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