Monday, May 28, 2012

Sansevieria cylindrica

I recently bought this African Spear at the wholesale florist. Soon after getting it home and in a pot, it shot out a little flower stalk. I had long white hanging blooms that were super thin. I really couldn't figure out how it would open.

The late one night I came home to find and explosion of stamen! It also had a very sweet smell kind of like a lily. By the next morning there was no more scent.

What a great little plant!





Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Indoor Orchids

I haven't been focusing on my orchids this year so I was surprised to see these bloom! Lucky me...




Friday, May 11, 2012

The Porch in Spring

Spring. The most gorgeous time of year for the porch! Everything is lush, happy, full, blooming and beautiful!

I'm enjoying it now before the burning sun tries to turn it all into plant chips.











Monday, May 7, 2012

Yuri Orchid Blooms

The Yuri Red orchid that was abandoned by a coworker over 4 years ago finally started to fill in and this year it bloomed! One spike of pretty burgundy flowers.

Now it would have been much better if the top four buds didn't get broken off by some clumsy cow. And yes it was me.





Sunday, April 22, 2012

Rescued Bonsai Gardenia

My good friend called me up one day and asked if I could take her bonsai gardenia. When I showed up it might have been bone dry and very crispy. It looks super sad now that I took all the dead leaves off but it think it might come back to life. Since it's a bonsai, it might take years. Wish me luck!



Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Succulent Planter

One old succulent, one from a friend's overgrown planter and three new ones from Home Depot and I made an adorable little container!



Saturday, March 24, 2012

Porch Maintenance

I've neglected my porch something awful in the last year. My poor potted plants are overwatered since they live on an afternoon sun, stucco porch. This means extra salt and lacking nutrients. I was starting too have insect problems which is also a sign of unhealthy soil.

So I bit the bullet, bought some super rich organic compost and set out to replace half the soil in each pot with new rich soil.

On a lovely early spring day, I pulled each plant out and broke off the outside soil. Or like the potato plant tree, cut it off with a knife! If nothing else all the plants looked better for the love and care. A month later, they are all looking lovely and much healthier.




Thursday, February 23, 2012

Five Days Until Death

In case you forgot that I am a not really a plant miracle worker, here's one for you. A little fern from Home Depot to brighten up my office. It took exactly five days to turn from lush green to this. Fail.




Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Flower Arrangements

I sort of love making arrangements for friends & dinner parties. I wish
I could afford to do it more. Here is a small sample.

















Friday, February 17, 2012

I've Been Bad, Very Bad

I've been on a plant buying hiatus for over a year. Trying to save money and focus on what I already had. Well, I've lost a couple of plants from age and/or pest infestation. I really need to amend all the soil of my potted plants but in the mean time I fell off the wagon.

From Home Depot
Pink Breath of Heaven, Coleonema pulchrum


From Home Depot
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Narrowleaf chalksticks, Senecio vitalis
Sedum brown bean, Sedum rubrotinctum



From the wholesale florist
Rubber plant
Sansevaria cylinderica



I won't admit that I bought other plants for me office. Didn't happen.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Over Grown Office

A friend posted that their coworkers were giving her crap for having "too many" office plants. Really she only had a few.

In a show of solidarity, I posted this photo of my office plants. Not all of them, but enough to prove a point. And yes...I very well may have too many.