View allAll Photos Tagged Substrate
I used 4 cement cinder blocks as the substrate base and three pavers for the seat. All substrate pieces were purchased at Home Depot.
Full Journal here on UKAPS.org - ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15952
Tank specs
Tank: ADA Cube Garden Mini M - 36x22x26cm / 5mm optiwhite glass
Hardscape: ADA Yamaya Rock, ADA Hornwood
Co2: Pressurised via Do!Aqua Music Glass - Mini 10D, Music Counter and ADA grey parts set
Lighting: ADA Mini-M - Solar 27W light
Filtration: Fluval 205 external to
Outlet - Do!Aqua Violet Glass mini MP-1 10D
Inlet - Do!Aqua Violet Glass mini MV-1 13D
Heating: None yet as its in a centrally heated room. I may add an inline heater in the winter
Substrate: ADA Power Sand Special topped with ADA Africana Powder - Penac P & W and tourmaline for good measure
Ferts per day: ADA Step 1 and Brighty K
Critters: Red Cherry Shrimp, fish undecided yet
plants to include - Ferns, tennelus, hairgrass, fissidens, mosses, Bolbitus and a carpet of Glosso
Pics of 10 small mosaic wall-hangings, each approximately 4 x 5". Pics aren't really a good representation of each piece, because each one has elements that extend beyond the substrate (and are not pictured). Each features tempered glass, handmade polymer clay tiles, and other tessera).
The image shows an electric-transport device floating above a Silicon substrate. A thin lamella, cut from a single crystal of a heavy fermion superconductor was mircrostructured by the use of focused ion beams. It is anchored in an insulating polymer covered with Gold providing conductive paths. Our aim is to study the resistivity of exotic single-crystalline materials on the micron and sub-micron scale without any strain induced from the substrate.
Courtesy of Dr. Toni Helm , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
Image Details
Instrument used: Helios NanoLab
Magnification: 2,500x
Horizontal Field Width: 160 um
Vacuum: 4e-5 mbar
Voltage: 10.0 kV
Spot: 0.17 nA
Working Distance: 4.1 mm
Detector: ETD
3D Sublimation 101
Dye sublimation, a digital printing process that uses heat to transfer dye to materials such as a plastic card, printer paper, poster paper, or fabric, is rapidly gaining market share due to the increasing availability of new and improved combinations of inks, media, hardware and software that have pushed the quality range of digital media much higher.
Dye sublimation printing can reproduce images on a variety of flexible and rigid substrates, which can endure the amount of heat, pressure and dwell time necessary for image transfer. With two primary areas of focus, including sublimation to textiles/soft fabrics as well as rigid substrates, dye sublimation enables the production of items such as point-of-sale applications, banners, custom flags, license plates, snowboards and promotional pieces.
New Applications for Dye Sublimation Printing: Driving Market Change
There are literally hundreds of different applications for dye sublimation, meaning plenty of profitable business opportunities for digital decoration. The primary limitation is that the surface must be composed of polymer fibers and able to withstand 400° F of temperature without melting. Provided those criteria are met, sublimation will create a premium full-color, photographic-quality image that will not crack, peel or wash away from the substrate. You can download our free Extensive Marketing Report.
2D vs 3D Sublimation
2D sublimation normally using heat press. The flat (flat platen) press is available as a clam-shell style or a swing-sway style. The clam-shell version opens and closes like a clam, where the bottom platen is stationery and the top platen moves up and down. The swing-away press opens by lifting up the top platen, but then will move sideways completely out of the way for ease of placement and removal of transferred products. It only can press flat substrates.
3D sublimation use vacuum heat press or oven, it can fully sublimate curved products using an air-forced vacuum, like phone cases, mugs, computer mouse, perfect for curved products that don’t work easily in flat heat presses.
Paper vs Film 3D Sublimation
As we mentioned the major priority of 3D sublimation heat press or oven is fully sublimate curved products, there are two types of 3D sublimation system in the market, using paper or film. However the output quality are huge different. Simply google 3d sublimation heat press, you will find tons of red and black color 3d sublimation heat presses which are made in China, selling around one thousand dollar. These machines use sublimation paper to wrap the substrate first, then using an air-forced vacuum to suck the thin silicon pad to wrap the paper which wrap on the substrate, however the sublimation paper is not soft, so if the substrate has round corner, then either the image can not be fully sublimated or paper crease is sublimated onto the substrate. We bought one of them and have been testing phone cases over 6 months. The conclusion is only can make iphone 4/5/5s cases which are straight corner, most of Samsung cases and iPhone 5C cases are all fail, because thoses cases are round corner. Even sophisticated operator will have 20% defective rate for iPone 5 and 90% defective rate for those round corner stye cases. Moreover, it only can make one case each cycle as the vacuum suction is not strong enough. Don’t be fool by the video that shown can make 4 even 6 cases each cycle, but it never be, truste me. Also the image color is little dull even printed on glossy cases and impresson of silicon pad also sublimated onto the surface if you look carefully.
Another 3D sublimation system using film, mostly call “3D Sublimation Oven“, just google “3D Sublimation Oven“, you will find most of these system selling by Europe company. Usually one case system pricing between $5000 to $8000 and 4 cases system pricing between $12,000 and $16,000 which are not include VAT and shipping cost. But the output quality will be completely different with the system using sublimation paper. The color is vivid and rich, image is fully sublimated onto the substrate no matter what curved shape of substrate. There is one important factor is labor, film system spend much less labor as it sublimate the printed film directly onto the blanks but paper system need to manually print the image on the sublimation paper, then cut and wrap it on the case, it spend couple mintes to make one case. If you are just selling 10 cases a day, it will be fine, but if you are selling 50 cases a day, you will feel frustrating. Simple formulars, you get what you paid.
Conclusion: The cheap paper system seems an amateur toy if compare with film system, it cost more labor and high defective rate. Film system is the one you need to run long term personalized products business, no matter output quality or production efficiency.
3D Sublimation System Comparison
On the right hand side, you may compare the output quality difference between paper and film system. Image is printed on iPhone 5C.
3D Sublimation Oven (Film)
Film system is designed to take the shape of any object that it is adhered to and to sublimate any kind of image onto the surface of that object. Image is Vivid. Save labor and productive.
3D Sublimation Press (Paper)
Color output is little dull compare using film and can not make round corner style substrate. High defective rate and cost more labor.
3D Sublimation Oven (Film)
3D Sublimation Press (Paper)
- www.dyesublimationblanks.com/dye-sublimation-news/3d-subl...
"Bouillon Kub"
Original Painting by Cara Buchalter of Octavine Illustration
Painted in gouache on Plywerk, a hand-crafted substrate wood board handmade in Portland, Oregon.
For more information on this painting and to see my processes and inspirations, please visit my blog:
www.octavineillustration.blogspot.com
My mother is an excellent cook. She can make just about anything from Moroccan tagine to traditional pot roast. And she can cook for the masses, catering my entire wedding, my cousin's wedding and both mine and my sis's Bat Mitzvahs. Absolutely none of this talent was passed on to me. Or maybe it was but never fully realized as I hate to cook.
I like the idea of pleasing my friends, exacting their love and admiration through gastronomy; but I loathe the notion of spending time creating these pleasures. Food is temporary. Hours spent, adding a pinch of this, a spoonful of that, seem wasted on transience.
Please do not get me wrong. I love cooks. I love food. I love home cooking. I am fortunate to reap the benefits of those whose creativity is ignited by food, whom are impassioned by the combination of spices, the grouping of flavors.
My art, however, is born out of a yearning for permanence. I screen print my images so they will last for centuries to come rather than using a computer to lifelessly copy my work. I hand-paint my cards so they are kept; records of a time and place serving as personal histories. The notion that what I create may last lifetimes excites me and serves to motivate.
But a good meal is remembered. I will never forget the calamari in Turkey or the steak in Belgium or my mother's homemade grapeleaves. And that recollection I pass on to others, as I do now. Thus cooking is not momentary, rather the memory intangible.
Thus I present Bouillon Kub (my homage, painted in gouache on wood, to the original bouillon cube packaging in France circa 1920 and, from what I understand, still used today) to all the amazing cooks out there. May your food be forever remembered.
©2008 Cara Buchalter. Please don't take and use the images without permission, thanks.
I'm a big fan of the various species of the so called "ant plants"; plants which have developed symbiotic relationships with ants. In some species (such as the Myrmecodias and Hydnophytums) the plants produce highly modified stems which naturally develop hollow internal chambers which provide living spaces for ant colonies. The ants in turn benefit the plants by protecting their host from insect pests and providing nutrients derived from decomposing detritus from the ant colony. In addition to the previous examples there are a few members of the greater milkweed family which produce modified leaves which also provide sheltered sites for ants to establish their colonies. Some species, such as Dischidia pectinoides and D. major produce modified pouch-like leaves which serve as nesting sites. Other species produce large leaves which provide shallow, dome-like enclosures between the leaf and the substrate which can serve as a living site for ant colonies.
Hoya imbricata is one particularly attractive example of this last type of plant. It is an epiphytic plant with long, thin climbing stems which cling to tree trunks and branches, and bear very large succulent, plate-like leaves (reputedly measuring from about 2 inches, to nearly 10 inches in diameter in some varieties), which clasp the vertical surfaces upon which they grow. These leaves typically grow rather close together, slightly overlapping one another like roofing shingles or fish scales (the specific epithet "imbricata" alludes to this similarity to roofing tiles). Ants colonize the spaces beneath these leaves, often using adjacent leaves to serve as "nurseries", food storage and other specialized rooms or chambers for the ant colony. The spaces beneath the overlapping leaves may also serve as a protected highway, by which ants can travel from the ground to the upper branches of forest trees. This Hoya produces roots all along the length of the stems - those which are located just beneath the leaves will absorb nutrients from the detritus from the ant colony - providing the plant with a significant portion of its fertilization. The plant may also absorb a significant percentage of the carbon dioxide exhaled by the ants - providing the plant with vital carbon necessary in the production of sugars, proteins, and lipids.
Mature plants can grow many yards in length, and will branch and re-branch to produce intricate networks giving its host tree the appearance of being covered with shingles, or giant fish scales.
There are a number of varieties of this species in the wild, but the specific traits which distinguish the different varieties are not entirely clear to me - nor have I been able to find a listing of all of the recognized varieties in my research. Some varieties have closely spaced leaves which overlap, blanketing the trunks upon which they grow, while at least one variety is said to have long internodes with more widely spaced (non-overlapping) leaves. Most have comparatively small leaves (2 to 5 inches in diameter), while at least one variety produces leaves to about 10 inches across. In some, the leaves are of a uniform green coloration, but in others, the leaves are a dark green and are attractively marbled in pale greenish/grey tones. The leaf undersides of all varieties bear magenta to purplish pigments - which in many other plant species, is usually an adaptation to lower light levels - the purplish undersides to the leaf act as an accessory pigment to chlorophyll, which enables the plant to make use of additional wavelengths of light.
The flowers are produced in loose dangling umbels, which in my plant, measured to about 2 inches across. Larger, more mature plants will probably produce larger umbels with more flowers than this. The flowers are quite attractive, bearing "furry" greenish/cream colored petals. Other portions of the flower are of the same coloration, but are glossy and polished looking, earning them the common name for the genus, "Wax Flowers". While the flowers of other Hoya species can be highly fragrant, to my nose, the scent of this species is extremely faint: it is slightly sweet, with a trace of a musty under-tone. My plant has only flowered once: I am uncertain what combination of cooler temperatures, reduced light intensity, shorter daylight hours and less humid conditions may have helped initiate the formation of flower buds, but my plant flowered in November, about 2 months after I brought it indoors for the winter.
Hoya imbricata is not the easiest plant to maintain under typical household conditions. In my 19 months of growing this plant, I have struggled to discover which conditions best suits it: in summer, my plant usually produces a modest flush of growth, but it remains dormant through much of the other 9 months. It responds well to the increased light levels and higher temperatures of summer, especially when I move it into my unheated greenhouse in late spring. This species requires warm temperatures, bright but diffuse light, and quite humid conditions. Without high humidity, my plant languishes in a sort of persistent dormancy, and in winter, it has the tendency to loose moisture from its leaves and abort roots and young stems until humid conditions are restored. It is only when humidity exceeds about 60% that my plant even begins to show signs of growth: at levels closer to 90%, it seems to produce its most rapid growth. I am presently growing cuttings in a sealed 2 liter soda bottle with a soil-less mixture of peat moss and vermiculite watered with a weak solution of Miracle Gro fertilizer. This terrarium is kept just below two 40-watt fluorescent lights (the bulbs actually resting on the surface of the bottle). Because of the proximity of the lights, the temperature inside of the terrarium can rise to as much as 95 degrees Fahrenheit by day. At night (when the lights are off), temperatures typically fall to about 72 degrees. Conditions are very moist, so the sides of the container are perpetually drenched in condensation. This combination of warmth and moisture would rot practically any other plant, but my plant seems to thrive under these conditions, quickly responding with renewed, vigorous growth. After just a few weeks, one small cutting has produced 4 new stems, and the beginnings of at least 2 new leaves. Following this initial success, I started another cutting (a single leaf with several branching stems) under similar conditions. This cutting had been dormant for nearly one year - but within one week of this treatment, I observed the initiation of new growth at two nodes - probably the beginnings of two new vines; about a week later, it is producing the beginnings of new roots. Larger plants can be grown in a sort of mini greenhouse - I am growing my "main" plant horizontally in a long plastic storage container (the type designed for under-the-bed storage) with a pane of glass placed over the top to provide a more or less sealed environment (to ensure high humidity levels). I place fluorescent tubes on top of this (with the tubes resting just a few inches above the plant), and maintain light for approximately 14 hours a day. Even though I grow my plants on the basement floor (the coolest location in the house), temperatures inside of this container will rise to approximately 80 degrees by day, and cools to about 68 degrees at night (conditions which are probably a bit cooler than optimum). It would probably be best to place a 1 inch layer of very moist blend of Vermiculite/Perlite on the bottom of the container to provide adequate humidity, but any moisture retentive medium (such as peat-moss, or sterilized potting soil) will do.
In spite of the purple/magenta pigments on the underside of its leaves, (which is usually an adaptation to low light levels), Hoya imbricata seems to thrive when provided with bright but indirect light. When grown outdoors, bright dapple shade is probably best, but indoors, plants should be maintained just a few inches beneath fluorescent lights. Extended exposure to direct sunlight will tend to bleach and scorch its leaves.
Hoya imbricata requires a good support and a more or less solid surface upon which to grow in order to assure typical growth, otherwise the leaves of unsupported vines tend to roll in upon themselves (imagine a paper plate rolled into a cylinder). Cork-bark slabs, osmunda fiber slabs and posts, even long sections of logs and thick tree branches are good supports. For my own plant, I take two sections of black plastic mesh "gutter guards", and sew these along their sides and bottom to produce a long "sock". I fill this with an orchid potting mix consisting mostly of chipped coconut husk and cork bark. This mix retains moisture much better than cork-bark slabs, and may provide more humid conditions under the leaves than cork slab would alone. This support is rigid enough for the leaves to "clasp" normally, although I have found that it is best to wire new growth against it to assure good contact with the growing medium, at least until roots become established enough to hold the new leaves in place.
As with all Hoyas, this species requires warm temperatures to thrive: 80 to 90 degrees seems to be best, although it will tolerate higher temperatures than this: Extended periods of cooler temperatures (68 to 52 degrees) will tend to send plants into dormancy, and freezing temperatures will practically kill it instantly. While I have not tested its ultimate tolerances to cold, it will likely die if exposed to temperature in the 40's for any more than a few days, so if you do move your plants outdoors in summer, be prepared to bring it back indoors at the first predictions of cool weather.
It seems that only a few conservatories, and dedicated hobbyists grow Hoya imbricata here in the United States. Exceedingly few nurseries stock any of the varieties of this species, so it may sometimes be easier to acquire cuttings from other growers than it is to find in trade. My plant (Hoya imbricata var. basirotunda), for example, was originally acquired as cuttings generously provided by Myron Kimnach. The scarcity of this species in the trade is unfortunate, as this is an exceptionally interesting, and (in my humble opinion) one of the most attractive Hoya species that I know of. Perhaps its reputation as an "ant plant" works against it. While plants which are grown outdoors in the tropics and subtropics may sometimes become colonized by ants, it has been my experience that plants grown in more temperate climates do not attract ants, and can be grown without the presence of ants without ill effects. In nature such symbiotic relationships tend to be fairly specific, and usually involve a relatively few ant species; most ant species from northern latitudes would not colonize this plant. Grown indoors, particularly when grown in a more or less sealed environment, the chances of ants colonizing this species are virtually nil.
The specialized growing needs of Hoya imbricata will probably forever relegate this plant to dedicated growers only, particularly those from non-tropical climates. But for those growers who are not daunted by the challenges of providing year-round warm temperatures, high humidity and bright light, this species may very well be the plant for you. Its distinctive growth habit, attractive foliage (particularly those varieties with attractively marbled leaves), attractive "furry" flowers, and its fascinating adaptations to live symbiotically with ants will make it a standout in any collection. And it is unquestionably the most attractive "ant plant" which I have ever grown.
Substrate: Quercus robur.
Eesti punase nimestiku liik, äärmiselt ohustatud (CR). LK II.
Rakvere, Lääne-Virumaa.
I'm a big fan of the various species of the so called "ant plants"; plants which have developed symbiotic relationships with ants. In some species (such as the Myrmecodias and Hydnophytums) the plants produce highly modified stems which naturally develop hollow internal chambers which provide living spaces for ant colonies. The ants in turn benefit the plants by protecting their host from insect pests and providing nutrients derived from decomposing detritus from the ant colony. In addition to the previous examples there are a few members of the greater milkweed family which produce modified leaves which also provide sheltered sites for ants to establish their colonies. Some species, such as Dischidia pectinoides and D. major produce modified pouch-like leaves which serve as nesting sites. Other species produce large leaves which provide shallow, dome-like enclosures between the leaf and the substrate which can serve as a living site for ant colonies.
Hoya imbricata is one particularly attractive example of this last type of plant. It is an epiphytic plant with long, thin climbing stems which cling to tree trunks and branches, and bear very large succulent, plate-like leaves (reputedly measuring from about 2 inches, to nearly 10 inches in diameter in some varieties), which clasp the vertical surfaces upon which they grow. These leaves typically grow rather close together, slightly overlapping one another like roofing shingles or fish scales (the specific epithet "imbricata" alludes to this similarity to roofing tiles). Ants colonize the spaces beneath these leaves, often using adjacent leaves to serve as "nurseries", food storage and other specialized rooms or chambers for the ant colony. The spaces beneath the overlapping leaves may also serve as a protected highway, by which ants can travel from the ground to the upper branches of forest trees. This Hoya produces roots all along the length of the stems - those which are located just beneath the leaves will absorb nutrients from the detritus from the ant colony - providing the plant with a significant portion of its fertilization. The plant may also absorb a significant percentage of the carbon dioxide exhaled by the ants - providing the plant with vital carbon necessary in the production of sugars, proteins, and lipids.
Mature plants can grow many yards in length, and will branch and re-branch to produce intricate networks giving its host tree the appearance of being covered with shingles, or giant fish scales.
There are a number of varieties of this species in the wild, but the specific traits which distinguish the different varieties are not entirely clear to me - nor have I been able to find a listing of all of the recognized varieties in my research. Some varieties have closely spaced leaves which overlap, blanketing the trunks upon which they grow, while at least one variety is said to have long internodes with more widely spaced (non-overlapping) leaves. Most have comparatively small leaves (2 to 5 inches in diameter), while at least one variety produces leaves to about 10 inches across. In some, the leaves are of a uniform green coloration, but in others, the leaves are a dark green and are attractively marbled in pale greenish/grey tones. The leaf undersides of all varieties bear magenta to purplish pigments - which in many other plant species, is usually an adaptation to lower light levels - the purplish undersides to the leaf act as an accessory pigment to chlorophyll, which enables the plant to make use of additional wavelengths of light.
The flowers are produced in loose dangling umbels, which in my plant, measured to about 2 inches across. Larger, more mature plants will probably produce larger umbels with more flowers than this. The flowers are quite attractive, bearing "furry" greenish/cream colored petals. Other portions of the flower are of the same coloration, but are glossy and polished looking, earning them the common name for the genus, "Wax Flowers". While the flowers of other Hoya species can be highly fragrant, to my nose, the scent of this species is extremely faint: it is slightly sweet, with a trace of a musty under-tone. My plant has only flowered once: I am uncertain what combination of cooler temperatures, reduced light intensity, shorter daylight hours and less humid conditions may have helped initiate the formation of flower buds, but my plant flowered in November, about 2 months after I brought it indoors for the winter.
Hoya imbricata is not the easiest plant to maintain under typical household conditions. In my 19 months of growing this plant, I have struggled to discover which conditions best suits it: in summer, my plant usually produces a modest flush of growth, but it remains dormant through much of the other 9 months. It responds well to the increased light levels and higher temperatures of summer, especially when I move it into my unheated greenhouse in late spring. This species requires warm temperatures, bright but diffuse light, and quite humid conditions. Without high humidity, my plant languishes in a sort of persistent dormancy, and in winter, it has the tendency to loose moisture from its leaves and abort roots and young stems until humid conditions are restored. It is only when humidity exceeds about 60% that my plant even begins to show signs of growth: at levels closer to 90%, it seems to produce its most rapid growth. I am presently growing cuttings in a sealed 2 liter soda bottle with a soil-less mixture of peat moss and vermiculite watered with a weak solution of Miracle Gro fertilizer. This terrarium is kept just below two 40-watt fluorescent lights (the bulbs actually resting on the surface of the bottle). Because of the proximity of the lights, the temperature inside of the terrarium can rise to as much as 95 degrees Fahrenheit by day. At night (when the lights are off), temperatures typically fall to about 72 degrees. Conditions are very moist, so the sides of the container are perpetually drenched in condensation. This combination of warmth and moisture would rot practically any other plant, but my plant seems to thrive under these conditions, quickly responding with renewed, vigorous growth. After just a few weeks, one small cutting has produced 4 new stems, and the beginnings of at least 2 new leaves. Following this initial success, I started another cutting (a single leaf with several branching stems) under similar conditions. This cutting had been dormant for nearly one year - but within one week of this treatment, I observed the initiation of new growth at two nodes - probably the beginnings of two new vines; about a week later, it is producing the beginnings of new roots. Larger plants can be grown in a sort of mini greenhouse - I am growing my "main" plant horizontally in a long plastic storage container (the type designed for under-the-bed storage) with a pane of glass placed over the top to provide a more or less sealed environment (to ensure high humidity levels). I place fluorescent tubes on top of this (with the tubes resting just a few inches above the plant), and maintain light for approximately 14 hours a day. Even though I grow my plants on the basement floor (the coolest location in the house), temperatures inside of this container will rise to approximately 80 degrees by day, and cools to about 68 degrees at night (conditions which are probably a bit cooler than optimum). It would probably be best to place a 1 inch layer of very moist blend of Vermiculite/Perlite on the bottom of the container to provide adequate humidity, but any moisture retentive medium (such as peat-moss, or sterilized potting soil) will do.
In spite of the purple/magenta pigments on the underside of its leaves, (which is usually an adaptation to low light levels), Hoya imbricata seems to thrive when provided with bright but indirect light. When grown outdoors, bright dapple shade is probably best, but indoors, plants should be maintained just a few inches beneath fluorescent lights. Extended exposure to direct sunlight will tend to bleach and scorch its leaves.
Hoya imbricata requires a good support and a more or less solid surface upon which to grow in order to assure typical growth, otherwise the leaves of unsupported vines tend to roll in upon themselves (imagine a paper plate rolled into a cylinder). Cork-bark slabs, osmunda fiber slabs and posts, even long sections of logs and thick tree branches are good supports. For my own plant, I take two sections of black plastic mesh "gutter guards", and sew these along their sides and bottom to produce a long "sock". I fill this with an orchid potting mix consisting mostly of chipped coconut husk and cork bark. This mix retains moisture much better than cork-bark slabs, and may provide more humid conditions under the leaves than cork slab would alone. This support is rigid enough for the leaves to "clasp" normally, although I have found that it is best to wire new growth against it to assure good contact with the growing medium, at least until roots become established enough to hold the new leaves in place.
As with all Hoyas, this species requires warm temperatures to thrive: 80 to 90 degrees seems to be best, although it will tolerate higher temperatures than this: Extended periods of cooler temperatures (68 to 52 degrees) will tend to send plants into dormancy, and freezing temperatures will practically kill it instantly. While I have not tested its ultimate tolerances to cold, it will likely die if exposed to temperature in the 40's for any more than a few days, so if you do move your plants outdoors in summer, be prepared to bring it back indoors at the first predictions of cool weather.
It seems that only a few conservatories, and dedicated hobbyists grow Hoya imbricata here in the United States. Exceedingly few nurseries stock any of the varieties of this species, so it may sometimes be easier to acquire cuttings from other growers than it is to find in trade. My plant (Hoya imbricata var. basirotunda), for example, was originally acquired as cuttings generously provided by Myron Kimnach. The scarcity of this species in the trade is unfortunate, as this is an exceptionally interesting, and (in my humble opinion) one of the most attractive Hoya species that I know of. Perhaps its reputation as an "ant plant" works against it. While plants which are grown outdoors in the tropics and subtropics may sometimes become colonized by ants, it has been my experience that plants grown in more temperate climates do not attract ants, and can be grown without the presence of ants without ill effects. In nature such symbiotic relationships tend to be fairly specific, and usually involve a relatively few ant species; most ant species from northern latitudes would not colonize this plant. Grown indoors, particularly when grown in a more or less sealed environment, the chances of ants colonizing this species are virtually nil.
The specialized growing needs of Hoya imbricata will probably forever relegate this plant to dedicated growers only, particularly those from non-tropical climates. But for those growers who are not daunted by the challenges of providing year-round warm temperatures, high humidity and bright light, this species may very well be the plant for you. Its distinctive growth habit, attractive foliage (particularly those varieties with attractively marbled leaves), attractive "furry" flowers, and its fascinating adaptations to live symbiotically with ants will make it a standout in any collection. And it is unquestionably the most attractive "ant plant" which I have ever grown.
....might look like this in winter. Some oyster mushfroom mycel in a Petri dish.
Yesterday, I wanted to take one more picture and I wondered, that I didn't get it sharp. I was using f/40...f/32, because I wanted to get a good DOF. Actually, those high appertures don'zt produce the sharpest images. Anyways, the pictures look sharp in the viewfinder, but when I looked at them on the monitore, they seemed to be not sharp. After a while, I have reduced to f/22...f/18 and when I zoomed it, I have recognized, that the whole structure was covered with very fine hair, that was as fine as a pixel or so. It just made it look not sharp.
This is a mycel, that we have breeded by cloning a mushroom, my wife had bought in the supermarket. We took a little piece out of the middle of the mushroom and placed it an an agar/malt substrate in a Petri dish. After a week, the developing mycel showed up, but it took several weeks that the whole Petri dish was covered. Finally this structure developed.
This is my first attempt at a planted tank, its didn't really turn out how I expected but it was a success none the less;
Tank: 70lt
Lights: 2 x 20W T4's and 2 x 20W T'8's (lights are cooled by a 12V computer extractor fan in hood)
Plants: Background = Echinodorus tenellus
Foreground = Hemianthus callitrichoides
Filtration: Old school fluval 3 external.
Ferts and Co2; Co2 is injected at 1-2 bubbles per second from a fire extinguisher setup with DIY and Tropica nutrition plant food used daily. Substrate is also from Tropica with a fine layer of gravel to prevent soil disturbance.
Fish and Inverts: 4 x otto's, 5 x Amano Shrimp and 4 x Sunkist shrimp.
If you would like to read the entire journal please have a look at this thread. Additionally if you have any comments of suggestion please feel free to write a few lines.
www.irishfishkeepers.com/cms/component/option,com_fireboa...
The High Line, NYC
by navema
On view May 7, 2010 — May 2011 on the east side of the High Line, between West 17th and West 18th Streets.
Richard Galpin is best known for creating altered photographs of cityscapes. His chosen method of manipulation is to cut and remove the top layer of the colored emulsion from his photographic prints, exposing the paper substrate. By eradicating part of the photograph, the imagery becomes altered to the point of total abstraction. Using clean lines and sharp angles, Galpin's technique produces works with an emphasis on geometric shapes, recalling early 20th century movements such as Constructivism, Cubism and Futurism.
For the High Line, Galpin has created a 'viewing station' that functions in a manner similar to his cut photographs. Park visitors can look through a viewing apparatus lined up with a metal screen from which geometric shapes have been cut. The combination of these two devices gives visitors an altered, abstracted view from the High Line. One of the wonderful experiences the High Line has provided to visitors is a new vista of Manhattan. Similarly, Galpin's artwork will offer a novel reconsideration of our surroundings.
This High Line Art Commission is presented by Friends of the High Line and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Since graduating from Goldsmiths College with an MA in 2001, Richard Galpin has had solo exhibitions at Franklin Art Works, Minneapolis; Brancolini Grimaldi Arte Contemporanea, Rome; Galeria Leme, Sao Paulo; Roebling Hall, New York; and Hales Gallery, London. Group exhibitions include Under Erasure at Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin; When it's a Photograph at The Bolsky Gallery, Los Angeles; Prints and Drawings: Recent Acquisitions at the British Museum, London; The Photograph in Question, Von Lintel Gallery, New York; Attack: Attraction, Marcel Sitcoske Gallery, San Francisco; and Looking With/Out at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. His work is included in several public collections including the British Government Art Collection, the British Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. He lives and works in London, and is represented by Hales Gallery, London and Galeria Leme, Sao Paulo.
HISTORY OF THE HIGH LINE:
The High Line is a park built on a section of the former elevated freight railroad spur called the West Side Line, which runs along the lower west side of Manhattan; it has been redesigned and planted as an aerial greenway.
In 1847, the City of New York authorizes street-level railroad tracks down Manhattan’s West Side. Between 1851 – 1929, so many accidents occur between freight trains and street-level traffic that 10th Avenue becomes known as Death Avenue. For safety, men on horses, called the West Side Cowboys, ride in front of trains waving red flags.
The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district. The entire project was 13 miles long, eliminated 105 street-level railroad crossings, and added 32 acres to Riverside Park. It cost over $150 million in 1930 dollars—more than $2 billion today. In 1934, the High Line opens to trains. It runs from 34th Street to St. John’s Park Terminal, at Spring Street. It is designed to go through the center of blocks, rather than over the avenue, to avoid creating the negative conditions associated with elevated subways. It connects directly to factories and warehouses, allowing trains to roll right inside buildings. Milk, meat, produce, and raw and manufactured goods come and go without causing street-level traffic.
No trains have run on the High Line since 1980 - the last train ran on the High Line pulling three carloads of frozen turkeys. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park.
The project gained the City's support in 2002, and in 2003, an open ideas competition, "Designing the High Line," solicited proposals for the High Line's reuse. 720 teams from 36 countries entered - hundreds of design entries were displayed at Grand Central Terminal. The selected team was established in 2004: James Corner Field Operations, a landscape architecture firm, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, an architecture firm, and experts in horticulture, engineering, security, maintenance, public art, and other disciplines.
In 2006, groundbreaking is celebrated on the High Line with the lifting of a rail track, and the beginning of construction begins. On June 9, 2009, the first section (Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street) opens to the public. The second section (West 20th Street to West 30th Street) is projected to open in spring, 2011.
When all sections are complete, the High Line will be a mile-and-a-half-long elevated park, running through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell's Kitchen. It features an integrated landscape, combining meandering concrete pathways with naturalistic plantings. Fixed and movable seating, lighting, and special features are also included in the park.
Access points from street level will be located every two to three blocks. Many of these access points will include elevators, and all will include stairs.
For more information, visit: www.thehighline.org