May Flowers

I love my porch in the spring. May flowers.

Yuri Orchid

My Yuri Red Velvet orchid was rescued back in April 2009 from a coworker. I've repotted it a couple of times over the years, but other than that, it just trucks along on the porch. This year, it threw out three spikes of gorgeous flowers!

February Succulents

My succulents have been looking really good this February. Usually I wouldn't expect that in February but some nice sunny days have made them thrive.

A very up close photo of the String of Pearls

 

Splitting Succulents

I've seen all sorts of pins on Pinterest about splitting succulents and I've done it before but more in a "I broke something off and stuck it in the dirt in the off change it would root" kind of way.

So I thought I would finally take a stab at doing it intentionally. A bunch of my plants were getting leggy and needed to be repotted, split or cut down. I cut everything that was too long and pulled leaves off then trimmed the remaining stalk. I laid them out so that their cut ends could dry out - about a week.

A few leaves dried out right away so those won't work. But many others survived. I just laid them on a tray of damp cactus soil and lo and behold they started sprouting! Some are sprouting with full plants while others are just shooting off roots. Either way, I have a little factory going. I'll update as I can!

Drying out the cut ends.

A whole lot of aloe that was over grown.

Tiny little roots and a wee little plant!

Winter Blooms

It is the dead of winter, we've had a cold snap or two, some huge rainstorms and yet I have a smattering of winter blooms. Two geraniums, a succulent, oxalis and rosemary. I'm really not sure what they are doing but at least they are keeping one little Anna's Hummingbird happy this winter.

Flaming Katie Geranium

Senecio Articulatus

Oxalis

Rosemary

Vancouver Centennial Geranium

Happy Little Porch

I've been neglecting all my plants but especially my porch. I repotted a bunch of plants back in July but that is about all I've done. So I finally trimmed, pruned, and cleaned everything up. They are all looking a little better.

After - clean & pruned.

Before - messing & overgrown.

Happy Little Succulents

My happy little succulents from the Succulent Show are doing so well! They have grown in and some are flowering. Overall, so happy with my little plants.

Back: Crassula perforata variegata. Front: Crassula pubescens, flowering.

Freebie in foreground with tiny white flowers.

Left: Nouveau pastel sempervivum. Front: Echeveria setosa. Back: Senecio articulatus.

Anacampseros going mad with flowers

Root Bound & Repotting

I admittedly take too long to repot my plants and they suffer for it. But when I come home with a small selection of new succulents I need to start the domino effect of moving plants into bigger pots to make room in smaller pots for the new plants. It's quite the chore and looks worse before it looks better.

My geraniums were practically cheering in their new pots!

My Ledebouria socialis was super crowded.

The new homes.

More new homes.

When Friends Move to Austin

Two of my planty friends moved to Austin within the last year and they gifted me with some of their plants. I just offer a good home and try to hide them from Ben. That didn't work very well, but they are doing great on my porch and I love the new additions. 

Geraniums That Don't Suck

Geraniums. Those atrocious thick, weird smelling plants that took over the flower boxes of all our grandmas houses. These are not those geraniums! All three of mine are blooming like mad on the porch right now.

Rescue: I have no idea what this one is but I took it from a friend who was moving out of town.

Geranium: Flaming Katie

Geranium: Vancouver Cenntenial

Spring Has Sprung

Spring is the best time ever. I have freesia bulbs under planted in my container Meyer lemon tree. For a few glorious weeks my white and red/orange freesia bloom like mad and fill my porch with the light lemony scent that makes me want to live outside for a while. They don't last long so I pick them for inside and for my office as well. Flowers are amazing.

Open Letter to My Plants - I Suck.

Dear plants,

I love you, I really do. It's just that I got distracted. I forgot about you. And I'm sorry.

I trained for and ran a marathon in early December and it ate all of my free time for months. I know that's not a good reason to neglect you, but that's what happened. Some of you have survived my marathon journey, a few have been lost and all have suffered.

For those who are still with me, I swear I will take better care of you. Today I watered and fertilized everyone - too little too late, I know but it's a start. I trimmed some of you, removed some dead (well, lot's of) leaves and made sure you weren't infested with bugs.

Porch plants, I know your home loosk horrendous and I promise to clean, organize and refresh out there. Just give me one more week.

Indoor plants, I'll give you some worm compost tea soon and a fresh layer of soil this weekend. I'll move everyone around according to the new angle of the sun, and turn you so you stop leaning weird ways. I will stake your gangly shoots and dust your leaves.

I promise.

Sincerely,
Scribby

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.

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.

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!