Spring Peek into the Greenhouse

First Day of Spring. I moved 28 pots of Schlumbergeras out yesterday to my improvised urban stone patio. They aren't very attractive out of bloom but worth keeping around for next Winter's Thanksgiving and Christmas blossoms.

Pots of Rhapsalidopsis are still indoors. Only two have buds. Other succulents yet to move are Epiphyllums and Kalanchoes. 

Note the little open hole near the bottom? That's Mr. Kitty's space. He will complain later because I set a pot of rooted Echinacea right where he jumps up on the potting bench. It may be on the floor when I go back.

Bromeliads haven't moved yet. In the foreground is Agapanthus and Lemon grass. I plan to leave the Agapanthus in a pot, just to see. Frosts knock them back here; those in the parking lots at Sams in Tallahassee were nice and green when we were last there. That Graptopetalum at right has buds.

Ghost Plant with buds

Amaryllis seedlings.

Amaryllis seedlings in bud.

This may be Spartacus, or another Apple Blossom.

White Shrimp Plant

Pentas need planting out.

Butterflies are showing up now that Azaleas are starting to bloom.

Alternanthera, some rooted in water, some in soil.

A Month Behind on Bulbs

I'm not behind on bulbs to plant in the garden -- it's still warm here and those can wait. I am behind on forcing bulbs, despite having had an Amaryllis bloom in a pot already.

 

We went to the city yesterday and stopped at Lowe's because their selections are a little different from our local HD. I found a bag of 15 Hyacinths for ten dollars. The cardboard label showed 10 different hyacinth shades. I would bet from the bulbs I separated that their are no more than 3 different in this bag.

I always separate Hyacinth bulbs by color and plant like colors together. Even if they are different cultivars they will blend better that way, pinks and purples together, whites and yellows in another pot.

After I gave them a small drink of water I put the pots in plastic bags, labeled and put to chill in a dedicated refrigerator where no fruit is stored.

 I always put a future date so I don't have to count from the date I potted them. They need more than 7 weeks of chill but this will give me a target date for checking on them -- right after Christmas.

  

After I potted the Hyacinths, I went out and dug some Amaryllis bulbs crowded by this Kniphofia that bloomed a last blossom two weeks ago. There were 5 small bulbs and one full-sized.

Last April they looked like this:

I'll hope for bloom sometime after Christmas. The smaller bulbs can grow on in some fresh potting mix. 

While I was out there, I clipped some Alternanthera to root in water during winter. The mug has sentiment -- my brother bought it at a yard sale. My nephew mailed it to me after Bob's death, saying he knew it was meant for me.

Notice the cedar boards above? We had to improvise a way to make the boards stay in place after there was a minor disaster when He-Who pulled on a shelf when he climbed up to oil the exhaust fan motor.

Each center board now has two metal screws on each end, holding the metal frame to the board and securing the frame so that it does not bow out.

Moving everything to take the shelf unit down freed up space when the Schlumbergeras moved to the north wall. It will fill up fast. Even the colored lights had to be repositioned.

Yellow pots have gone into hiding as soon as the bottom shelf gets green plants in front of them. The back shelf of the potting bench has changed pots again (below). I like a line of white best, I think. 

There's a Schlumbergera in the center planning to be a Thanksgiving Cactus.

Best of February's Bloom Day

Blessed to have flowers for Valentine's of my own growing, and blooms for Bloom Day.

White Shrimp Plant -- really these are 

bracts, the tiny pink blooms come later.

Begonia semperflorens and some Alternanthera.

The Chartreuse Slternanthers has tiny blooms.

Begonias are about the easiest to grow and bloom.

White Kalanchoes got leggy. There's an Amaryllis

in bud. I will know its name when it blooms.

A wider peek at the greenhouse interior.

Purple Heart with Persian Shield behind it in the planter.

Amaryllis bud at upper left is Appleblossom. 

Bottom left is Birds Nest Fern

Persian Shield and its bloom. 

The blooms are on cuttings rooted in water.

Bromeliads above with Alyssum seedlings below.

Purple Alternanthera growing in the 

greenhouse floor is blooming behind a fern.

Last of White Pearl Hyacinths in a nest of Sedum.

Angel Wing Begonia

Blooms and Potential in the Greenhouse

Another peek into my greenhouse. Begonias are dependable for winter bloom, both B. semperflorens and the 'Angel Wing' cane kinds.

Above on the right is a seedling Cycad.just just visible behind the mug of Alternanthera cuttings in bloom.

At left is the only Agapanthus seedling to survive my care.

At right are white begonias with Spider Plants and Foxtail Fern. Purple Alternanthera is growing in the greenhouse floor.

Alyssum seedlings and ferns. The sword fern has yellow leaves from excessive light but the pot is full of little green crosiers, a haircut is in its future. The Bird's Nest Fern behind is faring okay. It got too big for its space in the house and moved out to the greenhouse where it acts happier.

 

Hyacinths. the purple bulbs bloom pink, the pale bulbs bloom white.

Alternanthera in a mug on the left and a pot of Burro Tail sedum, right.

Hyacinth companions this year are Sedum acre with white and Graptopetalum with pink.

I'm already planning next year's bulbs.

Pineapple Sage Salvia elegans cuttings rooted in a jar.

Behind it is a vase of Persian Shield Strobilanthes cuttings. 

Persian Shield and Purple Heart Setcreasea cuttings rooted in soil in a long container.

Rooting in soil is preferable for most things, I just tend to snip a few cuttings for a vase now and then.

If they root, they get to stay and find a pot later.

Mistletoe Cactus Rhipsalis on the top shelf, Seedling Parsley on the bottom.

Kalanchoes have buds and some are starting to open. All are white.

Last year I started to buy a red. Every little tip will root when pinched.

 Christmas lights are still up in front of the rooster.

Big pots of Epiphyllum oxypetalum are putting on new growth.

 Schlumbergeras almost done with hlooming, right on schedule. 

Reds bloomed for Thanksgiving and light colors bloomed for Christmas.

Year before last I bought this Staghorn fern Platycerium species in winter in a 2" pot. 

The big box stores sometimes have some tropical treasures in January and February. 

I'd like more Bromeliads, as if I need them. Orchids in the sunporch have bloom spikes.

It's cold here, but not like in the northern states or even in Atlanta. We expect a hard freeze on Monday and Tuesday after it rains again. It won't get cold enough for the rain to turn to snow or sleet, for which I am grateful to be that far south. When I opened the greenhouse door this morning after the sun warmed it, Ike the cat came through the narrow opening like a flash, seeking warmth.

Amaryllis and Alternanthera

A chill wind blows this morning but it isn't cold enough for a coat. Imagine this: in Canada,
Tootsie who hosts Friday's Fertilizer Flower Flaunt already has a foot of snow!

Alternanthera grew behind the bench and electrical panel all the way to the ceiling, a good thing when we needed shade on hot days. Now that cool weather approaches we need sunlight. I cut back the dark Alternanthera, already in bloom. We went from this:

to this:

I plan to add more grapevine to the swag over the top that hides the gutter that protects the electrical  from drips when it rains. Maybe I can put some Christmas lights on the grapevine.

Today's big excitement is an amaryllis bud about to open on one of the bulbs I despaired of seeing bloom when I thought they were diseased. Those red spots persisted but it's green underneath.

These are all pink.

I realized when I went to check on the Amaryllis bulbs from previous years that are drying off in the toolshed that I have forgotten when I was to bring them out and start watering again. My notes are kind of sketchy, but I believe that Nymph, the pretty pale double one, takes longer to bring into bloom, so I will start watering it maybe next week. Two of the bulbs still have some green leaves. They should be ready by Thanksgiving to get some new soil on top the pot and start watering again. 

Another look at the pink bud that is about to open.