Around the House

Not much longer until spring. Our fall and winter in my area has been mixed. Light on snow for which I'm happy. Snow is beautiful and I love it but not trying to get around in it, dig out the car, or shoveling. The first snow in Philly was in November and our biggest so far but still only a few inches. That's fine with me. Who knows what March will bring. Mean while in the house plants have multiplied over the winter and most actually doing well. Forced hyacinths did not do well this season. I forced them the same way as usual. Possible the bulbs. They seemed to shrink while forcing for some reason and maybe that was the cause. There's always autumn to try again and purchasing bulbs on line that may do better. 

Begonia seeds planted first have not yet germinated. Hopefully I didn't kill the seeds with too much moisture and heat. If they don't germinate I'll be sad but can start some more but maybe not with other seeds yet to start. Vinca was the first seed to germinate followed by coleus, petunia, and so far only 1 pelargonium seedling. Lets look at a little bit of what's growing in the house. Some I've shown before but the point is, that they're still alive and winter is almost over. I did good with my house plants this season.

Two trays of vinca. Not all have germinated.

The whole tray was sprinkled with fresh coleus seeds but one side germinated better than the other for some reason.

Petunia Seedlings

It was 50 degrees today but cool in the house. A good day for a fire.

Dracaena lemon lime. Okay, you know I've already killed one this winter from over watering. Couldn't leave her in the store because I don't see them often.

I bought lemon button fern after doing some research on which ferns might survive indoors. This was one that was recommended as doing well. It's not dead yet. Couldn't get another maiden hair fern. That would be sure death.

Ficus is still living but requires frequent watering and humidity. Addressed the humidity problem by and old remedy. Placed a pot of water on each radiator like my mother used to do to keep the house from being so dry in. I still may get a humidifier for next winter.

Coffee and diet soda. Yes I drank both. Coffee was delicious. Is it a table or plant stand!

Believe this is kangaroo fern..

ZZ plant moved from the table back to the book shelf.

Primrose in the kitchen window.

Jade was full when it came here. Now put in the kitchen window and it actually hasn't died from being too cool. I need to clean up the leaf litter on top of the soil. This won't be a plant I'll buy again although people say it's an easy plant to grow.

Lemon plant still surviving. Maybe it'll fill out in the summer when I put it on the porch.

Pothos about the same. Making new leaves and no yellowing or dried leave in a while.

Air plant in open terrarium from Michaels. Although not completely closed I was surprised that the walls were steamed up from humidity.

Dracena repotted.

Amaryllis gaining energy for the next time it blooms, hopefully. The others are dormant except one other. I have to give them more care because some of the bulbs weren't cheap and they should continue to bloom for years if given the right care.

Thought it was satin philodendron but may be satin pothos. She's sat on the mantel and did well since coming home. If she starts to not look well in the window back to the mantel for her.

Aglaonema pink dalmation. Moved from the plant light. Why did I have it there? They supposedly don't need lots of light but I've had 2 red ones and another pink one die in this same spot on the mantel. Send good wishes her way.

Neon pothos. Most of her died but saved this piece when I put her up under the plant light. This also requires more light.

Calathea Plant one of the more common types. She's only been in the house for 2 weeks and 1/2 of the plant has died. I moved her to hang on the plant shelf and she's done better. She also had white blooms. Kept my receipt to take it back but think I'll keep her.

Pearls and Jade pothos brought months ago. Half of the plant died so I moved it under the plant light and it's put on lots of new growth. The white variegation I guess will eventually fill in on the leaves. She likes more light than the green pothos and water at least in my house.

Dendrobium orchid bought discounted from Home Depot this winter. She's putting on new growth.

Panda plant (kalanchoe tomentosa) , a succulent. I love to feel the leaves.

She came in the black pot but outgrew it. Must like it here. Moved to a little bigger clay pot. Those are babies from her in the black pot.

Philodendron Micans

Ficus is still living and doing well. Every now and then she looses a leaf. I no longer stress about this.

My Valentines Day pothos to be hung in the bathroom when I get a anchor for the hook. Should have some already but couldn't find any today.

Pothos in the bedroom window. How many do you have? Now that I've learned their needs and don't kill them I have more. Who kills a pothos? Don't people say they're one of the easy house plants to have? Yes, if you know how to care for them. Yellow leaves have to be removed. I've lost 2 leaves the other the largest leaf on the plant. That's not bad. It's adjusted well so far.

In the bedroom also.

Phalaenopsis Orchid from Thanksgiving is doing well. The bloom stalks didn't die and new blooms are forming. I've never had this happen. Bothe stalks are completely green. I take it out of the cache pot once a week and let it soak in water, then drain, and put it back on the rack. It gets lots of indirect bright sun every morning from a north facing window.

ZZ plant has done well in the bathroom and has 4 new plant stalks coming up.

One of 2 African violets in the window. I have to take better care of them and maybe they'll bloom more frequently.

Crown of thorns is also in the window and blooms year round. There are 2 of them a foot tall. I'd like to add them to the same container when I get around to it.

Removed the Christmas wreath from the door the first day of February and will go in the trash on Tuesday once the ornaments and pine cones are taken off. Till next Christmas.

Crocus and iris on the porch. There the only bulbs that have their heads above the soil except one tulip bulb.

Time to put the corn away until autumn. I'll put the half eaten corn back outside for the squirrels. They'll enjoy this.

Half of the wood stack burned and bags of seed starting mix.

Finally I bagged up the pumpkins today from the porch. Would be nice if I composted. I'd love to put them in the yard for the squirrels but it would be a mess. I may put the larger one under my tree for them to eat until it becomes too messy and then throw the remains out. That's a plan. Hope your enjoying some living plants in your home this winter.

Seed Starting Dragon Wing Begonia

While sitting by the fire I'll start some seeds since some need a good 12 weeks. It's frigid outside but my area was lucky and we didn't get the predicted snow and icy conditions predicted. My pink dragon wing begonia seeds from Park Seeds arrived on Friday. I'll start them first since they take a good month to germinate. Then they're so tiny it take a good eye to see the seedling.  So I bought pelleted seeds.I'm going to use peat pellets and hope I don't regret it. Will use this tray for vinca maybe tomorrow. They take a while also to grow to maturity but they're hardy seedlings. Tonight I'll get the tray ready and allow warm water to absorb from the bottom.

Isn't there supposed to be a blood moon tonight. Taken with my cell phone from the bedroom window. Bad picture.

Expanded with warm water. I like to open the cells and mix up the peat some.

One pelleted dragon wing begonia seed each. Two packages of 20 seeds although I dropped a couple so there won't be 20.

Seeds should be pressed into the soil but not covered. They require light to germinate. I spritz each seed with water to soften the clay pelleted coating. Begonia seeds are tiny if not pelleted.

Onto the heat mat. The seed medium should be kept moist and not allowed to dry out.

Will have to move these to the bottom shelf after I remove seed starting supplies I store there. Another day.

Will allow the water to absorb from the bottom and cover till tomorrow when I'll sow more seeds. Done for tonight. I had to clean my trays today first. If reused they should be disinfected. I usually pot a little bleach in the water but today I didn't. Only used dish detergent and scrubbed well. Hopefully I have no problem with diseases.

Will start much later. Blacked eyed Susan vine, petunias, wallflower. Maybe I'll do the lemon begonia tomorrow. I've never sown wallflower and I believe it's biennial and doesn't bloom the first year. Maybe I'll just winter sow them.

Tomorrow I'll start coleus, geranium, and vinca. The white packages are from Swallowtail Seeds. What else am I starting later this season? Bush/container tomatoes, peppers, and cucumber. Black seeded Simpson lettuce (I've never grown it), freckles lettuce, and mesclun since I can start it indoors and eat the baby leaves. Basil which my daughter loves. I might try thyme again but had a difficult time with it before as well as rosemary which takes a long time to reach maturity. I'll probably buy starts of each when available. Chives in my yard are doing well so I don't need to start more. Foxgloves, Echinacea, and maybe some other perennials. And the season begins.

Blame It On The Snow

I could blame it on the snow due to arrive tonight. The more wintery it gets the more the plants woo me. But that wouldn't be true although this is the first time this winter I've really brought blooms for the house except for fresh cut flowers. The sweet smell of hyacinths and yellow primrose got the best of me today. Can't leave out the cyclamen. At Home Depot for plastic bags and there was a fresh shipment of houseplants. Since I've behaved almost, today I treated myself. I know you are also. Winter does that to some gardeners.

Another calathea to add to my other variety and a pothos for the bathroom. Cat grass for kitty. Although she was more interested in the house plants. Pothos is poisonous to cats so had to be careful. Who said cats like cat grass? I grew a pot last winter and my cat wasn't excited about it then or now. She'll come around.

Primrose for the kitchen window where it's cool since they don't like heat.

She'll sit besides me on the table at least for a day so I can smell the blooms. The yellows are usually scented and smell wonderful.

Cyclamen

The star at least for me. Either people love them or hate them. Me, I love them. It's the scent of spring time in December.

Took 2 of my forced hyacinths out of the basement last week. Patiently waiting. A mess of paperwhites still blooming and probably the final amaryllis on the table starting to open. I'll show it to you tomorrow if it opens.

Coleus, lettuce, begonia, vinca, and petunia seeds. My shipment arrived on Friday from Swallowtail Garden but I'm still waiting for begonias from Park Seeds. Begonias take a while to germinate and I want to get them started now. So while we get our little snow storm I'll try to start some seeds while I watch the Eagles game. Go Eagles.

You starting seeds yet?

Indoors

Why can't I go to the supermarket and buy lemons for my tea and leave? I went to a supermarket that always has beautiful houseplants with varieties you never see in the market like this ficus and the alocasia  Polly I unfortunately left. It wasn't there when I went back and I didn't expect it to be. So I got my lemons and drove home, got into lounging pants, redressed and returned and got my plants. Where would you get them for 4.99. They're one of the best colorful additions to the house this winter. Their place on the table next to the sofa where I sit so I can glance over at them. They're not perfect but there weren't root bound, nicely watered and cared for, with little blemishes. I'll give them an insecticidal soap spray tonight. I think it's variegated ficus Benjamina but could be wrong.

First hyacinths out of the basement.

Last bloom on Red Velvet Amaryllis.

I noticed a while ago after watering this plant for a few months and the soil settled that each plant is in a basket. Two other plants in the house are in similar baskets. They may have a purpose but they also cause problems. In the spring I'll remove them. For now moved to the kitchen window so seedlings can start occupying the plant shelf.

She has a bloom so I can't be doing too bad caring for her.

In the bedroom window. Bought her in Georgia while visiting my mother 5 years ago. She has grown a lot since this but started out with points sticking up. I have to take better care for her because you can't kill it but I'd like it to fill out and continue growing. Tried rotating the pot so each side gets sun but the left side has been a slow grower.

African violet. If I care for it better it would be in bloom with a little fertilizer maybe.

Christmas amaryllis is making progress in the window.

The aloe I separated and transplanted. From my mother's in Georgia when she passed. Can't kill it. Sits on the table above my turtle.

Gardening Season 2019

Now that winter's major holidays have come and gone my mind focuses a little more on the coming  garden season. The Philadelphia Flower Show in March, Mother's day at Longwood Garden, plant nurseries and the start of plants arriving at garden centers. An exaggerated list of arboretums and gardening classes that'll I'll probably not make it to. Of course I'll attend some. I'm sure the first shrub at my Home Depot will be arborvitae. The ones with red ribbons added for Christmas. The welcome unfurling of cherry blossoms, dogwoods, and magnolias, and forsythia. Crocus, snow drops, and hellebores, and other spring ephemerals. Today I cleared one shelf of my seed starting rack. Maybe tomorrow I'll get around to disinfecting it. Out sick from work for 2 days with a hospital visit. Slowly recovering. Think I'll order some seeds especially begonia which I wanted to start early but I still have enough time.