a Mexican Fence Post Cactus [Pachycereus marginatus]. [Above planted in my garden] They bloom these amazing red flowers out of the white spines of the plant.  I can't wait until mine is established and starts to bloom. I bought several small ones as well and will plant them in row so they will eventually form a fence.

The Coy Pond

Agave and Aloes

This is a greenhouse they set up to grow plants and take care of damaged ones.

Euphorbia for days...

This hybrid might be might next purchase there.  It's gorgeous.

Cactus Shoe

 And of course we stopped at the park...Full Moon Rising!

Hidden Gems: Figueroa at Sycamore Park [Ave 46?]

First, let's start this post off with a little Zapp & Roger. I've heard this blasting from many cars growing up in the 90042 area.

I drive up North Figueroa a lot when I know the 110 might be crowded.  I've always noticed a lot of Succulents across from the Sycamore Park, where the painted arch and stairway is.  I finally stopped and was happy to find an awesome path. When you walk up the [Glenmary] stairs through the arch, that was painted bu students from Franklin High School in 2010, there is a little nook with a Guadalupe altar.  It's a neat little urban moment when you stumble across things like this [and there are tons of them in Northeast Los Angeles  http://framework.latimes.com/2011/07/04/guardians-of-the-guadalupe/].  The stairs are set in a T with path on each side that lead to the houses and apartments up there.  There are lots of euphorbia, aloes, and agaves plated throughout.  There's a lot of trash thrown around, but it still an amazing hidden gem.

     

If you walk further up Figueroa there is another lot full of succulents next to the historic home locate on the corner of Figueroa and Ave 49 next to the school. Note: Do not wear leather soled cowboy boots if you're going to climb a dirt hill = major slippage.

Beautiful bougainvillea tunnel.

Neighborhood Cleanup with The Gun Club

To get to the park that I go running at, I always trip on this overgrown ivy at the bottom of my street, so I decided to do something about it.  I went down there with my green trash can and all the necessary garden tools for the job.  Ironically, For the Love of Ivy by The Gun Club came on my ipod right when I was about to get to work.  The lady who lives next door helped me with the clean up so I didn't listen to anything else after that, but it was a really good moment. Thanks shuffle!

Hidden Gems Ave 57: Cactus House/ La Culebra

I thought this song was fitting just because.

All around the neighborhood I've been noticing that there are lot of yards with cactus and succulent gardens.  There are also lots of amazing little hidden parks and trails.  The yard below is AMAZING.  The house is on Ave 57 and Benner [I live in LA if you haven't guess already].  They have an old Craftsman type of house and a gigantic lot with a huge garden.  I love peeking in to see all their plants. You might not notice the yard because they have a chain link fence that surrounds the property.

View of yard on Ave 57

Across the street from the house is a small art park called La Culebra [The Snake].  All the terraces in the park are formed by a large winding stone snake.  It's really peaceful there.  There are lots of aloe and agave throughout the small park and plenty of artistic details to explore.