houseplants — Page 19

On Thursday

November 2, 2017 at 9:09 am by Claudia

This morning’s view (taken just a few minutes ago) of the living room. After a gray and rainy day yesterday, it looks like the sun is going to make an appearance.

Don is in the middle of all the celebrations going on in Houston. Congrats to the Astros! This morning, as I came downstairs, I remembered everything Houston has been through this year and, though this victory doesn’t set everything to rights, it sure must help to be able to celebrate something wonderful.

By the way, the cast of Margaritaville got a VIP tour of NASA yesterday – they got to see some stuff that one doesn’t see on the standard tour. Don had a great time. NASA even had a welcome to the cast message, with the show’s logo, on their monitor in Mission Control. Somebody bought me a T-shirt. He also got a few little presents for our Little Z. He’s a good uncle.

I’ve been bringing this plant back from the almost-dead. It’s one of the two plants that Don didn’t water when I was in Hartford. Remember? One did bite the dust, but this one had life in it so I took it back to Hartford with me. There are still bits of brown that I am hesitant to pull out because there’s often green growth further along on the stem. It’s so much better than it was!

I have errands to run today and, I think, dinner with Rick and Doug tonight. I leave for Chicago a week from tomorrow. It’s a pretty quick turnaround. But there’s a family gathering planned for the day after I get there and I don’t want to miss it. My niece and nephew will be there with their families, as well as Mere and her family.

Happy Thursday.

Winding Down

October 31, 2017 at 10:33 am by Claudia

After a morning of wind rattling the windows in the den (it’s always louder there) I moved my laptop into the living room. (I felt like I was in the storm scene in King Lear.) Much better. Though it was still unbelievably windy until about 6 pm, I felt much calmer. I guess all this mayhem was due to Tropical Storm Phillippe. I know that many are without power here in the Northeast. I am very grateful that I never lost power. But – if I had – I’d have still been able to cook because we have STELLA! And she runs on propane gas, so we’re prepared for a power outage now. I can still have coffee. I can make dinner. (Coffee being the most essential.)

I arrived home on Saturday to morning glories in bloom. The blooms are limited to this little area right outside the kitchen door. All the other sections where morning glories are planted are either gone because of that freeze or winding down. Today, there are two blooms. Since we are due for a freeze tonight, this may be their swan song. I’m okay about it. If Mother Nature gives me all of October to enjoy my garden, I’m more than grateful. I find I can handle saying goodbye in November. This year, I think the only porch plant I’ll overwinter is my geranium and the potted palm that gets bigger every year and is indestructible, despite having been knocked over by the wind twice this year.

The hollyhock is still blooming as well. I almost didn’t buy this plant because it didn’t look like the previous year’s hollyhock – can you believe it? I’m so glad I changed my mind. This baby has been the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you, sweet hollyhock.

What else? I’ve been reading about houseplants. I bought a book through Amazon – The House Plant Expert by Dr. D. G. Hessayon – that was published many years ago in Great Britain. It’s the “World’s Best-Selling Book on Houseplants” and it’s packed with great information and photos from the seventies. I heard it mentioned on a podcast so I ordered it. Which reminds me: I have to get that list together for you of Instagram accounts centering on houseplants and the few podcasts I have discovered. Now that I’m home, I’ll start working on that.

Yesterday, I was remembering the books I used to have on houseplants. I bought them in that previously referred to period in the seventies. I wish I still had them. They were fun and I learned a lot from them. I wonder if I can remember the titles? Maybe they are available somewhere out there in the vast cyber world? I do remember the books on talking to your plants. Still good advice, I think. I’ve begun talking to mine, just like I talk to the plants in my garden and the trees on the property.

Okay – now I’m determined to find those books. Wish me luck!

I’m debating whether to tackle the fourth and final wall in the kitchen. It’s a bit more problematic as it involves emptying and moving the china cabinet. We’ll see. This would be the perfect time to do it as I have a week and a half before I fly to Chicago.

Happy Birthday to my nephew (Mere’s eldest) who is 24 today. And Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law (Don’s little brother) who is 60 today.

Happy Tuesday.

Much to Do

October 18, 2017 at 9:12 am by Claudia

We may be at the end of the road for my beloved morning glories. I say ‘may’ because I was absolutely sure when I returned home last night that they were gone. It 9 pm and dark when I pulled in the driveway. As I walked to the door, I stopped to see if they had made it. All the leaves were wilted, so I figured they had died during the day.

The moonflower, which grew so slowly this year that I never even got a flower, is definitely gone.

But this morning, as I look outside, I see some of the big buds trying to open. Maybe there’s a last hurrah yet in store? I’ll keep you posted.

As I was mourning them last night, I thought about the big fat bumblebees who love them. Like this one, who spent Monday night tucked in the center of a flower and at just about the time I left for the city, was finally waking up and backing out of his temporary lodging. I snapped this picture right before I left.

I’ve seen this more than once this year. As Don says, it’s like a scene from a Disney movie. Big fat bumble bee flies around, chooses a flower, flies into the center, drinks his fill of pollen, then falls asleep. I am absolutely charmed by this bee-havior. I kept thinking about this guy off and on throughout the day yesterday.

I have much to do today – the list seems endless – before I leave tomorrow morning. Because I had to work in the city yesterday, and I’m grateful for the work, I lost a day of prep. After I post this, I’ll make a list.

I was thinking about the many plants I had in my bedroom in the early seventies. It was a jungle in there, with hanging plants, plants on stands, plants on tables – they were everywhere. Anyway, one of the plants that I had forgotten about was the dieffenbachia or dumb cane (because it can numb your tongue if ingested.) I really loved that plant. It’s the kind of plant that was very popular then but one that I don’t see much anymore.

So there I was in Lowes, looking for another Zz plant (there were none) and I saw this dieffenbachia jammed into the rear area of a shelf, looking – frankly – like a lot of plants I see at home centers; root bound, not watered enough, big brown spots on the leaves, as well as yellowing leaves. It was only $5.98, so I told it I was coming to its rescue.

I brought it home, repotted it, and removed the yellow leaves.

One good sign – there are new leaves unfurling.

I remember the one I had back in the day being quite large. This baby is rather modest in size. Let’s see what happens.

Okay. Have to get a move on. Much to be done today and I was up too late last night because I couldn’t have my dinner until 9:30 – so I had to give it time to digest. Unfortunately, my internal alarm clock woke me at the usual time, so there we are.

Happy Wednesday.

On Thursday

Winding Down

Much to Do

claudiahillsparks

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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