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!

A Last Look in the Greenhouse, 2012

This will be the last peek into the greenhouse for 2012. Christmas flowers turned out differently than I had envisioned.

'Nymph' Amaryllis still has not bloomed, so it moved into the house to see if consistently warmer temps will encourage it. It has a second fat bud trying to catch the tardy one. 'Benfica' which bloomed so magnificently is fading as a second scape rushes to fill in.

Bird of Paradise foliage and fern underplanted gives the

tropical look that I love. Schlumbergera on the back wall

are fading fast. Last to bloom was a peach color, which

we'll see in a moment.

Freezing temps last night and predicted for

tonight sent my seedling veggies inside.

Spinach, carrots and lettuces.

 

Sweet William seedlings will go outside soon. The awkward

cuttings are Brugmansias and behind them, small

cuttings of Gardenias for a hedge when summer

arrives. They grow fast once planted out.

Under the bench is a huge Epiphyllum oxypetalum

peeking out. They have to be tucked somewhere

for winter protection and don't seem to mind where.

Graptophyllum and Rusellia make good companions.

The Firecracker Fern has bloomed since I brought it in.

Pentas cuttings and more Epiphyllums are behind.

 

Pineapple Sage adds more red blooms. Red is

the January color in here until hyacinths

bloom in blue and peach.

If you look closely you can see a green tomato.

Container vegetables are new this winter in

the greenhouse.

 

The last Christmas Cactus to bloom and buds

remain. We had blossoms in pink, scarlet,

white, yellow and peach.

 

I bought this Staghorn in a tiny pot last January.

More red: a Begonia that seeded itself into the floor last fall. I dug it

and planted in a pot. Surrounded by Bromeliads, it seems happy.

Viola seedlings I potted up seem happy, too in a turquoise strawberry pot.

 

I had hope for at least green leaves for Christmas

if not blooming hyacinths. They finally have

green tips. My new Tillandsia arches above.

 

A last look at the seedling Begonia and some Bromeliads.

 

 

I want to have a seating area and a tea table and more accoutrements to make my greenhouse look like those on Pinterest that are so pretty and interesting. Somehow bits of cuttings and little seedlings and emerging bulbs just take up all the room.

 

The cat demands his space and the dog really needs room to turn around to leave rather than backing out like she did today when seedling containers temporarily blocked the path. Nights will be above freezing after tonight and we can clear the path. When heaters are not needed at night, I can move them out of the way as well.

 

Tonight's low is predicted 32 degrees F. The next few nights will be above freezing. On freezing nights I have 2 electric heaters set on low.

 

 

Happy New Year from the Greenhouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ike Gives a Tour of his Domain

Come right in, Ike give tour.

These plants grow good, Ike give them attention.

Rogue petunia come up in Violas, not Ike fault.

First of planted trays fall upside on floor, not Ike fault, either. Dog!

 

Meowm puts fragile plants in heavy crockery. Ike no tip over cache pots.

Amaryllis have big bud.

 

Ike have runway to back on shelf behind this staging.

Firecracker fern and Graptopetalum good companions.

Ike not know why Ghost Plant leaves fall off so easily.

 

 

 

Peeper frog hide in Bromeliad. Ike stalk anoles.

Anoles, frogs and toads help with pest control.

Ike keep mousez away, also squirrelz.

 

      Ike lie on bottom shelf of wicker stand.

Ike love bed, best seat in greenhouse.

 

      

Heliconia blossom.

 

Christmas cactus have budz;

if Ike break stem, root more plants.

See below in little blue pot top left.

Ike not worry, every piece root.

 

 

Meowm buy bromeliad for 2 bucks, in tiny green pot.

Now happy in big pot.

 

Bromeliad have babies growing already.

 

 

Ike love on Epiphyllums, make grow.

Step on rooting cuttings, get scold.

 

Bromeliad and Christmas cactus.

You come back, see Ike plantz grow.

Ike love attention.

 

 

Plants Coming in out of the Cold

Tender plants are migrating to the greenhouse, a few at a time. They need to acclimate before there's a sharp drop in temperatures. Our nighttime temps are still in the 50s but that can change at any time.

Today I brought in the Bromeliads, 5 Neoregelia pups from a single plant now dying and the same old Vriesea that the cat shredded some of the leaves. They've been in shade. Maybe brighter light will make the Neoregelias a brighter color.

I tucked my Heliconia that has taken on new life into the corner on an old metal stool with airplane plants in front ot it. The newly cleaned fountain came to life surrounded by gingers, ferns, calla lily plants and Persian Shield cuttings. Water adds a pleasant sound.

Room for tomatoes, eggplants and peppers is going to be at a premium. The broken pot with sedum acre and graptopetalum went out by Ike's porch with a flat of graptopetalum on the opposite side. All these plants are cold hardy here except the althernanthera.

Epiphyllums came in and are sharing space with Ike the Cat. One I shoved into one of the new shelf units, to see if it can spend the winter there. I'm learning that the worst old yellow leaves will take a new life in a pot of fresh soil. This one may turn into a mother plant, come spring.

Syngoniums are in, one tucked under a table. Angel-wing begonia joined them after it was repotted. The syngoniums may need more light but they seemed happy under the cedar tree with a little late evening sun.


I'm trying to plan for a spot for every hyacinth and three amaryllis to sit for best display. Might just set their pots around, label and wait. The only plant left to come inside for sure is my Christmas cactus. I'm trying to wait for it to put on buds before I bring it in.

The cuttings from my Christmas cactus are in a grapevine ball with one of the bromeliads on top. The cuttings from Miss Winnie are all in 3" pots for now and look good. There are 6 of them and four extra rooted pieces.

The Firecracker fern looks good. The main plant is still blooming. The broken pieces are rooted but dropped all the blooms -- looks as if there may be seeds on there.

I picked little green worms off the rooted Pentas cuttings. Yes, I know, caterpillars. Moths, actually. I am battling moth larvae and white fly. Soap solution for white fly works for me.

Mercifully so far white fly has skipped the 8 rooted gardenias. Anoles and toads are doing their best to keep up with pest control. Anoles have to keep an eye out for Ike, who is watching them.


I'll be Flaunting these Flowers on Fertilizer Friday up at Tootsie Time.

August in the Greenhouse

This is the first year that we have left the greenhouse intact and some plants have remained inside. Most went out to be planted or are summering in the 'secret garden' under a big juniper tree.

Vegetables have rotated in and out. Tomatoes actually ripened in the greenhouse.

White lantana cuttings rooted, Gerbera seedlings bumped up to a bigger

pot. The little plant sitting on an upended pot is a pink rose cutting.

It has a another bud and has already bloomed once.

Eggplants are my fav to grow. They're not quite as watering-sensitive as tomatoes.

Amaryllis and daylilies from seed. Wider leaves

are hippeastrum.

Miss Winnie brought me a half dozen

cuttings. I pinched some little pieces 

to make even more plants, in the yellow tray.

All are Christmas Cacti except for one Easter.

I cut and rolled grapevine to start balls for Rainforest Drops.

Steve Asbell puts Tillandsias and Rhipsalis in his.

I plan to use Christmas Cacti and Resurrection fern,

mainly because that is what I've plenty.

Schlumbergia cuttings and fern

I think this Epiphyllum will quickly be too big for

a Rainforest Drop. They get heavy. I think the

Bromeliad behind it will be heavy, too.

All these will go back inside before frost.

Tiptoe to the Tulips

I can hardly wait for tulips to bloom, first in three years I've tried.

I moved them outside because it gets so warm in the greenhouse.

At night I move the tulips inside again because of the squirrels.

Baby Buffy ate the last tulips I planted. She's better behaved now.

Kalanchoe in almost full bloom. I rooted 2 pieces that broke off.

The blue hyacinths are done. I planted them in the garden, along with all

some were planted in stones and water or pinch-waist glasses of water.

These did equally well in water and stones as those in soil.

Next year I plan to plant all in soil so they are in better shape to

go in the garden once blooms fade.

Lantana montevidensis cuttings for planting out early.

Three little pieces broke off my Epiphyllum. They rooted easily

and have new growth already. The piece in the center was very

yellow. I almost threw it away. Once it rooted, it greened up.

Pink Hyacinths are blooming in the garden as well, along with

some Blue Delft. Some are barely out of the ground. Hyacinths

have a long season if you use several cultivars.

Flaunting my Flowers this Friday. Check with Tootsie to see what else is blooming around the world this Fertilizer Friday.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in cool, humid Southwest Georgia.