Planter Box, Charleston SC

I was just in Charleston South Carolina for a conference. I have been there a couple times before and each time, I am amazed at how different the plants are there. Coming from the Sacramento Valley, lush ferns are just not seen unless there is an unending devotion to keeping them alive.

We were walking around the old part of town, down by the Battery, and this is just one of many window planter boxes that were brimming with very happy ferns, elephant ears and other moisture and shade loving plants. It was just gorgeous - and you could tell, there wasn't a lot of maintenance going on. Just the right plants in the right place. Sometime people are just so good at this!

Bird of Paradise, blooming

Finally! Back in early September, I posted about my bird of paradise and that there where possible flowers growing. It is now about 2 1/2 months later and the first of the two have bloomed. I really love these flowers cause they are just weird.

Now that it's cooler outside, the second flower is growing really slowly. I don't think it will actually make it's way out until February if its makes it through the winter.

Fern in the Urn

Kangaroo Fern: Phymatosorus diversifolius.

When we first moved into our condo, my mom and I went shopping at the wholesale florist cause it's cheap and fun. We went a little crazy and ended up with lots of stuff including medium sized banana plants (which I overwatered and killed, by they by) and a great little Kangaroo fern in about a 6 inch pot.

I've never had great luck with ferns, because I can't keep that evenly moist soil they love so much. But this one was on the leathery side, not the soft feathery side so I figured, what the hell? And then I found a kick ass, red ceramic urn that would fit perfectly on this weird little square of railing in our stairwell to the loft.

So began the Fern in the Urn.

It gets really great morning light through this otherwise useless round window no one can reach, and after almost killing it a couple of times I figured out a way to get that evenly moist soil. Two tricks really.

1) I have a jug of water that lives right below it and I water it every time I go upstairs to work. Of course, if I'm not working up there it starts to die.

2) I bought this super cheesy LED water sensor for $8. It flashes when the soil is drying out.

Between these two things, it's been growing like mad for 4 years now. It sends out little fuzzy feelers, trying to grow more, so I trim those about one a year. I think I should probably transplant it sometime, but it's doing really well, so I keep not doing that.

It's pretty gratifying to keep a fern alive and I love that it is taking over our stairwell!