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 I am no longer active in gardening forums or perennial plant trades due to chronic pain.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.