In mourning

So sad that I lost 2 Hoya's. The macgilliveri and the caudata today.  Hoya lauterbachii has been isolated in its own little greenhouse. Though I saw no infestation, I was noticing something happening on two leaves. Cleaned and sprayed before bagging.  I will un bag next month. All other plants are healthy and showing signs of spring. I have in flower at the present time, Psychopsis Kahlihi, Hoya lacunosa & Hoya bilobata.

Hoya Bilobata

I have this hanging in an East - Northeast window and its in heavy bud. One of my favorite Hoyas. This photo is from an earlier flowering. Though its in my kitchen, this plant has been kept fairly dry.

***January 2015 update***

  Due to an injury that had been life altering, I am unable to garden and it has been a hard thing to deal with. My husband had been caring for the yard since and his passion for Rose of Sharon seedlings that have migrated from my neighbors yard has pretty much proliferated.  I have trimmed down my houseplant collection considerably. I will still do small houseplant trades or root a few cuttings if getting a trade for a desired Hoya or plant on my desired list. Email me. I am no longer active in gardening forums or perennial plant trades due to chronic pain. 

Someone had requested a cutting of Nematanthus Black Magic sometime ago and I still have it and it is very well rooted. Please contact me again so I can get it to you. 

All my carnivorous plants are wintering out of door this year and hopefully  I dont loose one. Last year I wintered over the carnivorous in the fridge with great success.
***Lost rhem all, wicked long winter was too much for them all***
I will still keep this blog and add plant information and great photos, etc.....

Hoya curtisii in bud!

 I am so excited to see several panicles on Hoya curtisii with tiny swelling buds! I grow my Hoya in a rather large hanging basket that I summered outdoors last year. It received late afternoon sun which turned the leaves a deep gorgeous bronze.  

Finally! A flowering Hoya in my house!

 Hoya lacunosa is a very easy to care for plant. They can grow in shade but in order to flower Hoyas need very bright indirect light. Light and frequent feedings are key, Hoyas enjoy a higher phosphorous fertilizer over a basic fertilizer. Household humidity between 40% - 60% is ideal for flowering.

4/14/14: Just noticed 6 panicles! The flowering continues!

Cactus Seed Sown

I had sown 2 packs of Cactus seed on my favorite planting mix. The seed was the Ferry Morse mix which contains Saguaro, Hedgehog, Fishhook, Barrel, Dollar, Prickly Pear, Desert Prickly Pear, Christmas Cholla, Cane Cholla, Santa Rita Pear & Cardo'n.
3/9 : Most of these seeds have germinated. The seeds on the lighted stand are robust and looks like all or most have germinated. The few seeds I have sown that are on the window sill are germinating and growing at a slower rate. Today I sowed Stenocactus seed mix. I never tried growing brain cactus prior so if these germinate, it will be fun seeing what I get.

Sowing Sarracenia seeds

Well I have two packets of Sarracenia seed crosses I am looking forward to germinating and growing.
Today is a great day for that so I am going to make it happen within the next hour. The crosses are:
Night Sky x Doreen's Colossus  and the other is  Red Bug x Candy Stripe . The seeds will be stratified in the refrigerator for a month. I will then pot up and place on the lighted stand awaiting for germination. I look forward to my raised bog garden. Though I am now cursed with chronic back pain and I can no longer have the large bog garden I was wanting, I will adapt and conquer!
3/9: Later than I wanted to sow these but I had just potted up the seeds in a sand/peat mixture. I sealed up the pots in ziploc baggies with a small amount of carbon dioxide and placed on the lighted stand in my studio.
4/5: I noticed  germination starting!
4/14: More of both crosses germinated and are growing. Hoping they live!

Overwintering Sarracenias

I have a choice...overwinter outside giving some minimal protection from occasional bitter winds, snow blanket and/or ice encasement, or to cut, clean, treat with fungicide and store in the fridge till end of February / beginning of March. What to do?????
Gotta love New England, our weather is erratic to say the least. One day you could be outside in a tee shirt, 2 days later shoveling snow, a week later back out in a tee shirt. One week after that an ice storm or a Noreaster,
I will decide over the next few days and treat the 3 Sarracenias that share my porch a little rest.
I am looking to do a raised bog garden of various carnivorous next year. Since I am now physically limited I might have to reduce this bog garden to a round tub on my porch.
Once I decide I will photograph and include as much information on overwintering Sarracenias I can provide. Of course there will be video links and fungicide options.
12/08/13.....I moved 3 frozen blocks of ice containing my beloved Sarracenia to the side of the house in a more sheltered location.

01/18/14..... Weeks ago I moved the potted Sarracenias to the fridge after a warm snap, the blocks of ice melted quickly in 60 degree weather. They have been left in pot, cut back and placed in basement fridge.  The newest carnivores which I purchased in Dec. are chilling bareroot in the fridge and doing fine. Will be potting up in a month.

Adenium obesum care & propagation information

Article I am writing is to come..
I had a gorgeous NOID dark red Desert Rose that I gave to an author friend and fellow plant junkie. I did regret it and wanted to grow another. I picked up a NOID seedling this summer. While researching online, I noticed some amazing grexes that I wish I had the space to grow. I can squeeze maybe one or two into a lighted stand my art studio. I have a passion for very dark flowers so I have narrowed down my long list of desired varieties.

Hemmercallis hybrids

Though I sold most of my collection 3 years ago.  I still have many Daylilies. Due to an injury, I am only able to photograph when it comes to my garden. My husband has been awesome this year by weeding my garden regularly. I will try to get the rest of the Hemerocallis  photographed. Ive got about 30 varieties left. I had well over 80.

 

 

H. Mandarin Dragon

H. Jamaican Midnight

H. Sparkling Orange

H. Smith Brothers

H. Nebuchadnezzers Furnace

Odontocidium Tiger Crow



Odontocidium Tiger Crow 

(Tiger Hambubren x Crowborough) 

 

This awesome orchid is in full  bloom with another large spike budding. The beautiful flowers are sweetly fragrant. One of my favorites! Some of my Hoyas are hanging around in the background. This window has a N E /East exposure. Still waiting for these Hoyas to bloom!

Hemmerocallis Smith Brothers - Black Daylily!

5" bloom, 30" tall, Mid Season + rebloom, Dormant

I've grown this Daylily for a few years now and is definitely one of my favorites. It is grow in very light shade.



Psychopsis Kahlihi in full glory

Finally fully opened

Nematanthus 'Black Magic'

Botanical name: Nematanthus 'Black Magic'

Common names: Goldfish plant 'Black Magic', Guppy plant 'Black Magic'

About the Cultivar: 'Black Magic' _ 'Black Magic' is a trailing to scadent, tender, evergreen subshrub with elliptic fleshy, glossy, dark green leaves, marked brown/purple beneath, and tubular, pouched, orange flowers with yellow mouths, (candy corn)  borne primarily in summer but may occur throughout the year.

Like most Gesneriads, this plant is very easy to care for. I keep mine on an N E / East exposure window. Water weekly and feed very lightely monthly. This is the actual 'Black Magic' and not a mislabeled plant, I got it from the hybridizer. Ive grown this plant for many years and its one of my favorites, Roots easily from stem cuttings.

Grow stand in my studio

Monnierara Millenium Magic 'Witchcraft' AM/AOS

The care for these orchids are different than that of most orchids. At the bottom of this post is a link to AOS Culture Sheet. The flowers are all fully opened today, just in time for Halloween. Last evening only 2 flowers opened. Happened quick and the flowers have a sweet fragrance. It is a little difficult to pinpoint how to describe when I have a very large Odontocidium Tiger Crow in flower same room, sweet and fragrant!

American Orchid Society: Catasetum Culture Sheet

Hoya publicalyx 'Royal Hawaiian Purple'

 

Hoya publicalyx will always be one of my favorite plants. I love this grex for the foliage, the flowers are an amazing plus. The leaves have silver and pink flecks and with proper light, purple / red on the leaves. This grex is also known as 'Chimera'.  The flower clusters are pretty cool too, they can range from black to dark pink with some blooms having mixed colors on one cluster. This plant is very easy to grow indoors as well. Keep plant on dry side.

Notocactus magnificus (Balloon Cactus)

Notocactus magnificus is a native of southern Brazil and nearby Uruguay, is in danger of extinction in the wild. Fortunetely this plant is easily grown from seed. 

The genus Notocactus has now been moved into Parodia.  Parodia magnifica is the currently accepted scientific name. The common name, balloon cactus, is a pretty accurate description, as the plant is globular and can shrink and expand in volume. As the plant grows, it frequently offsets.

The color is dark green to blue green. The golden spines are distributed along the edge of each rib. As the plants ages, the aureoles seem to merge together. The flowers are a bright yellow color and borne at the apex, either singly or in groups. Flowering occurs in summer through early fall.

Variegated String of Hearts with first flower

Ceropegia woodii variegata is an Asclepiad, native to South Africa. A small succulent vine growing from tuberous base,  heart shaped paired leaves. The leaves are thick and colorful, marbled in pink, white, silvery gray and green.

The small tubers that form on the stems are to store water and can be used to start new plants.

Ceropegia woodii variegate is best in hanging baskets/pots , so stems may trail over the sides..

There is an earlier post showing the beauty of the foliage.

Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana starting to flower

.Commomnly known as  the rabbits foot plant, Maranta are easy to grow houseplants. This clump grower flowers in early summer with insignificant small white flowers. This plant needs moist well drained soil and bright filtered light. Very easy to propagate whether by seed or cuttings.