Author: Gregory Hamby

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, also called paddle plant or flapjack plant, is a succulent, flowering houseplant that grows as tall as three feet and produces yellow, red, or orange flowers from October to November. Because it’s drought tolerant and easy to maintain, it’s an ideal plant for beginning gardeners looking to add color and texture to their indoor spaces without too much effort on their part. The paddle plant is a popular flowering succulent that can be used as an indoor or outdoor houseplant or in containers on your patio, deck, or porch. It comes in several color varieties including red and yellow, with broad leaves…

Graptopetalum amethystinum, more commonly known as the lavender pebbles succulent, moon rock succulent, lavender succulent, or just lavender pebbles, is one of the most popular types of succulents available today. If you’re not familiar with succulents, they are a diverse group of plants that store water in their leaves and stems rather than their roots or trunks, which makes them an excellent low-maintenance option for those who don’t have much time to care for houseplants. The lavender pebbles succulent is an especially striking plant with its lavender flowers and purple stems that can grow up to 12 inches tall. If you’re looking for a…

Gasteria acinacifolia, also known as Dune Gasteria, is an attractive succulent plant native to South Africa that is becoming increasingly popular among terrarium hobbyists and collectors of succulents. Originally thought to be extinct in the wild, Gasteria acinacifolia was recently rediscovered in rocky outcroppings near the coast of South Africa. It has since been identified as one of the easiest succulents to care for, making it an excellent choice if you’re just starting out in terrarium gardening or have had problems with plant care in the past. Gasteria acinacifolia is a small, slow-growing succulent with thick, triangular leaves and waxy starburst flowers that bloom from…

The domestic canary, commonly known as the canary bird or just canary, is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is native to the Canary Islands and North Africa but has become well-established as a cagebird in many countries around the world, and feral populations have also become established in Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Serinus canaria domestica is one of the most popular pet birds in the world, though it was originally bred in cages to be used as an alarm system for miners and to detect noxious gases in mines. Today, you can find the…

Also known as Stormbird or Storm-bird, the channel-billed cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) is an Australian bird, which can be distinguished from other species of the genus Scythrops by its massive pale, down-curved bill. Cuckoos are birds in the family Cuculidae, the cuckoo order of which they are one of the two families, the other being the roadrunners. The word cuckoo, which has been around since at least AD 1000, came from the Old French cocu, meaning cuckold; it was originally used in reference to adult males, but then was also applied to females and juveniles as well, despite adults having no…