4 different plants....too dark in the room
Tropical Garden #88 - January 2011
another...too dark...philo. varg, fiddle leaf phil., and H. australius (going wild).
I just looked at my nun's orchid and it's shooting bloom spikes. I also noticed lots of my in-the-ground plants are starting to leaf out. The narcissus are blooming - such wonderful fragrance - spring is a-commin!
GAGirl, nice staghorn fern.
Thank you, I actually have two, but that one is the biggest.
Debra: Love the little Koala on the spanish moss, too cute!
GAgirl: Nice plants! That Staghorn is gorgeous ... I had one in a tree in the backyard and forgot to bring it in last month when we had temp's in the 20's ... it's a goner! Love that Orchid, it looks like one I have (had) ... there are a couple in spike so I will see when they bloom which they are. That looks like a nice Variegated Monstera deliciosa in your last photo!
This is one of the two Croton's that have survived the winter so far:
Nandina domestica ("Heavenly Bamboo"), I love the winter foliage on this one:
This is an aquarium our friends son gave me when he moved to California about 5 years ago. It sat in his mom & dad's garage until last summer when I finally remembered to bring it home and plant it. I need to add a couple of plants to replace ones that didn't do so well in there ... excuse the dark picture and dirty glass, I really need to clean it! The aquarium light is old and keeps shutting off so I need to buy a new one, the plants have been suffering from lack of enough light.
I have an aquarium just like that!! 45 Gallon Hex....except I have these plants... *LOL* ...and several fish!! But more than half of the plants are real!! ((might be winter but I will have plants!!!))
Yep, it's a 45 Gal. Hex aquarium and you seem to be using yours for it's intended purpose, nice set-up! We had a few tanks with fresh water fish years ago. We have a 150 gal Marine (Salt Water) set up in the living room that is my husbands baby. I used to say if the fish happened to bite the dust maybe I'd plant it up ... but somehow I don't think that's gonna ever happen. We've had this tank for a long time and it's like a piece of furniture that I don't even pay attention to anymore other than to put food in it once a day. Everyone who comes to visit says it's so relaxing just to sit and watch the fish and yet I'm so used to it that it's just there, LOL.
Wouldn't this make one heck of a terrarium? It sure would hold a lot of plants!
that is so pretty!!! and yes, tanks are sooooooooooooo relaxing!! Even my son will sit in front of ours and just watch the fish...he plays I-SPY couple times a week to see if I've added anything new to it.
Also have a 5 gallon in the kitchen we watch daily, as I move pregnant ones to the small tank so we can watch the baby fry grow ((as soon as the fry are out momma's go back to the big tank))..
I'd like to find a low growing plant to grow in it that will survive.
Wow! Paula, can I come and be your Gardener helper? LOL That Brug looks like Milk n Honey.. is it? beeutiful! I love your ferns they are the coolest things. Your Philos are awesome too. I hope my split leaf splits soon LOL
Gosh Lin, your stuff is outside? ( the crotons) kay, thanks for the tip, I have sluggo.. hadn't thought of that, I thought I added it to the original potting mix before I brought stuff in, but the dreaded Lowes sale stuff prolly was infested..
I have sprouts coming up everywhere in all these pots.. goodness. Really, Kay you made my day talking about spring.
Can you believe this is the same green caster bean plant I over wintered last year, took outside, it bloomed and gave me seeds? Gee.. it sure makes that ugly wall kinda purty.
Not a tropical, but I got these bulbs of paper whites for like ten cents at a discount store.. Hope they do what they are supposed to do.
I am pretty sure Candela sent me this root beer plant? Please correct me if I am wrong.. it is alive and well, went kinda dormant after I first brought it in..
Does rangoon creeper go dormant? I am holding my breath it is still alive.. I have big faith in my sticks.. I am also fearful I have lost my margarite from Mjs, it is just a bare woody stick as well.. *sigh*
This is one of those cool aristo somethings from Mjsponies. It is still alive..
I can't remember this one! Help!
Is that an Alternanthera, Debra?
This is Rivea corymbosa, Mexican Morning Glory. It is a long lived perrenial vine here.
My buddy Ku passed on yesterday.
Ku was the farm sheriff from the beginning of Waikahakahe Farm.
The photo on the left is Ku at three months old in July, 1997. Right, he is about one year old.
Also, in the left photo, the black dog is Ku's brother "Bear-dog". On the right is Kea sleeping next to Ku.
This message was edited Jan 6, 2011 7:30 PM
When Ku was in charge of the farm; if anyone pulled up the driveway, he would greet them in the parking lot and not let them out of their vehicle, till I showed up.
There have been many burglaries in this neighborhood, over the past few years. With Ku on the job, no one has ever broken into the house.
Met - I am so sorry your good friend has passed. He looks like he was a big lover and comical too. Funny how our animal companions become part of the family. He was lucky to have people who loved him. Remember the good times and give yourself permission to grieve.
Ku loved to help in the garden, and always prepared himself for our next job.
Kea & Ku have been the best farm help I could ever hope for. Ku is greatly loved & missed.
Dave *hugs* I know you miss him.
My Rivera Corymbosa is going crazy, I just spent three hours re-twining it and giving it supports. here it is before the re-do it is on that wine rack I hung up, and was climbing OUT the window, and onto the wall to the west.. I thought about cutting it back again and moving it to the basement closet where the stictocardia is, hoping to see it bloom, but changed my mind.That window has a breeze, but it has good south light in the day time supported with the other lights. There is also a hederafolia var. lutea to the left of it, it seems they are growing together.
Dave, what kind of a dog is Kea? She looks very similar to my neighbor's dog that they just got. I'm sure their's is a mix, but when I asked the little one today she didn't know what kind theirs is.
Sorry to hear of your loss. They are very beloved companions. It's just like losing a member of the family. Do take time to grieve. It's a natural thing. Then you can continue to remember the good times!
Jeanne
this picture is the best picture of your best friend. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8296532
His eyes say it all.
Well it appears Santa and his elves have been working overtime. Not only did I get a surprise in my "D"mail box with a gift subscription, I got a surprise in my mailbox with some plants ! A huge Thank You to the "mystery" Santa and to Rita for the plants.
Candela and Dave - It sure is a lose when our 4 legged friends leave us. The hardest for me was "Ceira". A Rottie/Catahoula cross. When I freelanced and traveled to several farms to teach and to horse shows she went with me. I swear that dog had and internal "GPS" cause she would jump from the back seat of the truck where she would stretch out and nap till we hit the turn or driveway to where we were going then she'd be at "her" door ready to get out and greet her doggy and human friends. She was by far the most "polite" dog you'd ever want to meet. Never jumped on anyone and would sit quietly with her little stub of a tail wagging for a treat. She was with me for 17 years from the time she was 8 weeks old. She was a favorite of my students and the horse show friends and staff all around Florida and GA.
Debra, your Lady Margaret may just be semi-dormant.
Is this picture it? The leaves don't look right ? http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8296410
If they are on the cool side and not enough light they will slow down quite a bit. I got several different ones blooming now, P. vitafolia and Nephrodes is setting buds.
I planted your "mudpie" seeds. put them in a large pot, then set that pot down in another, getting a range of full - part sun, and a bit of shade. I think they are sprouting already. We've had lovely weather and finally got some good rain. I thought an inch or so and was very happy when I checked the rain gauge and it was over 2 in. ! Yeah !
I gotta go back and catch up on the thread some more !!
I love variegated foliage and although this one isn't really considered a Tropical, the color of the leaves is really pretty! This is Pelargonium Vancouver Centennial:
Mjs. that picture is the Pip vine I got from you? It is doing okay.. lady margaret is just a brown stem, as is rangoon creeper from Rita. I am afraid to up root them to investigate.
I love that plant, Lin, is it a Geranium type? Hubby Liked it too!
Hello All!
I missed one day and look at all the posts I have to catch up on. The flu is putting a damper on my gardening spirit.
Kay Jones, thanks! Hopefully, my COT will re-bound and I will have flowers in the middle of winter to show.
Joeswife, love reading your posts!! The east wall set-up is so neat and tidy. It looks show ready.
I am excited to see your Chalice vine. They bloom on the end of each stem, no trimming anywhere from Nov-Jan.
I have two RC in differient GH's. The plant in the GH that I keep no lower than 45 F has gone dormant but the one that I keep in the GH no lower than 55 F is putting out new leaves.
A guess on your second to last picture could be New Guinea Impatients.
plantladylin, those are very nice ferns, I have a few noid that I will have to post for id's. I love your Croton. I seem to have luck growing those, my prettiest, is one calld Picasso's paintbrush.
That is quite a fish tank you have there. I will have to show my DH, he is fish man.
RachelLF, My Anthurium leaves have not made it to 4 ft yet. I read where they do get that size and bigger.
The leaves on my A. Faustomirandae are torn from fallen acorns.
I like the twisting foliage better than the blooms on the Donkey ear kalanchoe
LiliMerci, the cold might have something to do with your bud not maturing. I have the same problem with a powderpuff plant.
DirtyGirl, Love your aquarium, I could never keep the real plants living in them when I had one, I had to use plastic plants.
Mjsponies, it is good to see you posting! Hope that you can get a few of those cuttings to take root for you.
Donkey ear kalanchoe
GAgirl1066, I sure would like to join joeswife going through your GH, you have so many cool plants.
I would like to see a picture of the Hoya blooming around the Philo., that would be priceless. thanks for the tour.
Metrosideros. I am so sorry that you lost your buddy Ku.
This is a interesting plant.
Ribbonbush
blooms/fruits of the Ribbonbush
Wow, I missed a whole slew of posts earlier and I'm not sure what's going on with my laptop. We upgraded with our cable company and the guy came and installed a new modem the other day ... ever since my laptop has been extremely slow to load pages. My husbands laptop and our desktop machines are fine ... but my laptop seems to be sleeping on the job. Grrr.
Debra: yes the crotons are in containers outside. I only have two left and one of them looks really pitiful, I'm not sure it will survive the winter. But, Codieum/"Croton" are a dime a dozen down here. They can be found at every garden center around so I can replace them in spring if need be.
I've never grown Castor Bean plants .. they get huge and your lovely plant does indeed make that corner look pretty! Is this one: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8296410 an Aristolochia (Dutchman's Pipe)?
Dave: I am so sorry to hear about your Ku. It's so hard when we lose a treasured member of our family, whether two or four legged. Ku is really a beautiful canine, he has extremely soulful eyes and I know he was a faithful friend and that you will miss him a lot.
Rita: Is this: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8297865 Syngonium? Beautiful! I had a Paintbrush/Picasso's Paintbrush Croton ... I will have to take a picture tomorrow but it will make you want to cry. The cold got it and I doubt if it will survive. That's one I don't see around much anymore but every so often Home Depot or Lowes will have them.
Hope it's okay to share this link. I've had it bookmarked on our computer for years. It brings tears every time I watch it but the music and visual are so nice. This is for all who have lost a beloved pet: http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html
Rita: That Ribbon Bush is really cool! I'd never heard of it so had to google and found one in Plant Files, at least I think this is the plant in your photo: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54262/ There's one photo that shows bunches of teeny white flowers, really pretty!
Dave, So sorry to hear you lost your beloved Ku. Our pets have such a special place in our hearts and when they are gone it feels so empty. I know you have many cherished memories of your times together. Perhaps you can plant a special tree in his memory and take pleasure in watching it grow.
Lin, that is some aquarium, love the live rock. My son is a salt water guy too.
Sadly we are expecting more cold weather here along the coast. :-(
Dave: I forgot to ask, is that Mexican Morning Glory a vine or shrublike? That really is a pretty plant and the flowers are gorgeous! I need to google and read about that one!
The Acer rubrum (Scarlet Maple) tree in our front yard is in full bloom right now, kind of nondescript flowers but I think they are really pretty!
edited to correct spelling.
This message was edited Jan 7, 2011 8:30 PM
