A Minor Change for the New Year

Today, I decided to amend my "What it's all about" mission statement to include my (outdoor) garden. I have found myself writing about it more than I thought I would, and I really enjoy doing so.

A view of part of my garden from last June

I also considered changing my tagline to "Growing Along with My Gardens" or "Growing Along with My Gardens--Inside and Out," but decided against it. Houseplants are my first love, and I want them to remain my primary focus.

Happy New Year to all.

My Top Ten Plants of 2010

There have been lots of ups and downs among the leaves this year. I've embraced a whole new category of plants (Bromeliads) and all but given up on others (Hedera, Begonia.) At various times, I've battled fungus gnats, aphids, spider mites, mealy bug, scale and white flies. (Out of these, only the mealies prevailed: I had to throw away my Hoya multiflora because I just could not get rid of the damned things. Over the years, I have occasionally had plants succumb to scale or spider mites, but with diligence, I can usually get the upper hand with them. But I've never won a battle with mealies, ever.) I've dealt with sunburn, root rot, and naughty cats (apparently, Nolina recurvata looks like something good to nibble on.) But there have been a few plants that have done well, caused or attracted minimal trouble, and just made me consistently happy over the past year. Here, in alphabetical order, (because I couldn't make up my mind how to rank them otherwise) are my top ten favorite houseplants of 2010.

1. Aechmea fasciata: This is a plant I was once afraid to try. I was sure that once I got one home, the flowers would immediate fade, the inflorescence would shrivel, and the plant would die soon after. Instead, the little blue flowers lasted a good while, the pink inflorescence lasted for months, and not only is the mother plant still looking good, there is also a good sized offset.

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2. Aloe greenii x lineata: This made the list as a first time bloomer this year.

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3. Astrophytum capricorne: This is another first time bloomer. The flower was impressive, but I think my favorite thing about this plant is its crown of thorns. (Yes, I know cactus have spines, not thorns, but crown of spines doesn't have the same ring to it.)

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4. x Chamaelovibia 'Captain Jessop': I'm not 100% certain of the ID. What I am certain about is that this little cactus put on a hell of a show this year. It is only 2.5 inches tall, but it bloomed three times, each time with flowers bigger than the plant itself.

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5. Epiphyllum 'David W. Grant' : Cacti were a big hit with me this year, apparently. At any rate, after several years with no flowers whatever, my only Epi bloomed twice, once in May, then again in October. The plant itself is rather ugly, but the flowers are wonderful.

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6. Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Queen': This plant needs no special care, continues to grow like a weed, has beautiful leaves, and bloomed all summer long. It also inspired one of my favorite posts and accompanying photo series: Six out of Seven

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7. Mammillaria formosa subsp. microthele: Once again the ID is a bit tentative, but there is nothing tentative about my love for what will always be Mom's Plant

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8. Monstera deliciosa: Another perennial sentimental favorite, because I grew it from seed, and because it is awesome. It survived a scale infestation this year, and keeps on putting out big, beautiful leaves.

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9. Sansevieria hallii: A handsome, trouble-free plant that grows slowly, but steadily. This year's new leaf ended up being taller and thicker than all the others that came before it.

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10. Vriesea splendens: The plant that started my successful entry into the wonderful world of Bromeliads. It went seamlessly from blooming to pupping, and continues to grow larger. And I love the dark patterned foliage.

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Honorable mention: Aglaonema. I can't single out a particular plant or species. Every one of my Ags is doing well and remains trouble free.


I'm looking forward to the coming year of growing. I know there are going to be difficulties. But I know just as certainly that there will be delights.

Taking a Break: December 17-30

If you are a regular visitor to Life Among the Leaves, you have probably noticed that my posts have been sporadic lately. I haven't lost interest in plants (that would be the day!) or blogging, but I've been finding it difficult to come up with interesting things to write about. Since I'm the self-conscious type, this lapse of the imagination has come with more than a little anxiety. "Oh my! Oh dear! Oh no! I haven't posted in a week! Must find something--anything-- to write about!" And everyone knows, what the Holiday Season doesn't need is extra anxiety.

So rather than not posting, and wringing my hands over it, I am giving myself permission to take a little break. I want to thank everyone who does read LATL on a regular basis, or even just every now and then. It really means a lot to me.

So I'll be back posting in two weeks. In the meantime here are some photos of what's blooming, or getting ready to bloom, today:

Recently purchased Schlumbergera

Hippeastrum 'Lilian' put up a second bloom stalk. There are six flowers this time!

The new branch on my NoId Phalaenopsis, which I posted about on November 27, is indeed producing flower buds.

And yes, I did put the long suffering Hippeastrum 'Nilona' in a proper pot.

Wishing the joy and happiness of the season to everyone who celebrates a holiday this time of year. Wishing joy and happiness and peace on earth to everyone, no matter what.

See you on the 30th!

Almost Forgotten

More than a month ago, when I was buying the last of my fall bulbs for planting outdoors, I picked up yet another Amaryllis, Hippeastrum 'Rilona'. Well, because of some needed construction work around the house and yard, I didn't get to plant a lot of those bulbs, (mostly Crocus and Narcissus) until quite late. So they stayed in the paper shopping bag from the nursery for a long time. So did the Amaryllis. In my rush to finally get last of the bulbs in the ground in the days after Thanksgiving, the Amaryllis stayed behind.

Finally, last week, I asked myself, "Why the heck haven't I thrown away this crumpled paper bag?" I looked inside and found the bulb, with two very pale but strong looking flower stalks emerging, almost horizontally, toward the small amount of light they were getting from the opening in the bag. So of course, I took the bulb out of the bag. But did I do the right thing, and plant it up right away? Well, no. (Here is where you can picture your Crazy Plant Lady looking sheepishly at the floor and swinging her foot back and forth.) I was busy, so I just propped the bulb up in an empty pot, not too far from a window. At least that way, I reasoned, it would grow straight and green until I could get to it.

Well as of this writing, I still haven't planted it. And here is how it looked just a short while ago:

Hippeastrum 'Rilona,' supported by the grouping of terrariums I use as my dining table centerpiece

It actually looks pretty, just sitting there on the mirror. And I'd be inclined to leave it there, if the poor thing hadn't already suffered enough. I promise, that just as soon as I post this, I will plant it up properly.

Crowded Kitchen Window

I recently realized that in the many years that I have posting pictures of my plants on the web, in my PictureTrail albums, in my Photobucket albums, and on my family website, I have seldom posted pictures of my south-facing kitchen window. This is probably because the pictures I take of this area seldom come out well. So today I tried again, and while they are not the best photographs I've ever taken, they do give a decent idea of what the area looks like.

In the winter I use this window for many of those succulents that I think will do better with natural sun, or which don't fit under the fluorescent lights in the basement. In the warmer months, I move whatever plants I think might look nice to fill up the empty spaces.

Two bakers racks, filled with succulents. Two Epipremnum and a Syngonium hang overhead. Hidden from view: a row of small succulents in 2-inch pots sitting directly on the window frames, and a few hanging succulents on the curtain rod close to the window.

Full view of that corner of the kitchen, showing the east and south windows. There is also a row of small pots on the east window frame. These are mostly cacti, which for the most part, don't get watered between now and March.

In the wintertime, the whole area is probably a bit more crowded than it should be for optimum display value. (The same can be said for all the plant areas in the house.) But overall I think I've done the best I can with what I've got.