Microclimate Illustration

I brought home several 2" Aloe Aristata plants from the nursery last spring, and I planted them in different locations.  I  I planted them all on the same day.  This is a neat little illustration of how micro-climates affect plant growth.

Plant #1 was planted in a little pot and left in our house.  It is 72º in our house, sometimes colder, and the plant gets indirect sunlight all day long.  It has grown over 4" in 12 months.  Rather gangly, but growing.

Plant #2 includes 3 plants in one concrete pot.  They have been living, for the most part,  in full shade, neglected, and outside throughout the winter.  They are happy plants, but you can see they are struggling for room.  The burgundy leaves are a result of extreme cold against the concrete in the winter.  They have grown approximately 1/2"-1" in 12 months.

Plant #3a is in a dry location and gets a couple hours of sun every day.  The plant itself has tripled in size, and photo #3b shows it in bloom last August (4 months after planting).
I planted them in different locations. 

Lesson learned:  This plant thrives outside, in the ground.  However, Aloe Aristata will grow any old place you feel like planting it!

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Phalaenopsis x's 4

Basic instructions for growing re-blooming Orchids in your home:

1) I have found Phalaenopsis to be, by far, the easiest repeat blooming orchids in my home. Buy one that has plenty of unopened buds to assure longest blooms season.

2) If you don't have a wide window sill over your kitchen sink, build a shelf for the window over your kitchen sink.

3) The indirect sunlight and moist air from kitchen sink activity creates a wonderful environment for Phalaenopsis orchids. No misting necessary.

4) Water once a week or so. Fertilize per orchid fertilizer label instructions. Prune back stalks only after they are brown. Prune dead or dying leaves as you notice them.

I have four orchids in bloom right now, and 2 that have buds on them. I have had great luck with orchids re-blooming for me for 3+ years. After that, they start to thin. They continue to bloom, but they thin over the years.  I have also had some luck with transplanting, but again, they always seem to remain thin after the 4th year whether transplanted or not. I know they like to dry between waterings, and I know they like some air on their roots, but I am not trying to dig too deep or discourage here today.  I have a friend that just built a greenhouse, so I intend to winter my orchids there in upcoming years in hopes of keeping my collection full happy plants longer, and I will report back.

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Camellia japonica

We have one of these double red Camellias on the left side of our driveway in the middle of a large wooded space. It is in full bloom right now, and it is the star of that whole section of our property. You can't miss it, coming or going. If I can identify exactly which variety it is, I would buy a couple dozen of them and fill that space completely. I love the red bloomer and I love the double bloomers. I think these 4 inch blooms look a lot like peonies.

A fellow landscaper tried to teach me a trick many years ago about how to easily identify japonica from sasanqua Camellias. Japonicas bloom in June (spring/summer), and Sasanquas bloom in September (fall/winter). But what season does March 3rd fall into? Technically, it is still winter, but my Camellia is undoubtedly japonica. The way I know certainly is by the size of the leaves. Camellia japonica leaves are 4 inches long, about twice the size of sasanqua foliage.

Whichever species of Camellia you might have, they are a beautiful shrub in any garden. Setting aside the eye-catching blooms, the plant itself is evergreen and present getting almost as wide as it gets tall while the foliage on both species is decidedly dark green and glossy.

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The Budding of Spring

Oh boy, it is an exciting time of year in the garden! With the tulips and lilies emerging, the forsythia, early magnolias, ornamental pears, and fruit-bearing trees blooming, and tiny buds on all the permanent trees and shrubs, we know gardening season is upon us.

I start my job as a helper at Plant Delights Nursery this month, and let me say how thrilled I am about working outside all spring and summer at one of my favorite nurseries and alongside lots of plant-happy people. I do not have plans to make major changes in my flower garden this year, but I will keep my mind open to anything. That is the hope and joy that comes with each new spring.

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The Golden Glow of Autumn

One autumn stands out particularly well in my mind year-after-year. Scott and I took a camping vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the fall of 2000. We hiked the days away amongst the golden glow of Birch, Beech, Maple, Hickory, and Oak cultivars, while their leaves also covered our path. In the middle of the day, deep in the woods, the glow was so bright all around us that we had to wear sunglasses. When I close my eyes, I can see our path as if it was yesterday.

Thanks to that one trip, I am forever grateful for the golden fall trees on our lot. Though we have some of the same trees as the forest, we also have many Poplars as well as hybridized specialty varieties that seem to be created especially for my enjoyment this time of year.

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Variegated Lacecap Hydrangea

Is there any plant in a shade garden with a more romantic appearance than the periwinkle-toned Lacecap Hydrangea? I have mine paired with the contrasting lacy Sambucus and low-growing Helleborus.

Though you cannot see it in this picture, this plant was variegated when I planted it. I planted three identical variegated Lacecap's together. Some of the variegation remains at the base of one of the plants, but these plants have otherwise reverted back to their stronger straight species. They were so weak and spindly the first four years in the garden that, last year, I desperately planted several Mophead's amongst them. The Lacecap's are starting to thrive, but if you want them happier sooner, give them lots of morning sun!

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Lenten Rose

This year, Lent began on February 17th (Ash Wednesday) and continued for 46 days, ending yesterday, April 3rd or Holy Saturday. It is no wonder why gardeners have dubbed Helleborus the "Lenten Rose".

Helleborus is a beautiful and showy, low-growing, evergreen groundcover. It begins to bloom in early-February, making itself one of the few beauties in bloom that time of year. It will stay in bloom through to the end of this month at least, meaning it will be in bloom a full three months!

Helleborus comes in a variety of foliage types and bloom colors. I grow Orientalis here and just adore the soft yellows and pale purples with their speckled centers. They are also interesting in that the bloom heads droop downward under the tallest of it's leafy canopies. I imagine that they were born to be remind us of respectful prayer.

"Lent is a time to listen to the voice of the conscience and to the whispering of the Spirit in the depth of our heart. Lent is a time to be oriented to heaven." -Father Santhosh Sebastian Cheruvally

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