Houseplant Collection for 2010 - What are you growing?

Keven--yer in AVSA Mag? I'm a hobby grower--mostly mini's. My big question is, How do you keep all those garden flowers happy in the house? I've never had much luck with that...for many years. About the only thing I've been successful keeping going in winter is lavender, garden variety violets, and, of course the usual easy indoor bloomers. Oh wait!...do you own a greenhouse? BTW...Move over! I'm coming to live in your house! Sorry Lin, I found a new place to live. ha-ha!

Thanks! Yes, I've written a number of articles for AV Magazine; they gave me an award last summer for my article "Creating A Window Garden."

No greenhouse here. I handle my zonal geraniums in a number of ways, including disbudding throughout summer the ones I wish to have bloom in winter. Other geraniums (and petunias, too) are lifted from their window boxes or hanging baskets in the fall, and then both roots and tops are pruned severely. This way, I can fit them into 5- or 6-inch clay pots. These go under lights during the dark months of November & December. In January, when the days begin to lengthen, they are moved to the sunny window garden. They perform marvelously, so long as the house is kept cool (never above 65-degrees). A weekly shower helps to ward off pests - like aphids and the dreadful red spider.

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Right now I also have begonias.. (Rex, Reiger and senator wax), snapdragons, alysum, baby sunroses, sweet green bellpeppers, paperwhites, mums, red spiderlilies, coleus, pothos, impatiens and dianthus in pots in the house.

I just lost some of my "extended annuals" so that is why I got the housepplants to fill their spaces on my shelves!

Most are under lights.

Impressive! Thanks for the tips--going in my file. I'll have to look for your article.

Beautiful plant pics everyone!

I have 6 different snake plants, 6 african violets (plus 100 or more leaves started), a parlor palm, 3 different kinds of croton, burgundy rubber plant, arrowhead, coffee plant, dracaena, calathea, dieffenbachia, agave, tiger aloe, ti plant, waffle plant, jade, silver dollar jade, peace lily, varigated peace lily and others.

tishrh - 100 or more AV leaves under propagation? Now THAT'S impressive! Calculating six to eight (maybe even 12) babies per leaf...well, you can do the math. Think of the birthday and holiday gifts you'll have for friends next year!

I have a coffee plant, too. Love its beautiful, glossy foliage.

Kevin
www.agardenforthehouse.com

Aha! your an LLG guy! I went there with a friend last Feb! Just bought a few though. Have you ever shown your Av's? I have not, as I have a small growing space, I'm strictly hobby. Besides, I enjoy growing at that level--have enough stress at my job! LOL










Princess Blue Eyes

wintergardener: That window setting is just so pretty! I find myself going back and gazing at that photo again and again. My house is old and dark so I can't grow too many plants inside. I am fortunate that most of my plants can stay outside year round but I would love to have lots of windows like that to display plants!

My houseplant collection ... a little of this and a little of that, LOL. I've never thought to make a list but I might just have to do that sometime over the winter ... although I might have a heart attack once I see the length of the list! This is my playground:

I read some at your site the other day. I was trying to get kalanchoe to rebloom and you came up in the search. I bookmarked it because I realized i had more to learn there :). Very beautiful display.

phoebesviolets - I love Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses, and have visited twice. My other favorite greenhouse is Logees, in Danielson, CT.

I have only entered one AV in a show. The judges took pity on me and gave me a blue ribbon. Otherwise, I don't grow for show, but for decoration. I love using violets for table centerpieces, and of course they are fantastic in window gardens. One of my window gardens is devoted almost entirely to standards, miniatures and trailers, all enclosed in a frame of philodendron vines. Here's a picture, in case you haven't seen it on my website.

Kevin
www.agardenforthehouse.com

Well, that's gorgeous :).

Plantladylin - what a gorgeous setting for your plants (and you)!!! Who needs windows when you have an enclosed pool?!

3jsmom - Thank you. And, I hope you found the article on kalanchoe helpful.

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Yep. I moved all my short day plants into the laundry room. Hmmm, with you right here and all, will it matter that light is on down the hall, but not in the hallway that ends in the laundry room? It probably does have low levels of light from the bathroom but is my best option.

Total darkness for 12 hours each day is best; even the glow of a street lamp can interfere with bloom. Mine are in a closed cabinet in a cold, dark guest-room. Do you have a box you can place them in? Or a closet? One of these might provide the perfect darkness your kalanchoes need.

What other short-day plants are you growing? Any poinsettias?

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wintergardener: Oh my goodness, your window gardens only get better! That philodendron framed window with the beautiful AV's is wonderful! I'm going to check out the link to your site!

I have had very little luck with African violets.

Christmas cactus.

No poinsettias. I don't even buy them as decoration as they always break my heart, lol.

Blossombuddy - here are two very friendly articles on African violets that you might find helpful (and encouraging!): http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2009/10/my-never-fail-program-for-african.html and http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2009/11/african-violets-divide-de-sucker-for.html

Kevin

3jsmom31 - I know what you mean about poinsettias! It takes effort to keep them looking their decorative best throughout December. I don't care to see them after Christmas - especially the red ones.

Is your Christmas cactus the non-clawed Schlumbergera bridgesii?

wow your windows are gorgeous! I am being ambious with the over 100 leaves. I have done some leaves before and rarely gotten over 3 babies per leaf. I really want a trailer but they aren't doing too well right now. But houseplants I can do pretty well with. Love the philo going around the window been thinking about doing that just not sure which climbers to do that with. Is all your shelves glass? We moved so now I have alot of windows and been trying to think what kind of shelves to put in. Also making an old bathroom into a germination/proporgation room. Love growing things (then usually gives them out. lol)

3jsmom31- poinsettias just require bright light, keep moist. They are some that use the icecube techinque to keep them watered. The hardest part of them is to get them to turn color again the winter. ( i usually forget the darkness part. Lol.) My brother took a poinsettia and made it into a tree. It is 11 years old. Absolutlely beautiful, he has a greenhouse to give it perfect conditions though. I will have to post a pic of it, the local paper here did a story on it and took a pic.
Tish:o)

About schlums? I guess. I have some that are more rounded and some that are more pointy toothed along the edge. I also have one that was sold as easter cactus and it looks much different. I don't care about Christmas blooms. I just want to see their pretty little flowers anytime.

Will they rebloom in the same year? I had a small flush on a red and white one and just wondered.

tishrh - Thanks! Yes, the plant-shelves are glass, and braced with shelf supports. It takes only a few minutes to outfit an ordinary window with glass shelves, brackets and wire. Here's the whole story, along with a money-saving tip: http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2009/09/creating-window-garden.html

thanks!!! any pointers for stretchy violets? I got some at a store and they seem more stretchy than normal. Or do some just do that. Also, any pointers for lopsided ones? Lol.

Kevin...did you say Logees? LOL! http://s333.photobucket.com/albums/m370/fleebeesmom/Logees%20Greenhouse/?start=all
BTW--that beautiful little jewel orchid died on me :-( I have no trouble with Ludsia discolor, so I was surprised this one died so quickly. Any thoughts on that? It was planted in moss, and I never even got a chance to re-pot it before it died.

Kevin thanks!I will have to go check into it.. I think my house is too dry. If ever I could get a dehumidifier that might work. ALthough this year I have a lot of plants in the house and beleive it or not with all the watering, it feels better!

I have Christmas cactus too. Three colors, a red, a pink amd a light pinkish white

I always get a poinsetta.. they break my heart too. But since I order it from our church, its not as heartbreaking! Least the money goes for the good!

My poinsetta has not arrived yet. Got a red one this year.

tishrh - Your stretchy violets might be "stretching" for more light! As saintpaulias age, they tend to develop long necks, which gives them a "lopsided" appearance. This is very easy to remedy, if you are willing to perform a little houseplant surgery. The directions can be found in the next-to-last comment here: http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2009/11/african-violets-divide-de-sucker-for.html

phoebesviolets - I adore Logees! I visit every January or February, and it's like strolling through the Garden of Eden. Jasmine scrambling across the glass ceilings, mature fruit trees growing out of the dirt floor, and flowers, flowers, everywhere.

BlossomBuddy - I have poinsettias, too, as TEMPORARY decoration in one of the window gardens here. I admire those who are willing to live with the plant longer than a month or two. A poinsettia standard sounds divine!

Thanks! I put a pic of them stretching up. I dont know if this is normal, or if I should change the pot.

Hi, tishrh - It's hard to tell from the photograph, but judging by its disheveled-shape alone, the plant appears to have grown suckers (offsets). Suckers destroy the parent plant's beautiful, flat, rosette-like form, and they inhibit flowering, too. Whenever I see suckers on my own plants, I carve them off.

Otherwise, your plant seems happy in its pot...no need to shift-on. Shifting, as a rule, is only necessary when the diameter of the foliage - measuring from leaf tip to leaf tip - grows to three times the diameter of the pot.

Hope this helps! Kevin

The red Christmas cactus!

And just in time! ^_^ They are so pretty!

The pink one finished out already and the white one has maybe a couple blooms left to go...but the paperwhites should be just in time for Christmas!

One of my plant stands.. it kind of doubles for a shipping rack, and the tubes are for my fakes when I am crafting!

Cool--my creative juices are flowing after seeing your plant stand! Now....I know what the fly swatter is for, but what is the huge green bean? LOL!

I was wondering the same thing? What's that bean?

Really. Blossom, where did you go?

I know! I know! She lives on a former nuclear waste site and it is a ginormous orchid air root! Ummm...vanilla bean?

Or a giant carnivorous plant pitcher :).

I will give you a hint!! Hiss hiss!!

No sir!!! And where is that man's head?!!!!











^_^

Lol. Hmmmmm....

Oh you mean Wilson up thar??! LOL! Im not showing of my man! This is a plant forum! LOL!

Hmm guess ya'll meed another hint?