Bloom Day January 2011-Hedgehog Aloe and Bulbs!

Hedgehog Aloe Bloom

Ever see a hedgehog aloe (Aloe humilis 'Hedgehog') bloom? Me neither but I think it is pretty cool; especially since blooms are fairly nonexistent here in my home and garden in January. You might be like me and wonder what the heck is a hedgehog aloe? I asked myself the same question last March when I came upon some great specimens at the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show. The price was right so a pot came home with me that very day. The aloe was easy to divide so some snippets of my plant went home with my companions-shhh-it's a secret-save money by buying a big plant then sharing with your friends.

The aloe spent the summer outside receiving little to no attention from me. What a trooper it was in the full sun and dry conditions we experienced last summer. As the weather cooled I brought the aloe inside and set it on a plant stand in my living room. Walking by it one day I noticed a few stalks. Huh? What is that I thought? It took a few months but finally the bloom has shown itself. I won't go so far as to say the bloom is pretty but I do love the color. 

I also have some paperwhites blooming in the kitchen. These are splendid bulbs for growing inside the house and I so enjoy the smell, though the Jimster states they smell like cat pee. I don't see where he gets this idea at all.

From In the Garden

From In the Garden

Lastly I have some hyacinths that are very close to blooming. I purchased both the paperwhites and hyacinths as mark down bulbs at the end of the season. I had the hyacinth forcing vases left over from last year (purchased from Rural King in a kit for a mere $1 per!) The hyacinths are doing fabulously and will soon begin perfuming my computer room. I really enjoy any blooms inside the house this time of the year when it is so drab outside.

 
There isn't much else blooming inside the house and nothing is blooming outside. I am surprised there is nothing blooming outside because by this time last year the mahonia was blooming. It is nowhere close this year. The greenhouse has several blooms but I'll be talking about it and those plants in a later post so for now I just want to wish you many blooms....


in the garden....this cold January day.


Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,  

In the Garden

The Coolest Yet Stinkiest Houseplant-Stapelia Gigantea, aka Starfish Plant

From In the Garden

Houseplants are something I grew up with and I really enjoy houseplants even though I complain about them all the time. This post will be a complaint about a stinky houseplant, but a complaint with a smile. I was given a start of a starfish plant, aka Stapelia gigantea, several years ago from a garden club friend. I liked this plant because I barely had to water it and it did not drop its leaves in the winter like most houseplants in my home. It just was there. A nice dull green but alive plant that was easy to care for. Easy enough so it stays around my home in the winter and lives on the deck in the summer time. Recently, while bringing in this houseplant I noticed it had two buds. I thought how cool! It has never bloomed in all the years I've been the keeper of it. This plant is one of the few that comes into the house and it gets a coveted sunny south facing window in my computer room-within two feet of where I sit. Once the plant was safely ensconced in its winter home I forgot about it and the two buds.

Forgetting about this plant was a mistake. After being away from home all day I entered the computer room during a sunny warm day and oh boy did I get a surprise. I initially thought a rodent had died and rotted right under my desk. A quick search following my nose ruled that out when my nose led me right to this carrion starfish plant. Ew! It is a most disgusting smell and one that there is no mistaking the smell of rotting flesh. The bloom even looks like flesh and feels quite-um-well fleshy. Yuck! But the bloom is ever so cool despite its smell and looks and feel. The bud shown right next to it is a huge balloon a good five inches from end to end. It too is most cool. I am posting a picture of the stinky plant here because I have to laugh at myself simply because this is a case I shoulda known better and seen it coming....

in the garden....

Any stinking surprises from your plants?

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

Time to Bring in the Houseplants

From In the Garden

Has this fall weather been nice or what? Perfectly blue skies and warm days with little humidity has made being outside so very pleasant. Okay, they'd be more pleasant if we got some rain but that is another story. It is clear the weather has taken a turn from the hot and humid days to the pleasant days and cooler nights of autumn. It is a lovely time in the garden but a time of work too. For me I've begun bringing in my houseplants. The general rule of thumb is to bring in houseplants when nighttime temperatures are consistently below 50 degrees. Some of our nights have dipped below 50 degrees but then the nights get warmer. Nonetheless, to save myself a lot of work all at once I have begun to bring in my houseplants-one at a time.

I am not normally a houseplant person but for some reason I have accumulated a collection. I move the collection outside during the summer months so that I can enjoy the plants there and they get some much needed humidity plus they add to my garden. Come fall I am ready for them to come in because they actually give me a great deal of pleasure in the wintertime; not to mention their good air cleansing properties for the stale winter air we tend to have in our homes. One such plant is this stunning begonia pictured above. I have to work hard to bring the pot and all in but having this beauty is so worth it! Just look at it glow in front of my fireplace. Begonias are easy to grow and propagate. I give this one a haircut several times during the growing season and just stick the cuttings back into the pot. For the haircut I am rewarding with a bushier and more full plant that looks most healthy. I just love it and wanted to share it with you all and to remind you to start thinking of bringing those houseplants in out of the cold....

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

Crown of Thorns

Posted by: Dawn

The Northern United States is in the mode of "February Freeze". February Freeze is the time when the temperature is at its coldest of all year. It hasn't been too bad though except for the lack of snow here in Maine it's been pretty warm. However, not warm enough to get things growing in the garden or yard.

So, to combat boredom as a direct result of cabin fever I let my mind wonder to the many houseplants I'm caring for. I say caring for because most of them won't live on sheer neglect as is my usual M.O. A classic one is the Crown of Thorns my mother gifted me almost two years ago.

Crown of Thorns or Euphorbia milii is believed to be native to Madagascar. King Juba II (50 BC to 19 AD) was the first to identify it. Euphorbia was the name of the King's Greek physician. Milii is named for the governor who introduced its cultivation into France in 1821.

Crown of Thorns is presumed to be the plant used in the crucifixion of Jesus. The stem is very pliable and easy to form wreath-like circles which lay atop Jesus' head. It's the only plant with sets of double thorns.

I was amazed to read that Crown of Thorns is actually a spiny, woody, succulent, considered a tropical shrub (Zone 10) that will trellis to six feet if trained to do so. It will flower colorful bracts at the end of the stems usually situated in a nest of double leaves. The bloom ranges from less than a BB size to 1/2''. When this succulent is not happy it will defoliate it's leaves leaving doubles on the tips. When happy it will bloom all year long. Mine sat near my deck doors for almost two years until I had to move it at Christmas to make room for a tree. Lo-and-behold it started sprouting all over. For two years I believed it was dying as nothing changed about it. I decided that if it liked this view better than the other it could remain in its new spot to hopefully thrive. Crown of Thorns is also related to it's famous cousin, the poinsettia. Perhaps that would better explain it's touchiness.

Finally, this plant is a member of the Spurge family and being such it weeps a sticky white sap when injured or pruned. The sap is the primary ingredient in latex and will cause a rash much like poison ivy. In earlier centuries the sap was applied to the ends of arrows and fish were caught this way. It is for that reason you will generally not find any Crown of Thorns planted around fish ponds as a broken root will kill every fish in the water. The sap and entire plant is highly toxic when ingested; which gives it protection from hungry herbivores.

(Does it really need it!?!)

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

Need Some Tropical Punch? Grow a Pineapple Plant

From In the Garden

Longing for some tropical punch and a bit of warmth? You might try growing a pineapple plant. This is something I would never do normally since I don't care for houseplants, but a dear gardening friend's daughter was talking with me one day and I asked her if she could grow one plant, what would it be? She replied a pineapple. I didn't see why someone couldn't grow a pineapple plant so the next time we purchased a fresh pineapple I decided to see if it would grow.

I know there are tons of instructions on the Internet on how to start a pineapple and just about any other plant you wish to start, but I did not follow those instructions. Putting sand and whatnot in a pot and cutting the pineapple this way and that was just too complicated for me. All I did was cut off the top of the pineapple being sure to leave about 1/2-3/4 inches of the meat on the stem, then I placed the fleshy end down in a pot of good potting soil making sure there was a strong contact between the fleshy part of the pineapple and the soil. I left the pot on my front porch in morning sun/afternoon shade conditions and kept the pot moist (during the summer). A few months later roots appeared. After one year of growing this pineapple plant in this manner the plant has grown into a fine specimen that makes a super good houseplant. Even I can't complain about it since it does not drop its leaves, is not picky about my neglectful watering habits and helps to brighten my house up during the cold winter. I do bring the plant in during the winter and place it in a sunny south facing window. Too bad I will probably never get pineapples from my little plant but I can hope and dream of the tropical life can't I?

in the garden....

There is a new seed company called Hometown Seeds that let me know they are offering a 10% discount on your total order for all readers of this blog from now until February 28th, 2010. They cater to the home gardener-you and I. You need only add the word 'Thanks' to your order as a coupon code if you decide to order from them.

Full disclosure! I have never purchased from Hometown Seeds NOR have I received any free gifts from them. I just thought I'd pass along the information to my readers.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

House Guest

By Skeeter
We have a house guest here in our Georgia home! My dad gave me this cute little Lady Bug pot a while back as we continue with our Lady Bug Game. Last summer, I chose a violet plant for Lady Bug to cradle. I brought Lady into the house for the winter and look at what she has given me in return.
A beautiful Bloom! This violet has not bloomed since the day I placed it into the pot.
And now she has given me a most beautiful bloom to enjoy for the winter while being my HOUSE GUEST, In the Garden....

Note: Speaking of house guests, we will have guests in the human form (as well as a furry 4 legged one) staying with us for the next week so I will be off blogging for a bit. I will pop in here when time allows. I know I said I would be getting the second part of our cruise pictures for you to enjoy but I don't have the time to load all the pics for now. I will get them up as soon as possible...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

Boston Fern 'Potatoes'

Anyone ever divide a Boston fern and find 'potatoes' growing amongst the roots? I did recently and found it quite neat. I looked around on the Internet a bit to see what causes these 'potatoes' with little success at finding a satisfactory answer. I think they have something to do with fixing nitrogen, but I am not sure. Any ideas?

If you did not know it, you can divide Boston ferns. This fern is a product of a couple of divisions. I bought my first Boston fern back in 2003. I tried overwintering it under my home in the crawlspace and it worked wonderfully! But then the fern got too big so I divided it. That one fern has grown to more than a dozen large ferns. A very good and thrifty way to save money....

in the garden....

It is not too late to enter in my sister's Blogiversary Give A Way! Just stop by Dawn's blog and tell her congrats on one whole year of blogging and you may win handmade Raggedy Ann dolls-made by the blogger herself! See the badge on my sidebar.

Violets in Home Gardening from Years Past

Several years ago I had several plants in my home that I really enjoyed. Sadly, with my schedule I couldn't take care of them. Over a period of time they died or I gave them away. Since I began reading Tina's blog "In the Garden" over a year ago, my interest in these lovely flowers has been renewed. Now I once again have several violets in my home. I have all the colors but white.

Here are some of them:

Also the cutting that Cindee from "Cindees Garden" was so gracious to send me has started to put on new leaves. Thank you so much Cindee.

I really like the unusual so I have the one that has the different coloration. I'm anxiously waiting for a bloom so I can see what color it is.
As you can see one is in bloom. One of the lovely flowers is artificial. Can you tell which one?

So I have these lovely ladies to enjoy when I can't get out........

In The Garden
Lola

Storing Your Tender Plants

I have several non-hardy plants that were either gifts or acquisitions along the way. I am not normally a houseplant non-hardy type person in the garden. However, these tenders have earned a spot outside in the summer garden. They look great and add so much to the landscape. What do I do with houseplants in the other three seasons when they can't tolerate the weather outside?? My house is not equipped to handle a ton of houseplants, plus cuttings, plus seedlings inside it, so I had to have another option.

That option comes into play when frost is imminent, like this time of year. My solution is to store many of my houseplants (ferns, tropicals, geraniums, dahlia tubers, Angel Trumpets, caladiums, and aloe) under the house in my crawlspace. Crawlspace you say? How can that work? Not sure, but it does and has worked great for over five winters now. The crawlspace under my home stays above freezing (I haven't actually took the temperature though), is dry, ventilated and somewhat cozy for the plants. Especially the Boston Ferns.

These pictures were taken on the day I pulled my plants out this spring. The ferns are a bit more bedraggled than I would like, but this is the way they went under the house, a bit worn at the end of last summer. You do need to ensure the plants stay moist during the winter. I did not water this year, though I should have. These plants were all bone dry. Check them monthly or so to be sure they are moist, not dripping wet. The ferns do drop some leaves under the house, but that is not a big deal. Better there than in my house.

One of the plants actually came out of storage in bloom. It is shown in the first picture. This is the only plant I have seen which blooms in three colors, Red, White and Blue! It is my patriotic plant and I do like the red, white and blue color scheme in the garden so it is a favorite outside plant during the summer. I know the picture is not that good but still hope someone can help me identify it. Does anyone know what it is called?

A friend of mine from school is skeptical that this is a good way to winter over plants. His problem with it is that there is no light. The vents under my house to allow some light to come through, but truly in the wintertime I think the plants all go dormant and don't need any light.

The really big bonus of storing these plants under the house is there is no mess in the house. Who has messy Boston ferns they store in the house? I don't, not since I store them under the house now.

If you have a usable crawlspace area and some ferns to store, you might try my method. I am NOT responsible for the plants dying though if it does not work out. I can only say it has worked for me for several years. Skeeter tried it last year and I am sorry to report she had no luck at her Georgia house. Still sorry Skeeter! So try it with a plant you generally replace each year anyhow. Good luck.

in the garden....

Starfish Plant

I try to be a well rounded gardener, but houseplants just get to me because of all the watering required and what seems like constant maintenance to me. I tend to stay away from houseplants and don't know much about them, honestly. So, to assure all of you I am open to new ideas and even have some houseplants in my house, I want to share with you this little story.

I was reluctant to take a piece of this houseplant. But at our annual plant swap at garden club this year, Esther (the proud owner of the mother starfish plant) insisted I should take a piece of her starfish plant. Doesn't it look like a starfish? Being from the coast of Maine, a starfish plant is a must have! She excitedly told me how it blooms after many years of maturing and how it has an awful smell-just like a starfish.

I did research this plant for this posting. The scientific name is Stapelia gigantea. The awful smell is to attract flies. Flies pollinate this plant, and we all know flies like rotten stuff so beware! She passed along a piece of a her plant which has easily rooted in a pot on my porch. I find this plant to be easy to grow-so far. So, with the help of my friends I will become a well rounded gardener-even with some new houseplants.

Has anyone else ever seen this plant before? Which type of plants do you all prefer-open ended question I know! Some people are going to think the only type of plant they prefer is a rubber one! Me too sometimes truth be told! Many people love houseplants and not the outside plants. I met one woman who has 48 houseplants she tends to and loves year round! When I told her I wasn't fond of houseplants, she was a bit aghast, but kindly forgave me for my love of outside-don't have to move around plants!

in the garden....