Peek into the Greenhouse at Mostly White Flowers

White flowers in the greenhouse, as close to thoughts of snow as I care to go. When I ordered Hyacinths, this year's choices are white and pink. I gave away most of the pink in single pots, a few are left. 

White hyacinths in the broken pot container with Graptopetalum.

To the right as you come in the door, Single pots of Hyacinths

have mostly cleared, White Pearl Hyacinths in pots of 4

remain. There's no particular reason that Burro's Tail Sedums

hand out with them except maybe for the light.

White Kalanchoes are blooming at left. I am not happy about 

their tall lanky look. Young cuttings in a pot look much better so 

plans for the summer are shorter cuttings later in the season.

Five White Pearl in a bonsai container with 

Sedum acre. One has a double bloom forming.

View from a stool where I stand to water plants on high shelves.

To the left as you come in the door are mostly bromeliads and other exotics.

Top shelf includes Alternanthera cuttings in both water and

soil, a couple of Begonias and the nearest of the Epiphyllums.

Pink Pearl at top of Broken Container Garden. 

Pots of White Pearl. 

Next year's plan is for Hyacinths in Purple shades. Claus Dalby featured Woodstock Hyacinths in his blog today. I hope I remember when it is time to order bulbs in late summer.

It's wonderful to have a greenhouse. I used to grow Hyacinths in the barely heated laundry room, kept the Epiphyllums there with rooted cuttings through the winter. I trundled early spring seeds in and out of the tool shed on an old kitchen trolley that I still use in the greenhouse. I'm growing orchids in an east window indoors -- one has buds . An Amaryllis hanging out with the orchids has two fat buds.

Tip for Greenhouse growers: I mentioned before that I use two small inexpensive electric heaters in a 10 x 12' greenhouse set on Low. I got the bright idea that setting five one-gallon milk jugs filled with water about 30 inches in front of the heaters might help mediate the heat process. I keep 10 gallons of water in there for hand watering and rarely use a hose. I can't say if it is my imagination or it really works, but I think the temperatures are staying up better since I started the water jugs idea.

Tonight is predicted 23ºF for the second time this year. 

Flaunting my Flowers at Tootsie Time.

Broken Pot Planter Revised

Broken pot planter when pot laid on its side.

Later when the succulents bloomed, outside.

Today I noticed that most people make their broken pot garden with the pot sitting upright. I took out the little pot of black pebbles that was just holding a place and the smaller broken pot that was holding the front in of the soil in place and turned it right side up.

In the greenhouse, I took the bulb that never made roots out of a 6" pot of white hyacinths and tucked that pot into the bottom of the broken pot. Near the top I removed a pink hyacinth that was pushing itself out of its pot and tucked it into the space there, filling in with soil. Some Graptopetalum that was in the pot with the pink hyacinth filled in other spaces and I broke a big Graptopetalum rosette off somewhere else to place beside the hyacinth. Any empty spaces got soil or pebbles to fill in, and pieces of succulents.

After the next freeze is over, the pot goes back outside where it was before.

When the hyacinths finish blooming, maybe I'll put in a Burro tail Sedum at the top and buy some interesting succulent for the bottom 6" pot.

What interesting succulent would you suggest?

LIghts, Camera, not much Action

Temperatures today returned to warm for January. It rained more than a half inch. I spent some time in the greenhouse checking plants for problems. My parlor palm had ugly brown spots on some leaves and stems. I pruned out the uglies and repotted the rootbound palm to see if it makes a new start. Otherwise to the dump.

I love the Mardi Gras look of the Christmas lights, so they are staying for now.

Most of the Christmas Cactuses have finished blooming. I pinched off dead blossoms.

Next to bloom will be Kalanchoes on the back of the potting bench.

Broad view from the door. Epiphyllums take up much of the whole north side.

Hyacinths for forcing are starting to show a few buds. 

They're planted with Graptopetalum and Sedum Acre.

Under the bench are white begonias, big begonia near right.

I rotated pots where hyacinths were stretching toward the light.

The repotted palm is on the left behind the Epi with some Bromeliads.

The little red blooms in the white pot are a begonia.

I set some seedlings out in the rain for a short time, and two ferns. 

There are a number of things I look forward to including an Amaryllis with a fat bud and more coming.

Heaters are unplugged for now. By midweek we'll expect another freeze but maybe a mild one.

There are two daffodils blooming outside!

Bloom Day in the Greenhouse April 2013

 

Spring is really here! There are still plants to set out and plans to make.

 

Pentas

I ended up with 3 dozen cuttings at the end.

Graptopetalum and Sedum acre in a broken pot arrangement.

Neoregelia Bromeliad and pink Begonias

Fibrous rooted Begonia cuttings

 



I keep reading that Impatiens have fallen to a fatal fungus. I learned years back that in this hot climate, impatiens were going to demand oceans of twice-daily watering or they would faint and fall over. Wax-leaf begonias are a tough substitute.

Angel Wing Begonia

Cane Begonias are also easily rooted. I'm going to try planting some outside in the garden.

The Easter Cactus is a bit late. These are the first blooms open and more buds coming. What looks like snow on the Arrowhead vine is sawdust from a carpenter bee, making a nest under the bench.

Orchids are not really in the greenhouse. They prefer the climate in the house.

Orchids are not as finicky as I used to think and the blooms last for months!

 

Happy Bloom Day.

 

 

 

Bloom Day the Meme -- join at May Dreams Gardens with your host Carol.

Please remember to leave her a message.

Runners-Up in the Bloom Day Contest

It's hard to leave off some of April's Blooms when writing a post for Bloom Day. So many pretties, so little time for readers to go down the entire list before rushing on to the next glorious photos on another blog. I tried to show some of the more uncommon plants in my garden on the fifteenth while passing over some beauties. "I'll give you a whole post of your own later," I promised some while reminding the roses that they get shown off all the time.

One of two kinds of Larkspur, show with a poppy.

This one is more double, blossoms reminiscent of delphinium.

Single Larkspur with little bunny heads in the blossom if you look carefully.

TAMU calls this one Consolida ambigua 'Bunny Bloom'

Laura Bush Petunias and Sedum acre

Pentas cuttings are just getting started.

A few of last year's have new growth.

Verbena on a Stick and the first Corn Poppy.

Gerbera. Note the hole in the leaf; hail did that.

Poppies failed to make the cut because most of the petals have fallen,

leaving lots of decorative seed pods.

Sweet William seedling.

First blossom on White Dawn rose climbing on a rough cedar post.

My Original Bloom Day post is here: Sparkleberry and White Shrimp .