Variegated Ivy and Fern

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This was the scene from the window the other morning.

So, I continued to tend to the houseplants.

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The fern got a shower.

The variegated ivy got a trim. (It’s friend looks a little aslant.)

I watched Mr. Green Thumb e-How video about variegated ivy. (Stan DeFreitas, also known as Mr. Green Thumb, has experience as an urban horticulturist working for the Pinellas County Extension Service and has taught horticulture at the St. Petersburg College.)

I’ve got to get out more.

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House Plants

I’m finally out of the closet. The second and final closet is painted.

Recently, Doug Green wrote in his Garden Blog http://blog.douggreensgarden.com/ that he gave away all his house plants before he moved to a new house. Every room in my house contains house plants. Wherever there’s a window, there’s a plant (or two or three).

Doug’s blog got me thinking. I really don’t need all those plants.

Beware of a friend bearing plants! I plan to reduce the number of plants in my house by half.

Another Ground Cover

Probably the most work-intensive ground cover in my garden is ivy. Again, I don’t know the name. The neighbor who gave it to me called it American Ivy. There are bunch of varieties at http://www.ivy.org/list.html .

We originally put it on our small bank in the front of the house to hold the hill and to eliminate the need to mow the lumpy little bank. It needs to be cut back about three times a year and gets an unattractive green-brown color in the winter. I think mice live in there, too. The colossal job of ripping it up and replacing it makes me put up with the work it takes to keep it somewhat neat.

On the plus side - The ivy provides some winter protection for Heather Erica x darleyensis ‘silberschmeize’ which blooms white from December to May.