Busy Work: Pots and Pups

Hot weather has arrived. It's a hundred degrees in the greenhouse in late afternoon despite an exhaust fan and a  mister. Most things are outside with more to follow. I know that alternanthera can survive these temps, the purple lives in the ground year round, climbing to the rafters.

Pots were rearranged by color. Some yellow pots with purple heart seem not to mind the heat and are directly under a mist valve.

 Nothing growing is up high. If you notice empty mugs, they are for rooting cuttings in winter. I used to use them for forcing a single hyacinth bulb before I gave up bulbs in water.

The elephant mug turned up when I was looking for something else. The greenhouse becomes a place to display empty containers and seek shelter on a rainy day.

Blues and greens are summering where jungle cacti spend the winter. A couple of blooming Rhipsalidopsis cuttings moved to the shade quickly after I took this pic. When I moved them I accidentally broke off another little piece on a bigger pot which now has its own little rooting pot. 

The more plants I root, the more turn up This container of Purple Heart and Persian Shield could be put in the ground, or not. I may just pull out the Strobilanthes and let the Purple Heart grow long hanging stems for winter display. Persian Shield can always find a good spot with something brighter. I planted a rooted one this afternoon, and some pineapple sage and 6 White Shrimp cuttings that were spectacular bloomers indoors, now looking leggy and sad but they'll put out new growth and I hope they bloom again in fall. Frost will take them out. Some Shrimps outdoors have put out new growth. A few choice clumps did not return. I think all the red Shrimps have new growth. 

Remember when I told the Outlaw Gardener that he was wise not to buy a Bromeliad on sale cheap that looked like this? These have new pups. I thought they die after one set of pups -- not so. 

Neoregelia pups around a sad looking Mother plant.

This half-dozen were all pups once. They may be relegated to the infamous back side of the greenhouse because this spot gets late afternoon hot sun.

It's the time of year when the greenhouse becomes mostly a storage spot for empty pots and a refuge on a rainy day. Maybe I can find a suitable chair or two.

Too Old for Easter Eggs, I Collect Flower Pots

Now that Epis and Begonias have evacuated the greenhouse, there is room but is there ROOM? I set some plants out on Ike's little porch: parsley, a trio of Porterweed seedlings and some chartreuse Alternanthera.

The rainbow of pots is a temporary notion. Schlumbergeras to the right must move outside soon into a shadier location where they thrived last summer.

Purple Heart Cuttings -- can there be too many?

There's no sign of regrowth on White Shrimp in the garden.

Glad I have these few.

My old Bromeliads are dying. Half a dozen pups are potted up separately. They need brighter light to turn pink. I took out the Neoregelia in the top of the grapevine ball. It never flourished in that medium, nor did the Schlumbergeras which seem to prefer a pot of soil of their own..  Pineapple sages in tin cans are ready to plant out. I found one plant from last year with new growth.

Firecracker finally blooming.

This pitiful piece of Persian Shield dried up and died but it still bloomed.

So why did I leave the Christmas lights up? It was a real effort for an old woman to climb up there and get them in place. I decided to just leave them. They look swell at night even when it isn't Christmas. FYI, climbing up isn't a big deal. Getting back down takes coordination.

It's all fun but I do have to stop unnecessary climbing..