Crocus (2013)

Something tells me I should be holding back a little, and not dump posts too fast on this new blog. In fact, I really should be keeping something to be a bit more constant in my posts instead of dumping and being silent for some time.

After all, while the nice season for taking pictures of plants and flowers outside is coming up, I will have to deal with months where nothing interesting will be happening (November to March).

But I can't help it.

Spring is finally starting to come around; snow is gone, however it is still a little cool and the yard is a mess of slimy residue, nothing to be too excited for at this time.

I was looking back at pictures I've taken over the years, and thought that I might have enough there to partake in Throwback Thursdays on the blog, at least for some time. As such, these pictures should be kept for Thursday, but I really can't wait for Spring flowers to start popping up this year, I figured I'd post these pictures now (as I was looking at them this morning).

Crocuses. One of my favourite Spring flowers. I would love to plant some on my property, yet I seem unable to find bulbs around here to be purchased.

The following pictures were taken on my birthday last year. I took the day off and went around taking pictures with the new camera I received as a gift from my boyfriend. I remember it being a lovely warm and sunny day. But warm means slim pickings for crocuses that were still nice and upright.

Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri)

Along with thinking that Thanksgiving cacti were Christmas cacti (in fact, I didn't know that Thanksgiving cacti existed), I also thought that Christmas cacti and Easter cacti were the same thing, having being around being that used the name interchangeably and since we had cacti that bloomed both around Christmas and Easter.

All the reading I've done over the past few months has shown me that I was wrong, but that I apparently wasn't the only one that thought that way.

In any case, when it became clear to me that these were all different plants, I felt the need to have at least one of each. Looking at pictures, it then dawned on me that I actually used to own an Easter cactus; back when it first flowered for me, I remembered being amused that the blooms look different from the other "Christmas/Easter" cacti I had but didn't think more of it (nevermind that the segments also looked totally different), probably justifying it as being part of a different variety.

My first Hatiora gaertneri, circa 2008

I have since lost that Hatiora gaertneri and when I realized that this was in fact a different plant from my Schlumbergera, well this annoyed me greatly.

So off on a search for a Hatiora gaertneri I went. The problem is, these are apparently very hard to come by where I live, and are definitively not available in March, especially when Easter happens to be in late April!

I frequently visited my favourite garden center (as I thought it was the most likely location to receive them), in hopes that one day they would show up. Eventually, I talked with the employee I saw the most frequently and he indicated that they should get some the second week of April. Over my many visits, it became apparent that the new stock came in late in a week and I got confirmation that new plants did in fact arrive on Thursday.

Which meant that last Thursday, a stop at the garden center after work imposed itself. I got in all giddy, but was quickly disappointed when I walked around, spotted loads of new plants associated with Spring but no sign of a single Hatiora gaertneri. That is until my boyfriend pointed out a box that was slightly opened, on top of a second box of equal dimensions, and we looked in.

And there they were, not yet unboxed.

Box 1

Box 2

Soon enough (although it didn't feel like it), we spotted the employee (I really should ask him his name!) and asked if we could take some out, he smiled and nodded (he knew I was waiting for these) and even let us open the second box, so I could pick.

I wanted an orange specimen and had a few plants to pick from and took my time, getting my boyfriend to hold whichever plant I liked the best as I went through them. Funnily enough, this man hovered around, also appearing to want to look in the boxes so I moved to let him in (I can share) but this apparently wasn't enough. When I walked away, that is when he swarmed in.

 I didn't pick the one that had the biggest buds, but I think I went for the one that looked best overall. And since bringing it home last Thursday, the buds have grown and I can't wait for the first bloom to open!

Overall, the choices of colour were orange, pale pink, dark magenta, red and white. It does seem choice is limited compared to what one can get with Schlumbergera. As I went through the boxes, I did look at some of the other coloured plants and found some fallen segments. I picked some up and will try to root them. But that will be for another day!

Schlumbergera - Part 2

I don't think this will be as long as part one, as I don't have nearly as much history with these plants, but you never know...

I'll continue numbering from where I left off (so we'll be staring at number four here) and in this case, I'll be going in order the plants were purchased.

Thanksgiving cactus #4

In truth, #4 and #5 were both purchased on the same occasion, from a big box store that will remain nameless. I did go to this store to find Schlumbergera, and more specifically, one who's blooms were (some variation of) orange. And since I selected #4 before #5, it gets the privilege to go "first".

This lovely specimen came in a six inch pot, and was really reasonably priced. It was hidden on a shelf, likely because it had no flowers left (neither did the other Schlumbergera available in this size pot or those available in four inch pots). So why would I, when I was looking for a very specific buy not only one, but two plants that show no obvious indication of being what I was looking for?

Because they were a really good deal and apparently I have no will power.

Truthfully though, there was one plant that had a label in in that would lead you to believe you that that specific one was orange. However, since none of the others had a label and that I don't believe that store is particularly careful about labels going in the proper plant and that it could have easily been misplaced and that the plant to which it was associated at the time looked pretty bad, I passed and got the one pictured above instead.

I had purchased this just as I had transplanted the other three at home and not knowing if they were all going to make it, it was my opportunity to get a nice full plant for cheap.

Flower bud?

I'm hopeful that I might this one to bloom in the near future. It appears to have what might be flower buds showing here and there - they are still tiny little things and are dark purple in colour.


Thanksgiving cactus #5

Unlike #4, this one is in a four inch pot and wasn't nearly as much of a deal as the other, nor did it look too great when I got it. So why did it come home? Because, based on the dried flowers that were within it's plastic envelope, it might be orange. Now there is no guarantee; the flower could have changed colour a little when drying, it could have come from another plant...but I figured it was worth the risk. Unlike #4 though, it doesn't seem keen to be producing flower buds right now, instead focusing on new segments.

New segment growing!

Thanksgiving cactus #6

This one was purchased the same week as the two previous plants, but from a different store.

Having purchased two new plants already, did I need a third one that also was not in bloom? No. However, this one was labelled red and based on what I could see, if flowers are true to what came with it (and this store is better with labeling when they do), the blooms should be similar to the ones on the Schlumbergera I thought I was losing.

New segment!

And...it was on sale. A plant this size for ten dollars seemed like a good bargain so home it came!

Tiny flower bud

So this is it for my fairly mature Thanksgiving cacti. I do have a few cuttings on the go, as well as a small pot with a few cuttings that was given to me with I was told were from a true Christmas cactus, but I have a feeling they might be the same as what I already have. Those cuttings are still small so it is hard tell for sure, and it will be covered in a subsequent post.

Schlumbergera - Part 1

I have a small (possibly slightly out of control) obsession with Schlumbergera; namely the one also referred to Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) that, until very recently and before knowing any better, I used to refer to as Christmas cactus. The obvious difference being that Thanksgiving cactus have the more pointy ended segments (referred to "cat face" by my boyfriend), whereas Christmas cactus have more rounded edges. To be perfectly honest, I love both, it just appears that my collection does not seem to have a genuine Christmas cactus in it!

This post will focus on the Schlumbergera I have owned for longer than a year, to keep it at a reasonable length, and the more recent plants will get their own post later.

To keep things organized, I'll number the plants since I don't know any of their specific names; and because I need to start somewhere, I'll go from the plant I was the most convinced would survive after those months of neglect to the one I thought I would lose.

Thanksgiving cactus #1

Although a little flimsy, I was pretty sure this plant would make it and when it came to re-potting it, I gave it one of my favourite new planters (the colour is much nicer in person, I swear!). It has also been located near a window that face south, but that doesn't let in direct sunlight (there is shading provided by a fence on one side and a portion of the house that sticks out on the other) and it seems to love it there. The plant has perked up and the colour has gotten more vibrant and it is growing.

When I transplanted it, it actually had a few flowers that I thought would likely fall as a result, but they didn't and I was blessed with three blooms in March. These pictures were taken at the end of that month, just after the last flower was spent and fell off. Since, a few new flower buds have popped so I'll be lucky and get another small flowering out of it this Spring!

This plant is actually the result of one main branch, not multiple plants, and is more heavy on one side. However, new shoots are growing on the other side and I'm guessing it'll fill out eventually. I also have no idea when I acquired it so am clueless about it's potential age.

Showing new growths

The "other" side

Here is what its bloom looks like (I'll have more pictures in another post)

Thanksgiving cactus #2

I am fairly certain this specific Schlumbergera was purchased in early 2008, right after the Holidays, with no flowers left on it from a local supermarket that had it and a few others on a liquidation shelf (the whole set-up made it look like the plants would be thrown out if not sold by the end of that week).

Prior to being transplanted, this branch was in a pot with two or three other branches. The others obviously didn't make it, they were dead/rotting and I had some cleaning up to do prior to re-potting it. Because of the other dead parts, there was a little part of me that thought that this one might go the same way, and the segments were quite purple/burgandy looking in colour.

It is now located on a long narrow table with other plants under a east facing window and south facing patio door. Yet, it is not in direct light so it seems fairly happy. The segments are slowly returning to a more natural looking green. This might have to do with either better lighting or fresh soil bringing much needed nutrients, or possibly other reasons I can't think of.

New growths, too early to say if leaves or flowers (or both!)

 More new growths (and I'm fairly certain there is at least two potential flower buds there!)

If I'm not mistaken and this is the plants I referred to earlier, here is what hte flowers looked like in December 2008 - again, I purchased this guy to save it, did not know what colour the flowers would be. (This picture was taken under flash.)

 Thanksgiving cactus #3

This one I thought I would lose. It was very shriveled, very lanky and just looked like it was on the brink of dying. And had I lost it, out of all the Schlumbergera featured on this page, this one would have made me the saddest.

Why?

This one I grew from a cutting from my mom's plant. I've had this one the longest, although I can't remember when I started the plant (didn't note it down, seemed irrelevant back then). I re-potted it, hoping it would survive. I did remove some of the worse looking segments, so that the plant wouldn't have to focus reviving them and put its energy towards the segments that looked like they had a chance. Through the weeks, I pruned back when segments looked like they were beyond saving. On a few occasions, I almost gave up and thought I had to let it go entirely.

But then some of the segments started to look plumper. And before I knew it, it started to raise itself, holding itself taller. These pictures were taken in late March and it was on it's way to getting better, but still looks a little slouchy. I really ought to take pictures now and do a before/after post.

New growth! Flower or segment?

 More new growths!

A little slouchy but on the mend

I don't have a picture of the flowers from this guy and, since my mom had two Schlumbergera, it will either be pink or red with some white. I do believe the cutting came from the latter plant and it produces a really nice flower.

That is it for the Schlumbergera I had for longer than a year and that needed some love and attention to bring back to health. Part two to follow!

African Violets

Let's begin to showcase what I have here. I figured species specific posts might be a good way to go, otherwise it wold make for a very long post.

African violets (Saintpaulia) - I remember my mom having them when I grew up. I also used to have a number of them, although I don't recall any following when we moved. I also used to propagate them a lot (I didn't do anything fancy either, cut a leaf and plopped it into a pot with regular potting soil) and it worked most of the time. I'm actually trying to propagate some now and I know at least one leaf has taken up roots so far.

 Although fairly easy to maintain (if not entirely forgotten about), and available in many MANY varieties, I only have two mature plants, and both recently purchased.

This first one I got from the liquidation shelf at my favourite garden center in town for less than a dollar. While not in bloom at the time, I saw tiny flower buds that were about to shoot up and the plant looked generally healthy so I brought it home. I didn't really know what the colour would be, but who doesn't enjoy a surprise? And I got to "save" a plant!

The flowers are fairly small and look really delicate. I quite like them. Nice deep violet with a white edging.

The second African violet plant is pictured below. There is a funny story with this one. I actually bought it around the same time as African violet #1 (if not on the same day). This one I got from the local supermarket. They had a small display with a few plants and this one was the most interesting looking I found. I picked it up to look at it and just as I did, another women came to the table, picked a few and put them in her basket then kept eying the one in my hand and hovered around, probably waiting to see if I was going to put it back down and likely would have snatched it up as well. But I didn't. I have to say, the fact that it was being coveted by someone else made it all the more tempting to purchase (as well as the low price, although not as low as African violet #1)!

The cuttings I have growing will likely get their own posts. And, if successful, I'm not entirely sure what the end colour of that/those plant(s) will be. Guess I'll have to wait and see!

There is always a first post

I never quite know what to say when starting something new like this, and, to be honest, it's been a few years since I started my last blog.

My intention with this one is not to get a following, I really intend this to be more of a journal for myself - so why bother with a big introduction? Well, you never know how things can turn out.

It grows on me? What is it about?

Plants. The pun filled title was suggested by my significant other. Funny thing is, I've been toying with the idea of starting this blog for some time, but didn't do it because I couldn't come up with a title. I'm terrible at that. This morning I asked him what I should call it and he suggested "It grows on me". Given it is about my foray into gardening (inside and out, the latter whenever the weather will allow for it!), it only seem fitting.

My passion for plants is something I inherited from my mother's side of the family; she's always had a green thumb and I remember my grand parents having lots of plants around their house; their property was also, for quite some time, converted into a huge garden. They have since passed away and, over the last few weeks, when I rediscovered the joy I had taking care of my plants, I also found it to be a way to reconnect with them, to share something with them in a way.

Here I am mentioning "over the last few weeks" - time for a little admission. We moved into a new house in 2012. Plants I had in our apartment followed, however, as 2012 progressed (into what was a pretty bad year for many reasons), the attention I bestowed upon the plants dwindled and, in 2013, it seems like I did the bare minimum, as I was focusing my attention into getting other things in my life in a better place. Ultimately, a few of the plants died, but a few of my favourites did survive, although had I let things go for any longer, I think they were going on their way out. As the other aspects in my life settled (for the better) and in a mad dash to try to salvage the few plants that had survived, I picked away the worse parts and repotted what might be saved. Turns out, a few weeks later, all of them made it and they look like they are thriving, but more on that in other posts.

As well, because Spring took forever to show up this year, I felt like I needed some green in the house to compensate (which prompted the saving of the plants mentioned above), I added a few more to my collection. I've also tried to propagate some of the plants I have (or cuttings that were found lose in the garden center), so we'll see what those will bring.

Anyways, to wrap things up, the purpose of this blog is for me to keep track of how the plants are doing, in hopes that I won't let them get as bad as they were. And, as I like to take pictures, this is just an excuse to share them!