Saturday, April 12, 2014

Spring Blooms

 Spring is finally here! Even though I'm still in an apartment and not gardening outside, I wanted some bulbs to enjoy. So I picked up this hyacinth at Walmart, and boy does it smell great!


While I was there, I gave in to my green urges and bought this nice large palm. Never had one before, so hopefully it will be happy in my houseplant family.

 
They had this colorful bromeliad too...

 
...and I couldn't resist a new african violet with these pretty picotee blooms.


Sure hope it's as successful as the violet I've had for years, still happily blooming every couple months or so.


 My carvivorous plants are doing well, and the flytrap is putting up another bloom scape!


                    At the same time a new small 'Poi Dog' nepenthes is growing these showy pitchers.


                                                  Phalaenopsis 'Happy Girl' is still happy....

 
...even though one of her leaves is turning brown. There's plenty of healthy new growth, but her roots are becoming quite crowded. I ordered a new type of orchid pot and a specialty soil mix, I'll post the repotting when I do it (after the bloom is done).
 
 
I'm very happy with my staghorn fern, after a crispy start I finally got the watering procedure down and it's looking very promising.
 



The passionflower vine is very rambling, I'm hoping to put it outdoors this summer and get some blooms.


 Both vanilla orchids are still alive, and the solid green is looking to be much more vigorous. It's even starting to put air roots into the tree fern pole as I'd hoped it would. I'll try some orchid fertilizer to encourage the variegated to catch up.

 
 Finally it was time to begin watering the cacti again last month, and they still look pretty good for living indoors only the past 3 years. This summer they need to go out, so I'm gonna try to secure my porch and get a shelf that protects them from the elements but allows the sunshine in. If nobody vandalizes or steals them, it will be a real boost for them to get some direct sun.


If they die or disappear, then it'll be time to go shopping for more plants. Kinda win/win, I say :)

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Everything looks great! And I love that bromeliad.

Not to discourage you from fertilizing it if you want... but I think that the variegated vanilla just isn't as vigorous a grower. The botanical garden where I volunteer has both kinds in pots (cuttings from 2-3 years ago) and the variegated one looks happy and healthy, but is nowhere near as full as the plain one.

Just sharing so you don't worry too much about it. :-)

Anonymous said...

I love the smell of hyacinth! I can't have it in my bedroom for some reason, but I love it in the kitchen or bathroom.

Nice looking palm! I saw those at walmart. Did you take it into the shower and give it a soapy bath? If not, I highly suggest you do! They are notorious for spider mites! And the little f***ers are hard to eradicate if they get a toehold in your plant room! Just a drop of dish soap in a spray bottle. Saturate the plant then rinse with tepid water in the shower. Keep a close watch out for tiny webs!

Love bromeliads! Great plant. Easy to care for and it produces a baby after blooming!

Cute violet! They hate me... :(

One day I will try my hand a carnivorous plants!! I really dig those pitcher plants! I gots to has me one. :)

You are turning into quite the orchid guru!! I'd love to see those vanilla orchids bloom and your bathroom fantasy come true! How cool would that be? :)

The staghorn looks great too!
And the cacti are hanging in there, eh? I'd throw them outside too. Take a chance. People are not all evil. ;)
But, if someone does steal them, maybe they will love them too. :)

V.





Garden Broad said...

Kim-Thank you so much for the encouragement! I always knew the variegated plants in general aren't usually as vigorous as plain green, but this vanilla situation has been making me nervous. I'm relieved to know it's not a big deal :)

VKL-Thanks sooo much for the advice about the mites! I'm afraid it's been in the room long enough for an infestation to begin if it will, but so far so good.

Bromeliad baby? Cool!

Violets seem to be foolproof in those special violet pots (the un-glazed pot inside a glazed pot that holds water). The capillary action keeps them happy as heck.

If you can grow tillies in Texas, you can grow carns! I don't know if they'd like it outside (even in the shade), but they're easy enough indoors in trays of distilled water like I have them. I love the pitchers, too :)

I'm working toward that cool bathroom, in fact the staghorn fern will hopefully be part of that.

Heh, good point that a cactus thief might love & care for them too. I can promote cactus gardening! :)

Anonymous said...

I need to get one of those violet pots!! I didn't know they existed! Mom doesn't use them. She is so disappointed in me not being able to grow violets. I forget to water them!
Sounds like that pot would do the trick.

When I get done renovating, I'm getting a pitcher plant. Hopefully you can talk me through it. :)

Damn... A stag-horn would be so cool in the bathroom!
Wish I had windows in my bathroom. I'm temped by those Tube thingies you install in your roof that brings light in...the name escapes me.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Garden Broad said...

Those pots make all the difference for sure.

I'll be happy to talk you through a "pitcher expiriment" :)

"Solatube" skylights (been wanting one myself.)

Unknown said...

Hi, first id like to say im happy i found your blog, you'r going to my fav's and I think Ill come back here on regular basis :) and this post made me think its been a while since I had cactus and I think its time to get some :)

Garden Broad said...

Thank you! Cacti are one of my favorites, I say go for it! :)

MrBrownThumb said...

Sorry for the delay in coming back here to comment, but I too fell into temptation and bought some hyacinths this year just for the scent.

Garden Broad said...

Aren't they just the best early season pick-me-up? :)