Late Bloomer

I’m working on a post about our little trip last weekend. I’m way behind in writing and everything else.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share the Amaryllis blooming right now. Last winter I left it in the garage because I couldn’t find anyone to adopt it. It was destined for the compost bin I thought.

I noticed a little green shoot about 6 weeks ago. So I watered it and it produced this wonderful bloom.

Some plants don’t give up.

Surprising Anthurium

Anthurium andraeanum (Tailflower, Flamingo-Flower)

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Here’s a house plant that came into my life as a gift in 2008. It arrived with large dark green leaves, bright red waxy flowers and not much hope for the future.

Having only seen anthurium in florists shops, I had no idea how to take care of it. I did a quick internet search. “The red, heart-shaped flower of Anthurium is really a spathe, or waxy, modified leaf flaring out from the base of a fleshy spike (spadix) where the tiny real flowers grow.” Huh?

I noted some general care information.

- low light (I placed it near the French doors to get morning sun.)
- moderately drought tolerant (a good thing in a heated house.)
- flowers last up to six weeks (I didn’t hold much hope of ever getting it to bloom again.)

- continuous flowering (see above.)

After that, I didn’t pay much attention to the plant. In the back of my mind a little voice was saying, “It probably won’t live.” It got watered as I passed by and fed with the other plants. It hasn’t moved in three years.

And, It blooms regularly despite me - A very pleasant surprise.

(Quote above from “The Flower Expert".)

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'tis the season

As I wind down the gardening year, I am very thankful for the opportunity to share my garden with everyone. I am grateful for other garden bloggers, teachers and friends from whom I have learned so much.

To me gardening means hope in the future with the anticipation of creating something beautiful or colorful. It means a rest from the stress of daily life. It means working in the sunshine and getting my socks dirty. It is a joy and a frustration. It is more than its parts.

I wish you all a joyous holiday season. May the New Year hold many happy gardens for you.


“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
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Philodendron or Pothos

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Pothos is the one with variegated leaves. But no one I know calls it Pothos. And the care is the same no matter what you call them.

Philodendrons and pothos are great houseplants. They tolerate low light, uneven watering and neglect. I have a great example of a neglected and out-of-control Pothos.

I picked off the yellow and dead leaves and untangled the stems. When I stretched it out, it reached about 8 feet long.

I took a cutting from one of the tips, removed the lower leaves and put it in a vase to root. I’ve done it before and the cuttings rooted easily from the node or base.

I also put a bit of stem with a few lumpy nodes in the soil. The stem should root at the nodes. I anchored the stem with a paper clip opened to a V pushed into the soil. I’ll add a little potting soil. I hope a new plant will arise.

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(More information from University of Nebraska, Lincoln Extension.)

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Confederate Jasmine Vine

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(Trachelospermum spp.)

I won this huge jasmine in a raffle. I hope it doesn’t become the subject of a Garden Bloggers Death Day post someday. It is a (very large) house plant in my zone 6.

There are 86 questions and answers on the Gardeners Supply Plant Care forum. Almost too much information.

I’ve never grown a jasmine and I don’t know anyone who has. I’m trying to get it to live and bloom – enticed by stories of heavenly fragrance. I’ve only had it for two weeks. So far, so good.

If staring at the plant is any help, mine should do just fine.

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Bougainvillea

From April 18, 2007 post: “The Bougainvillea is blooming in my living room”

Well, it’s starting to blooming again. This plant started life in my house as a small plant in a 3" pot. I brought it home from the Philadelphia Flower Show about 8 to 10 years ago. It is now 4 to 5 feet tall in a 15" pot.

I don’t know why it keeps growing. I put it out on the deck in the summer and feed it sometimes. It’s full of thorns and grows over the sofa and into the corner hutch. Getting it outside is a mess. It lives on a wheeled wooden caddy. I try not to get falling leaves all over the house or poke my eye out when I drag it outside. Every year I say I’m not going to bring in again. Every fall I drag it back to the living room.

I grew a cutting a few years ago. One winter the cutting got stuck behind some other house plants and I forgot to water it. End of plant.

It usually doesn’t bloom in the summer. According to Plant Answers http://www.plantanswers.com/bouganvilia.htm , it is a heavy feeder. Maybe I’ll feed it more this summer to see if I can get it to bloom outside. I'm sure it's pot bound but I’m not about to try to re-pot the monster. Maybe I won’t bring it in next fall.

Christmas Cactus

The first to bloom. The attractive white/pale pink cactus started to bloom on November 17. The red and orange blooming cacti are setting buds. To be continued . . .