Progression Obsession-Monstera deliciosa leaf

My obsession for watching things transform has been fairly well-documented here*, but I haven't done it in a while. When I was outside the other day, taking pictures for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, I saw a new Monstera leaf preparing to unfurl, so I figured that would be a good place to pick things up. So, for anyone who has ever wondered, how a plant like this starts out, here you go!

Helping me with scale today: Mocha

March 15-Helping me with scale: a big lizard (big for a lizard, small compared to Mocha).

March 16: No lizard today, but the super-tight bundle of foliage is starting to unfurl.

March 17

March 18

March 19-Helping me with scale today: a smaller lizard (which makes the scale thing kind of confusing, but I take what I can get)...(the lizard is to the right, in the sun).

March 20-a pale, tender new leaf, ready to face the world!

 March 21-Aw, look how small it is! Well, small compared to what it will become, anyway!**

(Helping me with scale: Me. Which is why I couldn't get far enough away to get the whole leaf in the picture).

This monster of a plant, Monstera deliciosa is also called the Swiss cheese plant. It does produce a flower and fruit, but it is a slow process. We planted these plants in November, 2008, and I discovered the first flowers in October, 2012. According to my research, the fruit should be edible sometime in the next 7-13 months.

*If, like me, you like to see how plants progress (or not, in the case of the coconut tree), check out some of my other posts.
Moonflower opening
Puakenikeni-flower to fruit
Amaryllis and a purple leafy plant
Variegated hau-color change throughout day
How to disassemble a coconut tree
Bleeding heart (Clerodendrom thomsonae) imitating a corkscrew

**Edited 7/9/13 to say that I'm not actually sure if this little leaf will become a big leaf, or if it will stay a little leaf. Big leaves might unfurl as big leaves, but I can't remember ever seeing one start out quite as big as the one in the bottom picture. Each plant has several different sizes of leaves on it; the smaller ones tend to be near the bottom, closer to the ground, and the bigger ones tend to be closer to the middle and top of the plant. I'll keep an eye out for giants unfurling in the future!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day-March, 2013: Back in the Saddle Edition

Well, officially, I missed this month's GBBD by about six days; but, then again, I also missed November (I was home (Colorado) for my nephew's birthday), December (uh...I forgot?), January (I was home for my mother-in-law's funeral), and February (I was making plans to go home for my grandmother's funeral). So, I'm gonna go ahead and take this opportunity to get back into the swing of things. Better late than never, right? Besides, I could use some light fluffiness right about now.

(For what it's worth, I did take the pictures on the 15th; I just didn't get around to posting them until now). So, in no particular order, here's what was blooming in my yard on March 15th.

Well, OK, my Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) was almost blooming, but close enough! 

My lavender looks and smells lovely.

My Hardy Ice Plant (Delosperma cooperi) is taking a nap in the cloudy afternoon, but it's never completely off the job.

Hiding way up high in my Giant Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) is this impressive floral display. 

I've got three stages of sweet-smelling Puakenikeni flowers and two little critters that I thought were syrphid flies (yay!). After some research though, it appears they are Oriental fruit flies (boo!).

Even though it's nearing the end of this bloom cycle, my white spider lily (Crinum asiaticum) still has a certain beauty.

My Blue Daze (Evolvus glomeratus) is reliable, as always.

I've got some volunteer tomatoes blooming in my garlic pot-when planting things in worm castings, you never know what else you're going to get. Actually, I take that back; you can almost count on the fact that you will get tomatoes along with whatever else you planted! 

I've got a young-ish red ginger tucked away where I almost walked right past it.

My sweet alyssum is tumbling out of its pots right now.

And, finally, I had to include this poor little guy. He is, unfortunately, an unwelcome intruder in our lawn and had been unceremoniously ripped out of the ground the day before. When I saw this pretty little bloom lying on the lawn the next day, soldiering on so bravely, I had to include it.

Even though Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day has passed, you can still visit Carol and May Dreams Gardens and see what else everyone else had blooming in their yards on March 15th. Thanks for visiting!