So Little Time, So Much to Do

Not much gardening has been going on. The front porch has become a holding place until cuttings I rooted can be planted and come in for the Winter. I hope the coleus and sweet potato vine makes it to Spring. I think I will try something different this year and plant all the cuttings in one large pot instead of individual ones. Less to water and not worry about maybe needing to increase the size of the pot. 

 I like a pumpkin on each step but this proved to entice someone to steal them last Fall. I had pie pumpkins not Jack O lanterns and I guess someone knew what they were. I have pie pumpkins in the planter. So far they have done okay and no one has borrowed them!

On the porch. I must plant them before they all die.

I hope this coleus is not like a large bush in the house. I might be surprised and it may not grow over the Winter but loose leaves instead. I wasn't going to save this but it's too unusual not to.

I would love to have red geraniums inside during the Winter. I just don't know where all this will go and I really don't want to change the soil and pot. Better to do this than to have insects inside brought in with the plant. I haven't decided, but if choose not to bring them in I will let them go dormant and not water them over the Winter. I usually don't remove them from their pots or hang them upside down.

The sweet potato vines rooted almost right away. They are waiting to be potted and taken inside.

The orchid my mother sent back from Georgia is still actually living and the bloom has been on there since after it arrived in August. I'm glad she's coming home in 3 weeks because I would hate for it to die before she takes it home. The small one in the white container is one she bought me. I need to take it out of that small pot. The pot is pretty but I think the orchid could use some more bark and maybe a clear container. I am making an effort to lean about growing orchids since I insist on buying them. So far I have learned that they like to be moist but not sit in water or they will rot, they need light and the clear pots that I have seen them in are sometimes best because this allowed them to use light for photosynthesis. Not too much direct sunlight though because this may burn the leaves.This will be my excuse to go to the nursery to get some orchid medium since they don't do well in regular potting soil. I didn't realize they were like air plants and in their native countries they are epiphytes and grow on trees and bark. The tree is used for support not nourishment. The Christmas cactus hanging up was almost dead this Summer. I got the bright idea to feed it a week fertilizer and it burned the leaves. You wouldn't know it to look at it now. This is the time to start putting them in the dark for Thanksgiving and Christmas blooms. I have never done this but maybe I'll try it this year. The blooms are so beautiful.

This has been doing well. It will hang in my bedroom which has South facing windows and lots of light and the room is the warmest in the house in Winter.

I'm supposed to be writing this post but I'm also watching The Victory Garden on television. I know that the shows are all repeats but I still enjoy any gardening show. It comes on every day with 2 episodes and also another garden show named Garden Smart. Today's topic on The Victory Garden was roses, and building your own green house.

So, there is so much to do: plant cuttings and bring inside, find room for them inside, maybe try pansies for Spring, clean the back yard and plant perennials I purchased a while back, plant garlic cloves, pull up Summer vegetables, plant the second window box, plant bulbs, buy more shop lights, bring in house plants off the porch after I spray them. This could go on and on. There never really is an end to gardening. 

How could I forget the pansies!