It is raining again for the third day in a row. The gardens are much too wet to be in them. Everything is green and thriving, including the weeds.
I use cardboard as a weedblock under mulch. I prep it by removing all tape and labels. Then I season it in the rain so that it is less stiff and more rough to adhere to the soil below and mulch above, especially on hills. This cardboard block lasts a year or more before it decays.
I also have various containers to catch rain for house plants and potted plants. I cover these to keep out oak chains, leaves or curious lizards.
My friend Madge, The Fairy, gave me my plant years ago. Since then I have shared plants with others. I have read about several ways to root cuttings. Last fall I tried several methods and all were successful. The new way was just cut pieces and stick them in water. I do this with other plants but usually harden off cacti and succulents and then stick them in quick draining soil. There are warnings about some cuttings rotting in water.
Here is proof that Cereus pieces root instead of rot if places in water.
Now I potted the pieces and will let them adjust to being semi-dry.
FLOWER does not always believe what others tell her.
I was working outside on this cool and overcast day when I had an epiphany that required sharing. There are two “family plants” in my safe-keeping. The first is a pink peony we call ‘ The Pearson Peony’ and another house plant we call ‘ The Gran Plant’ which is a Christmas Candle plant/ Euphorbia tithymaloides.
I am anxious about keeping these alive to share with family. I had trimmed my Gran Plant down last fall to share with an Aunt Gail and cousin, Jamie. These two new plants are already leggy, so I cut them back again.
Candle Candle cuttings
This is what caused the epiphany. My Gran always kept cuttings of this plant in a squatty green wine bottle. I thought she was rooting it to share. Now , thirty years after her death I realize that she was not cutting it to share her Euphorbia, she was cutting it to shape it.
Wow! FLOW is slow.
I would like to add that this Christmas Candle plant is also called Devi’s Backbone and Red Bird plant because of its red flowers…which I have NEVER seen. Help me out plant people. What else am I doing wrong?
SLOW FLOW needs to know.
P.S. Gail and Jamie. Its sap is poisonous to dogs.
May is Amaryllis time here. I will share many of these throughout the month, but none will be more quietly gorgeous than ‘Moonscene.’
This is the flower of dreams. Perfect shape and luster. Lovely coloration and patterns. I have been stalking its stalks for weeks. Watering and staking and waiting to see those lovely faces.
I must admit that I have referred to many of my Amaryllis/Hippeastrum varieties as the “clowns of the garden.” I am ashamed of this harsh judgement. They cannot help being over-hybridized. They have been manipulated genetically to be big and showy. This is their purpose as a holiday flower in the fray of holiday decor. (Stay tuned for those.)
However, when these specimen are transferred to outdoor gardens they seem comical and out of place. They must be placed properly so as not to clash with the other plants. My favorite grouping is by a pond surrounded by ferns.
If you want an Amaryllis that stands out without flash and clash. I do hope you can find yourself a ‘Moonscene’ to add interest and beauty.
We tried to keep all the truly special items from our parent’s home place. The perfectly wonderful house on Enwood Drive in Charlotte is still on the market and showing several times each week. We must sell it to pay for our Mama’s care, but I still have trouble believing it will not be our ‘home’ anymore. No price is high enough for me. I am a big baby about change.
I brought my Daddy’s wind spinners to my house. We have a lot of wind here on the water. Seeing these dynamic pieces of yard art spinning around makes me smile.
The yellow plane does not make any noise. Daddy wanted me to paint this red and yellow to be like his old Piper Cub. Someday, I will get around to it.
The Windmill also needs a new paint job. That will have to wait until gardening season is over. It creaks as it whirls. Maybe it will deter some deer.
The one that did get a new coat of colors was the bicycle.
Seeing it flying in the wind always makes me smile. I gave this to Daddy years ago. It was red. but I painted it bluebird blue because that is Daddy’s favorite color. Daddy thanked me for this bicycle over and over again. I can still hear him adding to the end of a conversation…”and thank you again for my bicycle.”
Its wheels spin so fast the spokes are a blur. It makes a whizzing sound. I really miss my precious Daddy!
I have worried over this Ground Orchid plant for several years. It seems happy in this spot, but I fear it will be crowded by its neighbors. I have dug up some surrounding plants and moved them, but the little Bletilla cannot keep up with the fast growth of others.
I have finally decided to put part of it in a pot for safekeeping. That way I can move it around to see if it will grow faster with a bit more sun. Also its tiny, complex blooms deserve close inspection, which is not easy when it is a low-grower.
I have found that I relax more when I have at least two or three of my favorite plants, so I won’t fret about losing that variety altogether.
Now that this purple Bletilla striata is safe and divided, I can move on and obsess about another plant. A special Amaryllis perhaps?
Any Epiphyllum gets my undivided attention while blooming.
This red Epiphyllum oxypetallum is blooming on only one side because I hung it at a window over the winter and forgot to turn it. Look away and you will pay.
I hope the other stems will be inspired to bloom now that it is hanging in the sunshine.
I use two hooks to hang these so they are easier for me to water. This makes for a lively display on windy days. It can be a bit dangerous trying to water them in wind since these have small spines.
floweralley 