Grow a cactus today...

Do you have sunny window sill? Yes, grow a cactus... The cactus might even bloom...Growing a cactus requires very little work. I water my cactus once a month and it grows fine. In fact, if you pay more attention to the cactus it might die from love...People tend to water when dry...For a cactus to much water will rot and kill the plant. So neglect your cactus and be rewarded...If more then one cactus, you have cacti....What are you waiting for grow a desert plant...

In profile, email now listed

Hey--you want to contact me direct--nows your chance---my email is available on my profile. Please inquire about my many plants..clivias etc....would be willing to part with some for the right deal..drop me a line

I just added my email

Hi again, I added my email for your writing pleasure..Feel free to contact me regarding the clivia plants.....Merry Christmas, happy holidays and everything else...

Is there an interest in clivia seedlings?

I have numerous clivia seedlings, many that were very expensive seeds. I'm like a kid in the candy store that wants everything. I ordered way too many seeds, now have 6 month old clivias that need a home. Do you think there would be an interest in purchasing seedlings if I post on Daves Garden website? Please leave your comment or advice? I have red flower seedlings, yellow, pinkish, apricot color and a variety called ghost.

Gran Bahia Principe resort

Gran Bahia Principe resort in Jamaica----Jealous of my trip..Unfortunately, I'm back with the cold rainy weather of New York. Why did I come back? I have many lovely photos of the trip sites and plants..I will be posting in the near future..stay tuned...

Jamaica Hibiscus

I have wonderful pictures of Jamaica... I will be posting more each day..I've been busy planning a wedding with my fiance...a little preoccupied at the moment...

Jamaica trip

For a week, I will be posting my Jamaica trip photos. Does anyone recognize this butterfly?

I'm back!!

I've been away for awhile recovering from the work with the General Elections. With time on my hands now, I've started my plant buying again. I just recently purchased several Kelly Griffin aloe hybrids. I was able to find a plant collector who sold me a couple plants. I did extensive research to finally locate a person with this plant. I've been told its more common to find this plant at succulent societies in so California. Of course, I live in New York so this could be a little problem. The plant can be found on eBay occasionally for crazy amounts of money. I will receive the plants hopefully early next week. I will post all three photos....

Love fall leaves

OK enough of the fall, when does spring start???

Plant tulips now!!!

Plant your tulips NOW!!!! Time is running out!!! I just planted 100 tulips...can't wait for the spring!!!!

Fancy MUMS

It is amazing the variety of mums that exist. I find the fancier the mums the less hardy they are. I plant them all the time outside. They rarely last for more then a couple of years...

Asters

Try growing native asters like the New York or New England Aster. This photo is the New England aster. You can tell by the name the area or region it grows. There are many beautiful native flowers you can grow. Many of the native flowers are becoming less common due to developments and alien plants taking over. Trying growing native, lets keep them around....

Boophane disticha

Boophane disticha is a small genus of bulbs found in South Africa. The flowers are composed of many star shaped flowers. This plant is often grown for the ornamental curly leaves. This bulb is extremely poisonous. It has been used to make poison tip arrows. If you have an animal or small child, do not grow this plant. It requires full sun in a fast draining medium. My plant, I try to water everyday. It does have a dormant period where it requires less water typically in the winter time. I just started growing this plant so I’ll have to see what happens this winter. As you might have noticed, South Africa has a wealth of interesting native bulbs..I would love to visit one day…

Starting to get cold!!!

I have been so busy at work that I've neglected my plants outside. My Ponderosa lemon had all its leaves frost bitten. The leaves are all droopy and dying. Fortunately, the plant stems are fine. In a few weeks with TLC more leaves will grow. I'm letting my plumerias outside go dormant. They are starting to drop their leaves. The plumeria I have are deciduous so leaf drop is normal. I keep the plumeria in dim lit room and water occasionally. In the spring, I place them in sunlight and like magic start to grow. My smaller citrus trees, about 2 inches high were not affected by the cold. They were surrounded by other pots sheltering them. My Amorphophallus leaves are gone and I'm ready to bring them in the house for the winter rest. I had 2 pots with Amorphophallus that never grew. I was dumping out the soil and noticed the bulbs had little shoots. These plants can go dormant for as long as a year. The one bulb had a small bite in it from a squirrel. This bulb should be fine. With the temperature dropping outside, the leaves falling, I'm focusing on indoor plants...by the way my clivia is getting buds again!!!

NOW AD FREE

You may have noticed I know longer have ads. The purpose of this blog was to be informative and spark an interest in gardening. I really don't have a desire to make google rich with their ads. I believe they make plenty of money without my contribution. I thought the ads would be a useful source for people interested in my plant discussions. Personally, I thought the ads were horrid and made the site to commercial. Many of the ads were companies, I personally wouldn't recommend. Instead, I will recommend a company that I've had a positive experience with for that particular plant. For every other plant do a basic search on the Internet and pick the best price. I would highly recommend EBay. I find many of my plants on this site with a good price. Currently, I grow plants for fun and want to share my love of plants with the world.....Work was crazy today..like usual..The plant didn't show up from Friday....in case you were wondering....

Arisaema photo

Arisaema "Jack in the Pulpit"

People often think of planting tulips, daffodils and crocuses in the fall. These are not the only bulbs you can plant. Why not try trillium or other native wildflowers? I just bought a large Arisaema speciosum var mirabile (Jack in the Pulpit) that is hardy in my area, Zone 7 with protection. This plant is from the forests 9,000 feet or more in the Himalayas of Nepal and south west China. The native Jack in the Pulpit is Arisaema triphyllum which is native to the NE United States. Arisaema can be found in many parts of the world like eastern, central Africa, Asia and eastern United States. The Jack in the Pulpit has one divided leaf . It appears that I grow plants with only one leaf like the Amorphophallus. Rest assure, I grow other many leaf plants…..

Office plant stolen

This post has nothing to do with fall plants. I had to vent my anger over a loser at work. I have a co-worker named Gloria who is a plant nut like myself. Time permitting, we converse on the subject of plants. I often will bring additional plants from home for her to display at work. Gloria had a plant called the Lipstick plant. She grew it from a cutting and was about to flower. This plant over night on Thursday was stolen. Gloria would have been more than happy to grow a cutting for the person. Instead they just stole it. I joked with Gloria that I would bring in a poison ivy plant and label it rare, expensive and do not touch. Why would a person steal a plant worth a few dollars? I don't wish anything bad for this person, but if they fell off a cliff, I wouldn't be overly concerned....

Unknown flower in Puerto Rico

I came across this photo in my Puerto Rico album. I went to Puerto Rico about 8 years ago. I never bothered to try and figure out the name of this plant. Does anyone have any suggestions? It was over 5 feet tall. I especially like the flower but also the leaf. This is definitely a plant I would grow if I lived in the tropics.. Living in the tropics has it benefits but also a ton of bugs. Certain plants require a chill period to bloom or produce fruit. Ever notice there are no apple trees grown in tropical areas. The apple tree needs the chill period to produce fruit. The same is for plums, peaches, apricots etc. Apparently every area has its advantages. I still would love to grow a mango tree in my backyard. Maybe with global warming, New York will be warm enough. Unfortunately, we would be underwater on Long Island from the melting of the ice caps....When does Spring start?....

Plant daylilies now!!!!

This time of year people think about planting fall bulbs. This is actually a good time to plant perennials. At least here, the plants will have a good month of growing after planting. In the spring, the plants will have established roots which mean bigger plants and more flowers. You can often get daylilies as much as 75% off. The day lilies will look crappy with no flowers but after closer inspection, you can see if the plant is healthy. I bought last year a daylily for $5.00 dollars on sale from $19.99. Now go out there and get some bargains!!!!

Tulips

The famous tulip is a genus of over 150 species of flowering bulbs in the Liliaceae. The plants are native in southern Europe, Iran, North Africa and Asia. The tulip is widely grown all across America. The bulb requires a long cool spring and a moderate winter. Typically the bulb has one flower but as many a 4 flowers. The tulip to me is fascinating in the varieties that are out there. Honestly, I’m not overly impressed by the tulip. I feel the flower doesn’t last long enough. Of course, I love daylilies and they only bloom for a day. The daylily makes up for it with many buds. Many interesting varieties have formed by viruses altering the plant. Back in the 1600’s in Holland, a virus formed a tulip variety called the Vicorey. This bulb was reported to be sold for exorbitant prices. It was reported a single bulb was bought for 12 acres of land. Even now, new varieties will demand a very high price because of supply and demand. All one has to do is wait a couple of years and the prices go way down. If I can wait 5 years for a clivia to bloom from a seed, I can wait a few years for prices to go down. My favorite spring bulb is the crocus. I love how the snow crocus often will bloom very early in snow. My snow crocuses often bloom in late February. A welcome sight at the ending of the winter. My second favorite is the daffodil. You would be amazed at the different colors that exist. Plant now and enjoy the spring even more….

Planting fall bulbs

I love the fall. The changing of the leaves are beautiful. The cooling temperatures is nice after a hot summer. It also is a time of year that can be sad. The impending cold weather with snow and ice on the horizon. It is this time of the year I start to focus on the spring. I love the early spring with the first crocus blooming and then the other bulbs like tulips. As you see from the catalogs in the mail and the local nurseries, this is the ideal time to plant spring bulbs. I love planting bulbs now anticipating the flowers after a cold hard winter. This time of year I also focus on my plants outside that I have to bring in. I get reacquainted with my lovely houseplants. Enjoy the season before its over. You can continue planting bulbs until the ground freezes in colder areas. Make sure you order the bulbs now or go to your local nursery before they sell out. Usually the nurseries later in November have sales on the remaining bulbs. You can find some good deals but with a reduced selection. I would check out the many catalogs and sites on the Internet. There are more than one variety of daffodil..Why not try a pink daffodil? Be the talk of your neighborhood!!!!

Japanese maple

Japanese maples are very easy to care for with very little problems. Occasionally, a few pests will show up like aphids or scales. These pests can cause leaf drop but not death of the plant. Scorching may be a problem during high temperatures and wind. Keep your tree well watered during dry spells. Pruning is not necessary for these trees. Just plant them and enjoy. There is a wide variety out there.

Fall scene painted by my father

More on Japanese maples on Saturday

I will discuss more on Japanese Maples on Saturday. Today, I had to vent on my snail problem. I'm not sure what butterfly this is, but I had to post. I was able to find it on a free photo page on the internet..Enjoy

Snail infestation

I'm hoping for a very cold winter. The last winter was great with little snow and moderate temperatures. The only problem was many of the garden pests flourished also. We have a terrible snail problem. They are everywhere chewing leaves like crazy. I have holes in many of my plants. My mothers solution to the problem is throwing the snails over the fence, next door. I had some powder to spread that controls the snails. It is mainly a salt that kills the snail. Unfortunately, I don't think you want to eat these snails. The French eat a different variety. Hopefully, we have a bitter winter..Of course it will probably kill some of my less hardy plants. I just can't win...I do have the fun of replacing the dead plants with others...

Flower painting by my father

Hey, do you recognize the flowers in the painting??...This is an original painting from my father.

Maple

Today was a crazy day at work. I usually have a few minutes to enter my blog article. Today, I'm only posting 2 pictures of some leaves from my trees. I'm involved in the November elections and have been working like crazy...More tomorrow...

Wonderful Japanese Maple leaves

Acer palmatum, Japanese maple

The Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, is a deciduous tree reaching heights of 18-30 feet. The size will vary according to the variety. There is a Japanese maple tree for every area in the yard. It is usually an understory tree in the woods. When grown from seeds, the tree will often vary greatly from the parent. For this reason, there are over 1000 varieties that exist on the market. I happen to like the smaller dwarf like trees. I currently have 2 trees growing in a very large pot. The most common tree is the red leaf variety. You can choose from a wide variety of leaf shapes. The leaves will be lobed with five, seven, or nine pointed lobes. This leaf is perfect for drying and using in crafts. It retains the color dried. Growing seeds require a cold period to germinate. I will post a picture tomorrow of one of my trees…

My favorite plant is the tree....

My favorite plant to grow is trees. I especially enjoy growing trees from seeds. I have grown Gingko trees. Unfortunately it got a fungus and died. For the holidays, I grew a chestnut tree bought from the store. The chestnut is very easy to grow. I simply planted the nuts and keep the soil moist. In about 3 weeks, I had a tree. The roots grew so fast that the plastic pot actually cracked. This tree also came to a bad end. I had no where to plant it and couldn’t give it away. I lost interest, and it dried out in the pot. By the time I realized, it was dead. I have success growing plants but also do have failures. I have grown numerous seeds that have never germinated. You can sometimes do everything right and still have failure. Don’t get discouraged, take it as a challenge. I tend to appreciate growing seeds even more when there is a failure. I feel proud when I actually can get a seed to grow. Currently, I have 3 magnolia trees growing from seed. I planted about 100 seeds in pots that I keep outside over the winter. Many trees need the cold temperatures to eventually grow. This spring, the 3 trees grew. I was ecstatic over the trees. In a way I was glad only 3 grew. What the heck would I do with numerous trees? I don’t have the heart to kill them. Often growing seeds, the directions will say to thin the plants. I have trouble killing the remaining plants. I will often carefully plant the seeds individually. Growing trees is fun but not very practical due to land requirements. I’ve only had the chance to grow a few trees. I would love to grow more. I will discuss the Japanese maple tree tomorrow.. A fascinating beautiful tree..

Hoya seeds arrived Friday!!!!

My Hoya seeds arrived on Friday. I was away for the weekend so my mother planted them. The seeds have to be very fresh to germinate. I didn't want to risk waiting until I got back late Sunday. The seeds are already starting to germinate. The seeds looked like caraway seeds on rye bread with a fluffy end. In the near future, I will post pictures of the small seedlings. I have to figure out how to do closeups with my camera. Tomorrow, I will go in detail on a new mystery plant...so tune in...

Hoya pests

There are few Hoya pests. The common garden pests are the aphids, mealy bugs, red spider mites and scales. These pests can be controlled with insecticides. If you have a small collection, do a check on the plant for pests once a week. You can remove the insects with rubbing alcohol. Simply rub the pest off with a swab. During the summer, outdoor ladybugs and praying mantis can held rid the plants of some bugs. When getting new plants, it is always advisable to keep them isolated for about 5 weeks to watch them. If the plant has pests, you can treat the plant and not infect the rest of your plants. The most important things are to just observe your plant. Keep up with the checking for possible bugs. What are you waiting for, buy a hoya today….

Growing successful Hoyas

For successful plants, you must use the right soil combination and pot size. For hoyas, good drainage is important. The easiest thing to do is to buy a succulent mix. This is what I prefer to do. You can make your soil mix of one part garden loam, one part sand and one part sphagnum peat moss. These plants need to be root bound to bloom. A six inch pot would be fine. If you have a small plant, it will take several years to bloom. After it blooms, it is important to keep the flowering spurs on. The spur is the little stem that had the flower. It will flower from this spur again. They will flower for most of the spring and summer with good light. Please water moderately in spring, summer and fall, keeping drier in the winter. It enjoys a daytime temperature of 60-75F, and a cooler night temperature. Following these basic instruction, it should flourish in your house. The perfect houseplant?

Article on purchasing a plant

After reading my blog, you probably have an urge to buy some plants at the nursery. This article would be useful to read before a purchase. Read and enjoy!!!

By : Glenn Bronner


When you are buying or receiving plants from someone there are a few things that you need to look at before deciding to plant them in your garden. You will generally get a better quality plant from a garden center and it will be less likely to have disease or other problems that could spread to other plants in your garden. There is still the possibility that the garden center plant might not be the healthy specimen that you might expect so you should still check it out before parting with your money. The first thing you need to do is look at the plant and see whether it looks healthy. This might seem very obvious but we often assume that buying from a garden center will assure us of a healthy plant when in actual fact even garden centers can have problem plants and you don't want to be the new owner of their problems. Plants are very good at showing any signs of distress so a plant that doesn't look healthy, generally isn't. Check the conditions of the leaves, stems and roots of the plant where possible. You should also look at the condition of the soil that it has been growing in, as this will have had an effect on its health. If you are buying flowering plants it is always best to buy the ones that have yet to flower, as they will withstand the trauma of transport and transplanting better than those that already have flowers. If there is no alternative but to buy or receive plants that already have flowers then many people suggest that you should remove all the flowers to give the plant a better chance of survival. While you might be reluctant to do so, you will probably have a better plant that will produce more flowers in the future. If there is anything on the plant that concerns you seek advice or decide against having that plant in your garden.

Hoya Source Aloha Hoyas

http://bigislandgrowers.com/products/catalog_list.php?gid=6

This is a great catalog for purchasing hoyas. There are great photos and a wide variety of plants. This is my favorite source for these plants. If your interested in Hoyas, check out this site...

Growing Hoya cuttings

The best way to obtain more hoya plants is by cuttings. Growing cuttings is very easy. I plan on growing from seeds for the challenge. I will get plants that are different from the parent. This is how new species are created. I’m hoping the seeds were crossed pollinated to get an unusual hybrid. It has been said; you can grow a thousand seeds and only get one quality plant. Planting the cutting requires the bottom leaves removed. Do a cutting that will have 3 or 4 leaves left on the stem. You can use a rooting hormone from the store to increase the odds of it rooting. After planting the cutting in good potting soil water it well. Allow it to dry in between watering. I have a cutting that I have rooted in water. You can try this method also. I will keep you updated on the seeds I plant. The seeds look like dandelion seeds with the fluffy end.

Wonderful Houseplant Hoya

The Hoya plant is a popular houseplant vine. It has several common names such as waxplant, waxvine or Hoya. This plant grows in Southern Asia, Australia or polynesia. It is a evergreen vine that will grow many feet. As a houseplant, it does grow slower. Normally it is grown from cuttings. I'm receiving seeds on Tuesday which will produce different types of Hoyas. Unfortunately, often it will produce inferior seedlings from seeds. I just love the challenge of growing from seeds.

Terrarium garden

I found this article on the internet that I found interesting..Enjoy

By : Glenn Bronner

There is a solution for you if you love the look of plants indoors but don’t have the time or a green thumb to take care of them. A terrarium is a self-contained plant habitat. Once you have set-up the terrarium and closed the lid (on the jar or other container you have chosen) the plants inside create their own eco-system – all you have to do is enjoy it. The choices for terrarium containers are only limited by your imagination. Traditionally a smaller aquarium is used with a lid but a glass jar or other container will work nicely too. Plastic will work as well, just make sure that it is a clear plastic or you won’t be able to admire your handiwork once it is completed. Whatever size or material you choose for your terrarium the most important factor is that it does not leak. You need the water and moisture to stay inside for it to work and you don’t want a mess inside your house. The plants that you choose should all thrive in similar conditions and grow well in a humid environment. Popular plants to put into a terrarium are carnivorous (Venus Fly Trap, sundew, or pitch plant) or rain forest plants (chamaedorea palms, small ferns or fittonia). Terrariums are a low-maintenance indoor garden. They need indirect sunlight (not too bright) and no water is needed after the initial water is added. The heat from inside the terrarium evaporates the water and then it condenses on the lid falling back down to the plants. This process will continue keeping your plants alive. If there is too much water present, you may need to vent the terrarium (with a vented lid or opening the top a small amount) just be sure to keep an eye on the soil’s moisture level (not too wet or dry).
Author Resource:- About The Author Glenn Bronner has been a professional grounds keeper for over 30 years. Glenn Has published hundreds of articles on the internet and owns several websites including Gardening Article Site.Com Garden Blog Directory.Com and Glenns Garden where he offers free resources and advice for gardeners around the world.

Garden Cartoon

Sunday is a day of rest. I found this funny cartoon on the web. I hope you enjoy it. I will be discussing the Hoya plant tomorrow. I'm receiving seeds on Tuesday. I'm very excited because the seeds are very hard to find. The viability of these seeds only last for several weeks.

www.progardenbiz.com

Starfish plant

The Starfish or Stapelia plant is a succulent that is very easy to grow. I grow this plant in full sun in my southern exposure window. During the warmer months it can be grown outside. Make sure you bring in before the colder weather comes. This flower as you can see has a starfish shaped flower. It smells like rotting meat. It is not as strong as the Amorphophallus flower. I have a thing for smelly flowers. The plant itself is attractive. I bought this plant as a cutting. It rooted quickly and has been growing like crazy. It is taking over....The flower only last for about 5 days but it is beautiful but smelly. It tries to attract flies to pollinate. I would recommend this plant for an easy growing houseplant. Go out and buy one today, you won't be disappointed..I promise... See you Sunday...

Plumeria problems

The plumeria has very few disease problems. The plumeria rust is fairly common in Hawaii. During prolong wet period the orange powder rust can form under the leaves. If the rust is severe enough the leaves may drop. Personally, I don’t have this problem. Of course, I live in New York so the rust shouldn’t really be around. Fungicides are rarely used as the rust is rarely severe enough to damage plant. A black mold can form on stems and leaves from the presence of scale insects, white flies or mealy bug. The mold flourishes on the dew released by the insects. This fungus rarely harms the tree. The insects will affect the tree. The biggest problem for the plumeria is the long-horned beetle. This beetle burrows into the stem so insecticides are ineffective. The best remedy is the removal of the affected branch. Now that we know everything about this plant, let go buy one..What are you waiting for, buy one TODAY!!!!

Multiple plumeria stems

You can see from the photo that there are several stems growing. This was the result of the end being accidentally damaged. Plumerias are actually pruned in a similar fashion. Pollarding is a pruning practice of pruning back each point on the stem. The end point is called the pollard head. Using this method increases the branches. If pruning is done in the dormant season the resulting stem could all develop flowers. Pruning done during the growing season will not produce flowering branches. When pruning, be aware that milky sap will flow. This sap may irritate the eyes and skin. Wear protective coverings on your hands. I like to garden without gloves to get the feel of the plant and dirt. With plumerias, I do wear gloves…I’m not stupid…

Buying more plumeria

I have several plumeria plants...I know I don't need anymore. I can't resist buying another one. The problem is which one... There are hundreds of varieties from cross breeding. I would love to breed plumerias. The first step is to have them bloom. I've been neglecting fertilizing them. I will fertilize next year once a week and hope for the best...I'll keep you updated...

Growing your plumeria

Growing plumeria from seed is simple. The seed has a small wing on the end which reminds me of a maple seed. Plant the seed in moist potting soil with a small plastic bag on top to retain moisture. Plant the seed upright with the wing out of the soil. It takes about 2 to 3 weeks to germinate. The most important part about growing seeds is viability. The seed starts to decrease viability after about 2 months. Get seeds from a reliable source. I buy seeds from EBAY with checking the rating of the seller. If you want instant satisfaction, buy a cutting. The cutting can cost from $4.95 to the sky is the limit. It all depends on how popular the item is on EBAY. I bought a variegated plumeria cutting. I can’t reveal how much I paid. You would think I was crazy to pay that amount. I planted the cutting in a pot and put it outside. First, a squirrel dug it up and left it for dead on the ground. It must have been there for days. I replanted it with a little blood meal spread around the pot. Blood meal will keep away most animals, if not all of them. I have had great success with this. Blood meal is high in nitrogen. Please use sparingly likes other fertilizers. Guess what happened next to my cutting? The end died on the cutting. It looked completely dead. The cutting was still firm so it should grow. It did grow with multiple branches. It is growing slowly like most variegated plants. The leaves with absence of the green produce less food hence slower growth. I will post a picture of the variegated plumeria tomorrow. Happy Wednesday…

Please note..I have just added a feature of language translator on the top page. I recently received a post from Sweden..Keep the comments coming.

Different names for Plumeria

I've been reminded on a post about another name for plumeria. Common names: plumeria, frangipani, temple tree, melia (hawaiian) and other named cultivars...Thanks everyone for posting...

Plumeria is small growing tree of about 30 feet. The size depends on the tree variety. The leaves can be several inches long to over a foot. Some plumerias are deciduous, losing their leaves at one point in the year. I’ve been told that plumerias can bloom the first year from a cutting of a good size. After 2 years, I have no flowers yet. The problem could be that the pot is small. I need to transplant in a larger pot for more active growth. The size of the pot will dictate the size of the plant. For example, bonsai plants can be 20 years old and be only 10 inches high. They are grown in small pots with root trimming to maintain size. I find growing the plumeria seeds the most satisfying and rewarding. Growing from seeds takes about 3 years to bloom under ideal conditions. The flower seeds grown plants generally look like the parent plants. For example, red flower plumeria seeds will usually produce red flowers similar to the parent. Mixed flowers seeds can produce a wide range of flowers. There are countless hybrids of these plants. I will be posting various flowers over the next few days. These flowers are one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. One cluster of flowers can have as many as 200 of them. The flowers are often 2 to 3 inches wide. I have had great success growing from seed and cuttings. Hopefully, one day flowers will appear. More information on my growing of the seeds and cuttings tomorrow…Enjoy your day..

Plumeria

Plumeria is a beautiful tree. Try growing this plant for a Hawaii touch. This tree is often associated with Hawaii. It is widely grown as an ornamental. Interestingly, it is not found growing in the wild. It is native to the Tropical Americas. I have been growing this plant for 2 years with no flowers. I have read it will flower when big enough. Right now, it is in a gallon pot. I plan on transplanting it into a larger pot soon. The flower is commonly used in a lei, a necklace made out of flowers. Sometimes, people will have a Hawaii themed party with real lei’s. There are companies that will ship them out. Unfortunately, it is over night mail and is quite expensive to ship. I love growing plumeria from seeds. The seeds when grown will produce plants similar to the parent but not exactly. This is the reason so many varieties exist. The most common way of growing a plumeria is from cuttings. If you order a cutting, do it in the warmer months. I ordered a cutting from an exotic place far away in the winter. I waited for weeks for it. It came partially frozen and dead. I have to learn to be more patient and wait for the correct time of the year to order. This tropical plant loves full sun and warm temperatures. If you provide these conditions it should thrive…more on growing of the seeds and cuttings on Tuesday. Enjoy the picture of the flowers…Happy Monday..

Plumeria

Starting Monday, I will be focusing on the Plumeria plant. Growing a touch of Hawaii in zone 7..I just love tropical plants....Happy Sunday....

My girlfriends dogs with plant reference

My girlfriend has 2 black labs. The one dog is a a runt named Simon. This dog is super intelligent..Probably smarted then me. The other dog is Lenny. He is a loving dog with an adorable personality. He is not as bright. He is smart in his own way but is more concerned about eating everything. This dog has an appetite that would rival a full grown elephant. There is almost nothing Lenny won't eat. Here is the plant reference, he always smell my radish plants being tempted to take a bit. When Kamil was over for my birthday, Lenny really wanted to eat one of my wrapped gifts. His mouth was open ready to bite.. What does Lenny eat? Almost everything, like pickles, lettuce, burritos, bread sticks and loves gummy bears. I f we are eating gummy bears, he sits there growling until he get one. Before, you comment that we feed him the wrong food, he eats these foods only occasionally. The rest of the time he get normal dog food...This dog is nuts!!! Would probably eat peanuts if given them..

Grow an Amorphophallus today

As you can see in the photos, this plant is beautiful. It's very easy to grow. I grow my plants in part shade and they do just fine. Allow the plant to die back in the fall. Don't leave them out in the frost. The larger tubers I just store dry in a box in the basement. The smaller tubers leave in the small pot. Simply start watering them in early April or if your lucky to live in a warmer climate a little earlier. It may take a month or more before you start to notice growth. These plants are very drought tolerant. I've never seen one wilt. This summer I only water the smaller plants a couple of times. They did just fine. Enjoy growing this plant!!!!

Comments

So far, I've received 3 comments to this blog. I welcome more people to leave comments and questions for me. I would like everyone to mention in the comments there location. Hopefully, I will get someone from a far away place like Japan. Now wouldn't that be cool. There was a comment about why I grow the Amorphophallus plants. There are many reasons I grow it. You may be surprised to hear that the stinky smell is not the reason. Actually, I think the plant is beautiful. It has a tropical look that I just love. I really never thought it would bloom...I was shocked by it's flower. I think my mother was little disappointed by the flowering. It really smelled horrible. The other reason was I was planning to eat some of my tubers. Just kidding, seriously some of these tubers are edible. I guess if your hungry enough you'll eat anything. I don't know which species are edible, so please do not buy and eat the tubers. I don't want any lawsuits. Anyway, a 1 pound tuber could cost $40.00, a little expensive to eat. What do you think? I plan on writing more tonight after my exploration of the city. I'll let you wonder what city. It is in the United States....See you later..

I hope you enjoy this collection of photos of Amorphophallus species. You will be the talk of the neighborhood with a plant this size. Usually when you buy a plant it will be a small one. I enjoy growing plants from seeds or buying small plants. I like the challenge of actually growing the plant to maturity. It is fun watching the developing growth. Of course, if you have unlimited supply of money, you can buy a large tuber for instant gratification. I have several plants but I still bought 2 more seeds. I will receive them next week. I will post a picture of the seeds…and keep you updated when or if they grow…See you Saturday…..Thanks for everyone that left comments..Keep them coming in. Bye for now..

Amorphophallus Titanum seeds

This is a picture of Amorphophallus seeds. As you can see, the seeds can number in the hundreds. Seeds sell on eBay for as much as $15.00 or more. Hey, you can grow this plant for the seeds and make a small fortune. Now the bad news, there is only one case of this flower self pollinating. On January 26, 2000, the only self pollination known was at Huntington Botanical Gardens. In the United States only about 10 flowers have bloomed. You will need two flowers to pollinate for seeds. The flower is very unusual in that the small female flowers inside bloom first. By the time the male flowers open, the pollen is gone insuring cross pollination only. Depending on the plant, there are different types of flowers. Some plants only have female or male flowers like holly. Holly plants require a male and female plant. Flies are attracted to the Amorphophallus flowers. In the case of the Titanum, it is thought to be the dung beetle. The seed is the size of pecan nut…Try growing this seed. If I can do it, I’m sure you can!!!! Just get fresh seeds from a reliable source…Happy Thursday…

Amorphophallus Titanum over 5 feet tall

THIS PHOTO IS ALLOWED FOR POSTING AND DISTRIBUTION....Check out this link for more photos.... http://flickr.com/photos/jef/

Growing Amorphophallus Titanum seeds

The Amorphopallus Titanum seed was very easy to grow. I was actually very surprised with my success of the 3 seeds. I had tried growing from seed other Amorphophallus from seed with limited results. It can take months to germinate… The titanum seed took about a month. The most important aspect of growing these seeds is the freshness. The germination rate goes way down as the seed gets older. Unfortunately, its hard to control this aspect… you have to find a good source with a little luck.. I bought the seeds from a a guy in Germany. I was so excited when they arrived. What did I do to grow them? I just planted them a half inch down in moist potting soil in a 4 inch pot. I covered the pot with a small plastic bag to keep in the moisture. Never let the soil go dry or…you will have a problem in germination. A secret in germinating is having a heat mat under the pot. This mat should keep the soil at 75-80 degrees. The mat retail for about $25.00. Its well worth the investment. I had great success with this heat mat. I never had luck with palm seeds until I got this mat. Remember, seeds have different requirements for germinating. I will go in more details on Thursday of the various methods…Happy Wednesday…..

Stinky plant information

Amorphophallus is a large genus of over 200 plants from the Arum family. Everyday, or year, new species are being discovered. What is a genus? A genus is a group of species closely related in structure and evolutionary origin. These are lowland plants from tropical regions with none found in the Americas. They can be found from Africa to the Pacific islands. These can be massive plants with the one leaf that lasts for one season. Often these tubers go into a dormant period in these regions depending on the wet or dry season. During the dry season they go dormant until the next rainy season. This is a great characteristic for this plant since it allows me to grow it. I’m able to store it in the winter. Anyone can grow this tuber in a container outside. I would recommend a container to make it easier to plant and then bring in for the winter. Also sometimes the tuber can get infected with organisms in the soil. Hopefully the potting is sterile and organism free. The size of the tuber, will dictate the size of the pot. Plant a smaller tuber in a smallish pot. The current philosophy is not too plant a small plant in an enormous pot…its better to plant in an appropriate size. I contacted a nursery for a follow up on this pot question. I was told a larger pot stay wet longer and could be over watered. Also there is an exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the soil for the roots. The larger the pot there is a reduced oxygen exchange. The tubers come in all shapes and sizes. It can be very small, size of a pea or very large, even 25 lbs or more for the Amorphophallus Titanum. I will post pictures soon of my Titanum. I will go in more detail of my technique for growing the seeds. You will need great patience in waiting for the seeds to germinate. Where can you get seeds? More information in upcoming days….Happy Tuesday…

Amorphophallus Konjac leaf

The plant on top is considered one leaf. The second picture is a closeup of a very small plant....see you Tuesday...

My Amorphophallus plant----it stinks

The Amorphophallus plant is a fascinating plant. There are many different species that grow in tropical areas of the world mainly the Indonesia region. I have a love of growing the unusual and the common plant. The amazing thing about this plant is it has only one leaf. The leaf can be many feet wide depending on the size of the bulb. The flower usually smells like rotting meat to attract flies. All plants have developed different ways of pollinating. Often trees are pollinated by the wind. This method produces a great amount of pollen to ensure pollination hence allergies. The pollen can often be found on your car changing the color to a yellowish color. This usually happens after you wash the car. In my case, since I almost never bother to wash my car so it does not affect me. Other flowers pollinate from bees, wasps, flies, moths, birds and even bats. The list goes on and on. I purchased the Amorphophallus bulbs over the winter. These bulbs for most of these plants go dormant in the winter. I live in Zone 7 so I have to keep these bulbs inside. Being tropical plants they can’t take the cold, will die in a frost. They prefer temperature at least 40 degree F. I had the bulbs placed in the basement. The species I bought was the Amorphophallus Konjac. The bulb weighed about 5 pounds…Yes I paid a great deal of money for it. I placed it in the basement and completely forgot about it. In early spring, my mother commented there is something growing out of the box where I keep it dry. It looked like a monster. It had a huge stem like thing growing. I let it grow in the basement for a few more weeks. The plant was developing a flower…I was ecstatic..and also worried since it was in Mid March and way to cold to plant outside in my large pot. I decided to keep it in the back room by some filtered light. As the days went by, it grew taller by the day….By mid April, I was able to watch the weather forecasts and was able to place it outside. It was at least 5 feet tall, it was having the flower. Did you know the biggest flower in the world is from a Amorphophallus plant, the Amorphophallus Titanum. The flower can be over 5 feet tall and wow does it smell horrible. I’ve never seen one in person but I’m sure once you smelled it, you would never forget it. My girlfriends mom, wanted to know why I grew it…It’s simple because it has a beautiful leaf and hey who do you know that grows this plant…Be the first person in your neighborhood to grow this. You may have no visitors for several weeks when it flowers..but we can all use some down time to think about life and relax. I will post a picture tomorrow of the leaf..its absolutely beautiful…see you tomorrow…

Check out this link...free website ads..etc...

North America Clivia Society

Hopefully, reading my blog your interest in Clivias has increased. There is much information on this topic. I will continue posting updates on my clivias... Check out this link and learn all about clivias from the experts....http://www.americancliviasociety.org/ This blog will discuss all my gardening experiences..from growing, to care and interesting facts.

Monday The Wonderful world of Amorphophallus plants...

These plants stink, ok there nice place but the flowers smell like rotting meat to attract flies to pollinate. Why do I grow these plants..your guess is as good as mine..maybe to annoy my mother or neighbors. Seriously, they are fascinating plants...more to come...

Happy Sunday.. see you tomorrow...

Wide Painted Face clivia

This is my Painted face wide leaf clivia...You can notice the small tags identifying the crosses...These flowers are starting to fade and hopefully form seed pods...

Coupon for Circuit City

Gardening with kids

Get your kids involved in gardening..Keep your kids away from TV and video games...Learn the love of nature and get kids involved in Botany. Plants are a good way of encouraging children to be involved in science. Its a stepping stone to bigger and greater endeavours. Gardening is an excellent way of spending quality time together and learning also. Have fun planting a variety of seeds, like vegetables. This is a way of learning responsibilities of caring and nurturing the plants. They will have a greater respect for nature...Learn the concept of where food comes from and how. It doesn't magically appear in the stores...Plant a window box with seeds purchased by the child...The activities are countless....

A great site for children on the many mysteries of plants..Have fun learning..
The Great Plant Escape...http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/gpe.html
Enjoy

Pollination of flowers (Clivia)

I pollinated my 2 flowers again with Mirabilis pollen...I really hope it pollinates..It will be so awesome. I found this great website that tells in more detail then I can about pollination and terms...http://mbgnet.net/bioplants/pollination.html The clivia pollen can be stored for 3 to 5 years depending on your conditions. The pollen needs to be keep in the freezer in a nice sealed tight container. Before using pollen, it should be allowed to adjust to room temperature. I wait about a half hour. To ensure the flower doesn't self pollinate, I remove the anthers, contain the pollen before it ripens. The anthers are ripe when you see the fluffy yellow pollen. You want to remove the anthers before this occurs. I open the flower very gently just before it completely opens and pull off the anthers with a tweezer. The flower is most likely to pollinate in the morning. If you have an old flower, there is a special technique to try. Take a little sugar water place a little on the stigma with a small brush or just experiment. The pollen then can be placed on the stigma. I use a pin to put the pollen on. Importantly, you definitely need a small tag to label the cross. I have small jewelry tags I bought on Ebay. The mother plant is written first then the pollen parent..like Painted Face x Warmheart. Warmheart is the pollen parent. I received the Warmheart pollen from a well known clivia breeder in South Africa. Warmheart is a famous interspecific clivia. The clivia has different species that will cross breed. I will go into more detail in the future. The clivia flower lasts for about 10 days depending on room temperature etc...After the flower falls off, one hopes that the small seed pod starts increasing in size..If it stays one size for a number of days, it will probably fall off unpollinated. It take around 9 months to ripen. The seed pod will change colors. You can have several seeds in the pod. I will explain about growing seeds in the near future. In the upcoming days I will post a picture of my clivia plant..until then happy Saturday

Oh yeah, I finally got my passport application in for my exciting trip in December. I wonder what kind of tropical plants I will encounter. Look for that post in December..

Have a great weekend...

Posting Comments

I welcome everyone to post their comments on this blog. Feel free to post a question about my clivias or other plant related questions. I would be more than happy to post an answer to your question...so send in your comments.

I want to first thank my beautiful girlfriend Kamil for encouraging me to start a blog. I feel that I have alot to offer regarding plants. I'm an avid gardener of numerous different plants that will be discussed on this blog. Learn about the Worsleya plant, Amorphophallus and other fascinating plants that I grow. In the near future, I will start posting photos...I will do this blog one step at a time...Hopefully, I will improve as I go..I hope you enjoy this blog!!! Many more interesting posts in the near future. Hey, come back again and read about the fantastic world of plants. I encourage you to join one of the many yahoo groups on plants like Clivia Enthusiasts.

Clivia

Yeah, today is Friday...I decided to pollinate my 2 flowers again with Mirabilis pollen. The chances of the flowers pollinating are actually very low. For some reason, this pollen rarely produces many seeds. The flowers I'm pollinating are orange with a whitish center. I've learned from a clivia expert in South Africa that this pollen is good for yellow flowers. I can't wait to see the results with my cross. Obtaining this pollen was very difficult. It took me a month to find a source. I was lucky enough to find some in South Africa. He only had enough for a few flowers. The pollen was mailed on August 26 and I received it on September 9, 2008. Unfortunately, the pollen tube was smashed but luckily it was wrapped in foil to keep in somewhat intact. Thankfully there was still some pollen inside for my use. I had to use a light to shine inside the tube while I scrapped some pollen on an end of a large pin. It's best to pollinate in the morning. I decided to pollinate that night just because I couldn't wait. Also the flowers were getting older and the chance of success decreases with age. I only had about 4 or 5 good days left to pollinate. I will continue to pollinate everyday in hopes of better success. I will go in more detail of my complete pollination techniques on Saturday...until then, happy Friday...

Plant desires: CLIVIA

Plant desires: CLIVIA

CLIVIA

I'm addicted to plants. I have way too many clivia plants..I must have about 75 small seedlings and several mature clivia plants. Currently, I have a wide Painted Face clivia from China blooming. I've pollinated the flowers with a variety of pollen from numerous sources. Trying Mirabilis pollen from South Africa, pollen from Australia and China. The Mirabilis is notorious for not setting seeds. I will keep everyone updated on the status of this potential pollination....