In the Woods

I ended up taking quite a few photos of the amazing root structure I saw while we were hiking in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I just think it is so amazing how they grow in and over and around each other.  They create such great foot holds for us while we are walking and had an enchanted forest kind of feel to them.  I could just picture a little fairy sitting on the moss.

There had been quite a wind storm.  It is amazing how the trees just twisted.  Look at the inside - wow!!

How amazing is this uprooted tree?  Maybe I've just been in the city too long, but I was really struck by all the beauty on our hike.

The moss was amazing too!!

I mean, how beautiful is nature!!  

I'm Back!!

Well, it has been a little while now hasn't it.  There's been a lot of travels and a lot of busy but now things are settling down, which always brings me back to plants.  Of course I took some photos of some plants and planters that caught my eye along the way :)

I love the lavender in Yakima!

 I thought this was a nice grouping at the entryway to Milbrandt's tasting room.

 The plantings had great texture.

 And color.

 This was a wonderful patio where we had breakfast.  

 The roses were beautiful!

It is nice to get out of the city and see what grows so amazingly in other areas of the country.

Inspiration

Inspiration is elusive these days.  I have a few posts started, but they are technical and boring.  I don't even want to read them.  We have a couple big events coming up and then hopefully I'll be able to get my hands in the dirt again.  Please let me know if you have any questions this spring.  Hopefully our frost free date has passed - hopefully :)  So get out there and get planting!

And Another One Bites the Dust

I had a maiden hair fern for a few years.  It always limped along.  It would start doing really well - seemingly out of no where and then, just as randomly, would start dying off.  Finally, I felt like I was doing well keeping it moist and it was again in a dying off cycle.  

So, I tossed it.  And I realize that I may have had some responsibility in the dying off.  I don't know how well you can tell, but it was pretty much living in mud.  

The number 1 killer of houseplants - OVERWATERING.  Yes, I do it too.  I just wanted my fern to do well.  I wanted it to finally grow big and beautiful, and I overwatered.  Some might say I over-loved :)

The best method for figuring out if your plants need water is to lift up the pot.  Potting soils these days are made of a lot of peat - which gets really light when it is dry.  Granted, wet soil is always going to be heavier, but I think the peat makes it even more pronounced.  So, pick your pot up when you know it has been nice and watered and feel how heavy it is.  Then, before you water again, pick it up and see how heavy it is.  If it still has some heft, wait a day or two and repeat the process.  It is amazing how long you can go sometimes without watering.  When I was working in the greenhouse, I did this with all of our gallon perennials, every day.  Even in a hot greenhouse, they could go several days in a row without being watered.

I know not every pot can be picked up, but once you start getting to know the watering cycles of the rest of your plants, you will start getting a feel for the big guys too.  If you see a little wilt, give it some water.  Most plants - now most, some will act like you are really trying to kill them - can handle some wilt.

Next post - Common Myths about houseplants.

It's amazing how I cant think of anything to write and then I get started and it just keeps rolling.

It never ends :)

I had to make a few adjustments, but I think it was all for the best.  The nice cactus planting I did, well the cats - that angelic twosome - really enjoyed digging in it.  The cactus was on the verge of tipping over and I constantly had sand on the floor.  I actually think I like the redo better

I also took apart the former pony tail palm planting.  It still had the hole in the middle - again thank you to the two sweethearts who reside in our apartment.

I think they look better in their smaller pots.  Speaker of smaller pots.  I've had a cute tea pot I bought awhile ago.  I finally found a use for it.

Last but not least, the ficus I finally trimmed up is doing so well!!  It has leaves and buds and looks happy.  So, I covered its feet and gave it a happy toad.  

Soon it will look like there is grass growing.  Yeah - grass :)  Some day I will have a garden, some day...  

Next on the list - I have some seeds to plant.  I'm going to see what I can grow inside.  I just have to figure out a way to do that and not let the empty looking pot attract kitty paws and angry looks from the hubby.

A Few New Things

I am going to start selling these things soon.  We are running out of room and I just can't stop playing in the dirt!  :)  Here is one I put together last weekend.

I had a couple streptocarpella stems that were starting to root so I added those, a little reindeer moss and a couple cool succulents.  I love how the one on the left looks like Medusa.  

You can't see it too well, but I put a layer of sand down to give some differentiation in color too.  

I also put a few plants in the bedroom.  I took this rabbit foot fern and added some different mosses to the base to make it look more interesting and to help keep it moist.

I am trying to keep more cut flowers in the house.  They make me happy.  These ranunculus are just beautiful and make me a little happier every day when I have to get up.  

I took a mason jar - I think it used to hold the yummy salsa my parents make - cut the stems pretty short and stuck them in.  It was perfect for my night stand.  Aren't they just beautiful!  One of my favorite flowers.  Jon keeps asking - can't you grow these?  I say, yes, if I had a backyard :)  Until then, thank you Whole Foods.

Bundles of evil

You know that really cool potting I did with the pony tail palm and the little plants under it.  Well, a couple little bundles of evil decided they really liked to eat the pony tail palm.  I was ok with it until I came home to puke on my comforter.  So, the pony tail palm had to move.  

It left a hole in my plant that I filled with a couple aloe starts my father in law gave me for Christmas.  I thought I had it fixed - until I came home and found this:

Hmm, it looks like maybe someone laid down in the middle to possible enjoy the sun.  While I appreciate the warmth of a sunny day -THAT'S MY PLANTER!!

Who do you think it was?

Angelic Samantha?

Or the ever sweet and polite Mia?

I'm going with Sam!  

Doesn't she just look guilty?  So, the aloe plants came out and I am looking for a nice cactus or something else prickly to stick in there instead.