Signs of Spring

It has been a cold, dreary beginning of April, and the weather report suggests that there is no relief in sight.  But cold or not, snow or not, nature is giving tiny glimpses of what is to come.

Iris reticulata cultivar

Another Iris reticulata

Crocuses

Of course, my houseplants can usually be counted on to help chase away the "where the heck is spring already?" blues. Below are a few plants in bloom that make a cheery contrast with the grayness outdoors.

Phalaenopsis Bella TN324 (That's what the tag says)

Columnea variety

Ludisia discolor in bloom, along with the Phalaenopsis from the photo above

Hoya carnosa inflorescence

Hippeastrum 'Red Lion' with a NoId Hippeastrum on the left

Anthurium NoId

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

So where the heck is spring already?

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.

All in the Family: Asclepiads

Actually, that should be "All in the Sub-family: Asclepiadoideae." The old family name, Asclepiadaceae, is supposedly obsolete. These plants are now included in the family Apocynaceae, which contains so many different plants that the point I'm trying to make would be lost.

The point? Yes, I was actually going to make one before I got sidetracked into taxonomy. Recently, I was struck by just how much the bloom and bloom habit of the common milkweed, (Asclepias syriaca) resemble those of my Hoya Carnosa.

Pictures of Asclepias syriaca taken, in a park in Skokie, IL. This native plant pops up as a volunteer "weed" in my garden. I let a few of them grow, to encourage Monarch butterflies, but it never blooms for me.

A flower from my Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Queen'

Though I'm not a Hoya collector, (no, really, just because I have nine of them doesn't make me a collector, honest) I'd always wanted a Hoya multiflora because the blooms were so different.

Two views of my Hoya multiflora, sometimes called the Shooting Star Hoya

But then, on a visit to the Chicago Botanic Gardens, I realized that the blooms are similar to those of Asclepias curassavica, and not dissimilar to those of Asclepias tuberosa and Asclepias incarnata.

Asclepias curassavica at the CBG. A. curassavica and its varieties are only hardy to zone 8b, but are sometimes grown as "annuals" around here. I keep meaning to try some, since I think they are lovely.

Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Gold' and some little visitors.

Asclepias tuberosa, or butterfly weed. This is my second favorite of the flowers that I grow in my garden. This is the oldest of five I have planted, and I have three more in pots waiting for me to decide where to put them. This too is a native plant that grows wild in the area, as well as being cultivated as a garden plant.

Another view showing the shape of the flowers better

Asclepias incarnata, or Swamp milkweed, another native plant. These pictures are from the CBG. I just planted a pair of these plants in my garden, but they are unlikely to bloom there this year.

Okay, so maybe there really wasn't much of a point after all. I just wanted to share some pictures of what is fast becoming one of my favorite plant (sub)families, indoors and out. When my small Stapelia hirsuta and Huernia zebrina (also members of Asclepiadoideae) become mature enough to bloom, I'm sure I'll have yet another perspective on this group.

Just a Few New Plants

So I decided to go ahead and postpone my self-imposed plant buying hiatus. Last Saturday, we found ourselves with a couple of hours to kill near Libertyville, so I persuaded my husband to take me to Jamaican Gardens, a nearby nursery. Though this nursery and its Morton Grove branch came recommended by two different Garden Web posters, after my first visits, I found them nice enough, but not necessarily worth making 30 and 40 mile road trips. So I last visited them in 2006, and 2008, respectively. However, this time, I ended up with three really special plants, which I definitely haven't seen elsewhere in the area.

Monstera 'Cheesecake.' I had pronounced this plant "to die for" in the comments at PATSP

Tillandsia 'Eric Knoblock.' A really nice large specimen, about 8 inches long.

Hoya multiflora, with buds!

Closer view of the buds

Of course, once I get started, it's hard for me to stop. But I'll leave the latest acquisitions from a more local nursery, and Home Depot, for another post. For those who were wondering, my main reason for taking a six month plant-buying break (which will start on July 16) is to slow down, and really concentrate on appreciating and taking the best possible care of the plants I already have. I know myself (or at least I'm trying to learn--that's what I mean by "growing along with my houseplants.") I know that I often get caught up in little mini-obsessions, and there are times that I need to step back and focus. And I think that is one of those times.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, June 2010

I've decided, for the first time, to formally participate in Garden Blogger's Bloom Day. I may have posted flower pictures on the 15th of the month before, but never on purpose. So here is what is blooming today here among the leaves.

First indoors:

Sinningia speciosa variety (Florist's Gloxinia)

Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Queen'

And Outdoors:

Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)

Rudbeckia hirta cultivar

NoId Lilium (Asiatic lily)

I'm pretty sure that this is Hemerocallis 'Happy Returns'

Sedum kamtschaticum

Clematis 'Jackmanii'

Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce.' I included this photo just because I love how the colors came out so oddly. Something about the contrast between the bluish foliage and the yellow flowers confused my camera, I guess. The plant isn't as otherworldly looking in person.

All photos open larger when clicked.