House plants

Moving indoors, autumn is here

kitchenwindow

The jungle in the kitchenwindow. Photo:©nini.tjader.2019

It is autumn. Plants have moved indoors from the patio. It is getting colder and we have had some frost nights.

Jungle in the kitchen

kitchenjungle

The kitchen jungle. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

It is a jungle in the kitchen. The figtrees and the pelargonias är in since mid September when the weather started to turn to colder, especially the nights got colder.

Plants in the bedroom

bedroomplants

Plants in the bedroom. Photo:©nini.tjader.2019

In the bedroom I placed the Caliente pelargonia, one Mårbacka pelargonia and the tall Attar of Roses fragrance pelargonia. I hope they will survive the winter there. As always when they get moved indoors lots of leaves are getting yellow and have to be removed. They still bloom though and I will allow them to do so as long as they want. Some people cut down pelargonias when moving them indoors in the autumn. I don’t unless I have to. I rather cut them down in the spring when they need it. The tall Attar of Roses so far is the one not getting yellow leaves. Yet. And it grows and blooms. I will have to cut it down later as it has reached the ceiling.

Jungle in the livingroom

livingroomwindow

Plants in the window in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

It is a bit crowded with plants in the livingwoom-window.… Pelargonias and the largest figtree.

Tomatoplant in the livingroom

Since I shot the above picture, I’ve also moved the large tomato-plant indoors, just inside the door to the outside place (kind of tomato is Tiny Tim) as it is full of flowers and tiny tomatoes. 

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Indoor tomatoes. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

I pluck the tomatoes when they get of size and ripe them on a plate in the kitchen.

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Tomatoes ripening indoors. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

No special tricks to get them to ripe. They just lay there on a plate in the warmth of the kitchen and slowly ripe by themselves. Som do all kinds of mumbo-jumbo to get them to ripe. No need for that. Just leave them alone and they will ripe by themselves.

livingroomplants

Plants in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

On the other side of the door to the outside place there are two Mårbacka pelargonias and one Aloe Vera that previously lived in the bedroom.

The patio and the garden

Empty patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The patio is now empty. Not just because I moved all the plants indoors. Well, not all the plants moved indoors. Some, less worth to try to spare over the winter went into the dumpster. But there was another reason too why the entire outside place got emptied. The wooden parts of the house were to get painted.

Painting of the walls. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

So furniture was moved out on the grass to make room for the painters and the scaffoldings.

Walls getting painted. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

So life in garden and outdoors was finished earlier than usual.

Walls getting painted. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The painting is almost finished now. They are supposed to be done by the coming Tuesday. Then I can go out and move the furniture back to the patio, and check damage on plants in the garden. I’ve done a quick check and it isn’t as bad as it could have been. But some damage there is.

Most of the scaffolding was already gone yesterday. Last time the walls were painted was only five years ago. It needed to be done now to protect the wooden parts. I hope it lasts longer than 5 years this time…

Posted by nini in autumn, bedroom, House plants, indoor plants, kitchen, livingroom, outside place, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

On my windowsills

kitchenwindow

The western kitchenwindow 2019-+8-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In my opinion, windowsills are for plants and flowers. Makes the rooms nice to be in.

At this time of the year, the content on the windowsills is in transition between summer and autumn and there are far less plants there than in the cold season as some of them live outdoors during the warm season.

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Kitchenwindows 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the kitchen

My kitchen has two dinws. One to the south, one to the west. In the kitchen I use plants instead of curtains. One of the plants is my huge philodendron that follow the curtainrod over both the windows. It starts in its pot on the floor though. I’ve had that one for many years by now and it started its life in my previous flat.

kitchenwindow

The southern kitchenwindow, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the southern kitchenwindow I presently have two hanging plants and smaller ones on the sill. There are one small cactus (that grows really slow), three Saint Paulia grewn from leaves, and one Thai Basil to the right which you cannot see in this picture.

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The western kitchenwindow, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In between the two dinwos I presently have a kind of cactus on a high stand, then cuttings from fig trees and Saint Paulia and a regular basil. Two hanging pots with tradescandia (two different kinds). And a potus hainging up there as well.

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Hanging plant in the kitchenwindow. 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

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In the corner between the two windows in the kitchen, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the livingroom

In the livingroom I have one west-facing window beside the door to the patio.

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Livingroomwindow, 2019-08-17.Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

I recently re-organized the plants in the livingroom-window and moved one of the hanging plants from the kitchen to here. There was more room in the window here than in the kitchen. I also led the Monkey Face monstera upwards when I gave it a larger pot and new soil as it was becoming very long.

I have a bench in front of the window to be able to have more plants there. The lamp on the bench is from Ikea, but the bulb in it from ICA Maxi (grocery store).

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Ficus. 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The above ficus is from cuttings from my neighbour. It is fast getting big now so it too got new soil and a new pot.

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Monkey Face monstera in the livingroom window, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

On the floor in the corner of the livingroomwindow I have a hug tradescantia. Had to get a new plantstand for it from Ikea. It still reaches the floor from the stand…

tradescantia

Tradescantia in the livingroom, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In the bedroom

I have one small window in the bedroom.

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Bedroomwindow 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The bedroomwindow is pretty empty presently On the sill, behind the curtains, are my cactus plants. The I have a chests of drawers in front of the window that I also use for plants, but mainly wintertime. At the moment there are only two aloe vera here. Wintertime some of my pelargonias live here.

cactus

Cactus and haworthia in the bedroomwindow, 2019-08-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

In just a month or so I will have to solve the problem of where to put my figtrees and pelargonias that have to come in from the patio. Which to keep and which not and where to place them. Meanwhile they are just fine outdoors.

Posted by nini in bedroom, House plants, indoor plants, kitchen, livingroom, Plants, 0 comments

The ugly season and pelargonias

garden

The garden, 2019-02-16. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

It is now officially the ugly season. The period between winter and spring. And the time for the pelargonias to wake up.
Snow is gone  –  hopefully we will not see any more snow this season.
Greenery hasn’t woke up yet. But it will the next couple of days as warmer weather has been promised.
It is still cold outdoors. One day it rains. The next it snows. The next it rains.

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Icy 2019-02-09. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Or sudden frost and really cold nights that makes it next to impossible to walk outdoors on sidewalks and walkways. The green grass is about to wake up, but not really yet…

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Gustav wounded. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

Gustav, the neighbour cat, got wounded catching a fat rat. Gustav is fine now and healing fast. He caught the rat that for some time was stealing bird-food and even climbed the metalrod to get to the feeder. I’ve removed msot fo the bird-food since I saw him/her the first time. Bird with a tail in the feeder? No thanks.

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Dead rat, 2019-02-19. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The rat is dead and went in to the common bin. Good riddance… Gustav killed it and brought into his mom and left it on her office floor… I am grateful that he doesn’t consider me being his mom so he has to bring me such gifts…

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Mårbacka pelargonia. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

With the increasing daylight, the few pelargonias that have survived the winter and the dark are waking up. Above is a cutting that came from the large Mårbacka pelargonia as it broke off from it when I moved it indoors in the autumn.

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The mother plant of the Mårbacka pelargonia. Photo ©nini.tjader.2019

The motherplant has woken too. I need to cut it down soon and make more cuttings from it. It is growing high. Presently it is 65 cm high from earth up.

Bontrosai, pelargonia

Bontrosai pelargonia. Photo: ©ninitjader.2019

The Bontrosai pelargonia – which originally, a year ago, was the top of Ulla’s Bontrosai  –  is ridiculously high, 75 cm from earth up. It too needs to be cut down, get a new pot, and get siblings. Any day now. I have waited for the daylight to increase.

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Snowdrop, 2019-02-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

The first springflower, a snowdrop appeared a week ago. I have seen the leafs of the crocus coming too, but so far no flowers. But soon.

I long for the real spring, warmth, more light, no frost…

At the gym. 2019-02-04.

Meanwhile when waiting for warmer weather I go 3 times a week to the gym. Above my gym group on February 4th 2019. Till in the middle with Anette our trainer had birthday that day.

Present knitting, a greenish cardigan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

And I knit (will return to more about that another day). Presently a multi-coloured cardigan from top to bottom. First sleeve almost don, second to follow.

yarn, book, needles
Bought on fair. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

I also visited the Sy- & Hantverksmässan, also called Syfestivalen, on Februari 15th with friend Ulla. I visit this fair whenever it occurs, which is twice a year. The above is what I got this time. The five balls of Opal yarn I won at a contest on the homepage of the fair. The six red skeins will become a simpla sweater when I am done with the cardigan above. This time from a Norwegian pattern that I bought on Ravelry. Looking forward to start it… I try not to knit more than one thing at the time and never start the next project until the one I am working on is done.

yarn, pattern
Yarn and pattern. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019

And meanwhile the jungle in the kitchenwindows is still there.

kitchenwindows, kitchen
In the kitchen, 2019-01-27. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2019
Posted by nini in cats, Garden, Garden and Nature, Gustav, House plants, indoor plants, kitchen, knitting, pelargonias, spring, Thoughts, 0 comments

Indoor plants in January

kitchenwindows, indoorgreenery

Indoor plants. My kitchenwindows 2017-10-15. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Indoor plants in January can be rather depressing. The ones that are still alive often look very tired and almost gone. Others are already gone for various reasons. And some are still green and promise to survive the dark winter days. The picture above is from October 15th 2017. The number of plants in my kitchen windows (which are exceptionally good for indoor plants) has since changed somewhat.

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Indoor plants in the kitchen January 5th, 2018. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018 The south-facing window.

They have also become fewer. The large philodendron that climbs both windows and is there instead of curtains has grown further. It has lost a lot of leaves but at the same time also sprouted new leaves here and there. It actually looks better in January than it did in October. My ginkgo biloba has gotten a new pot and fresh soil. Not optimal to replant in December, but the pot was empty and the ginkgo needed a larger pot. It is still green and has so far not lost any leaves. It will though. That is what it normally does. The two green hanging plants look as they’ve always looked… Not much change there.

indoorplants, january, kitchenwindows

Indoor plant sin the kitchen, January 5th, 2018. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The west-facing window in the kitchen. I’ve opened up roll-up curtain all the way for the winter. The plants (and the kitchen) need their light when there is some.

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Dying rosemary 2018-01-07. PHoto: ©nini.tjader.2018

One of the rosemary plants I had in this window is gone. It just died. The remaining one in the middle of the window is slowly dying too (picture above). Will have to get a new rosemary plant later on in spring. I use rosemary a lot on oven baked potatoes for instance. I still have some dried rosemary too but I prefer the fresh one.

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The small aloe vera in the kitchen. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The small aloe vera there has grown a lot since it got a new pot and fresh soil in the autumn. I know. shouldn’t replant in the autumn. But sometimes there is no choice.

I threw out my orchids during the autumn. They were really tired and uninspiring. And I needed the space.

indoorplants, livingroom

Indoor plants in the livingroom, January 7th, 2018. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The indoor plants in the livingroom include two figtrees that are indoors over winter. They have extra light to survive. They are both growing surprisingly well indoors. The smaller tree has lost some leaves, but the oldest and bigger not. That one lost its only fig the other day though when the large aloe vera fell on it… My fault. I moved their stands to be able to reach electricity and to clean under them.

indoorplants, livingroom

Indoor plants in the livingroom, January 7th, 2018. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

There are fewer indoor plants in the livingroom too as some have been moved to the kitchen and others hav e gone for ever. (I need to do something about all the cables on the floor…). Under the sideboard I keep the bird-feed for the birds outdoors. They need extra food particularly in the winter.

indoorplants, livingroom

Indoor plants in the livingroom, January 7th, 2018. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

Notice the large aloe vera to the left in the above picture? Notice how small its pot is? Yes, right… it needs re-pottering in a larger pot.

aloevera, indoorplants, livingroom

Aloe Vera 2018-01-07. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

My oldest and largest aloe vera has again got lots of baby plants at its bottom. To remove them or keep them is the question. I donät need more aloe veras in the flat… I already have four, three of them originating from this large one at re-potting. I’ve also given away a few to friends and neighbours.

aloevera, indoorplants, livingroom

Ale Vera in the livingroom, January 7th, 2018. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The problem with re-potting the aloe vera is that it is BIG, THORNY and HEAVY, I do have an empty larger pot that it can live in. If I take it into the bathroom I might be able to re-pot it. Inormally do this outdoors in the garden as it gets a bit messy. But it is winter and very cold just now. and the warmer season is far way still.

indoorplants, livingroom

INdoor plants in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

This (above) is how the plantwindow in the livingroom looks when you enter the room and it is daylight.

indoorplants, bedroom

Indoor plants in the bedroom, January 7th, 2018. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

In the bedroom I keep three white pelargonias for their winter-rest, one put with three figtree cuttings (which are coming along just fine) and one hanging plant in the background which is not that fuzzy when it comes to light.

On the windowsill in the bedroom I have my cactuses and one more aloe vera plus a small aloe vera of another kind.

cactus, indoorplants

Cuctus in bloom, 2017-12-30. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

One of my old cactuses started blooming some time in November and the above picture I shot from outside the house on December 30th (easiest way to take a picture of it without having to move it around on the windowsill indoors). New flowers are still coming on it. If it blooms, it normally blooms by the end of February or beginning of March. I got a bit surprised when I saw the flowers now. Wrong season. Not that I mind. They are quite nice. This one also need re-potting. Never got around to it in the warm season.

aleovera

The small aloe vera in the bedroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

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Posted by nini in greenery, House plants, indoor plants, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

My figtrees

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The oldest figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

I’ve written about my figtrees before. Just have to write about them again. The one above is my oldest figtree. It has been cut twice now.

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Figtree cutting May 20178. Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

My figtrees live outdoors on the patio during the warm season and I bring them indoors when autumn and cold comes, but before the frosts. My oldest figtree has a tendency to grow in the “wrong direction” which makes it take up too much space. Particularly when it is indoors. Had I known how easy it is to take cuttings from it and grew new figtrees, I would have done it earlier.

According to the expertise figtrees should be kept dark and cold but not freezing over winter. As I do not have such a place to store them, they are kept indoors over winter with extra special plant lights.

First time I cut it was spring 2017, some time in March I think it was.  Image above is from May 20th 2017. That is about the time I planted the cutting in a pot of its own. Originally it was two cuttings but one of them died.

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Planted figtree cutting, May 2017. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

End of May was also the time when the older and larger figtree moved outdoors.

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The larger figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

To begin with I placed it under an umbrella to protect it from the strong spring sun. The year before I didn’t do that which resulted in burned leaves that quickly fell off.

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New branches on the old figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Where the old figtree had been cut, new branches and new leaves grew out pretty fast. The old figtree lost a lot of leaves at the beginning of the summer. That was expected. Happens when it has been indoors all winter and not losing its leaves to any great extent (which it normally should).

The oldest figtree had two figs on it when the tree moved outdoors. Not edible… tasted really bad.

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The new small figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The new, small figtree came along fine and new leaves and branches grew on it.

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The small figtree on August 8th 2017. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

Above is how it looked on august 8th 2017. Just like the motherplant it has a tendency to grew sideways…

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Figleaves on the older figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The older figtree woke up as late as the end of August and then started to grew new leaves and branches. A bit late…

Sometime in October it was time to move the figtrees indoors again and give them extra lighting. I thought that October could not be a good time to cut the big tree and make new cuttings, but I took the chance and cut it anyways. I needed to make it smaller to be able to store it over the winter.

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Figtreeleaves. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Moving indoors of course meant losing some leaves now and then. Figtreeleaves are beautiful.

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The old figtree with new leaves. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

By the middle of October the older figtree had plenty of small new leaves and branches growing on it.

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Figtreecuttings 2017-10-23. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The cuttings from the older figtree also grew and got roots on all of them. They are four cuttings. I would never have thought that it would work to take cuttings in October and get roots on them as fast as I did.

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Fig 2017-11-07. photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The older tree got one fig… I doubt it will be edible … 

As the roots on the four (4) cuttings grew larger and stronger I decided to plant them all by the beginning of November.

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Planted figtreecuttings 2017-11-22. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

All four cuttings were planted in the same pot. We are now on November 30th, and they seem to have survived the move to the pot and have only lost one small leaf so far. And they have all new leaves too.

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The older figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The older and larger figtree is coming along fine and just grows and grows and grows where it was cut… It has grown a lot since I cut it.

They are all alive and thriving. Just hoping they will continue to do so and survive this dark period indoors.

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Posted by nini in greenery, House plants, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

Plants & Words

words, plants, walls

Plants & Words. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

This seasons #urbanjunglebloggers assignment is Plants & Words (#plantsandwords).

I don’t really “do” words in that way. Particularly not together with plants or about plants either. I don’t like having words on my walls, no matter what they say. I have always avoided having them. But I have one poster on one of my walls, the one above with only words on. It hangs just above a picture with summer flowers. So in a way they are plants and words… or?

bedroomwindow, plants

Bedroom window. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

I do plants though. And this time of the year it is pretty over-crowded with plants everywhere in my flat. Above is in my bedroom window where the pelargonias from outdoors are resting over the winter and some figtree cuttings are sprouting roots in vases. In the window aloe vera and cactuses.

kitchenwindows, plants

The kitchen windows. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

The kitchen windows are a jungle of plants. I keep moving them around presently to find the best solution. Some of the plants that have been outdoors over summer have been moved indoors. Some survive it, some die when they get indoors. Like the myrtle tree in the left window. It didn’t survive getting moved indoors so that window already looks different than in the picture. One of my rosemary plants also died when moved inside.

livingroom, livingroomwindow, plants

The livingroom window 2017-10-09. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

In the livingroom window the figtrees (two of them) take up a lot of space. Also here I have changed the look since the picture above was taken and the pelargonia got a new owner in town. This spot is changing (see previous blog post) all the time. 

But combining the plants with words? No. Not really. Just two posters in the whole flat that have words on them. The one below is Russian about May 1st. What else it says I have no idea. As I don’t understand (or read) Russian it is not so disturbing to have on the walls as something where you can actually read and understand its content. It is a dark spot so no plants would survive there.

So plants and words? No. No words in my space. Plants though I’ve got plenty of…

firstofmay, poster, words

Russian poster about first of May. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

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Posted by nini in House plants, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 1 comment

My Ginkgo Biloba is alive again

ginkgobiloba

Ginkgo Biloba 2016-08-14. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The Ginkgo Biloba is an interesting plant. Above is how my Ginkgo Biloba looked in august 2016. Fresh green leaves. I bought it in spring 2016 at a garden fair. It lived indoors until the summer of 2017.

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Ginkgo Biloba 2016-01-28. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Then winter struck. Leaves got yellow and fell off. By the end of January 2017 it looked like in the above picture. Then ALL the leaves fell off. Was it dead? I had no idea.

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Ginkgo Biloba 2017-06-10. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

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Ginkgo Biloba 2017-06-10. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

From the end of January until June 10th 2017, the ginkgo Biloba looked dead. No leaves. Not a hint of green. I really thought it was dead, but decided I’d wait and see if anything would happen with it. Until June 10th, now residing outdoors for the summer, the first hints of green finally appeared.

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Ginkgo Biloba 2017-07-01. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

By the 1st of July my Ginkgo Biloba started to look promising. The leaves were coming out and developing as they should.

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Ginkgo Biloba 2017-08-08. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

By the beginning of August green was showing in several places on the plant. Not developing fast, but…

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Ginkgo Biloba 2017-08-19. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

By the middle of August it started to look good. Green leaves everywhere.

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Ginkgo Biloba 2017-09-09. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

And now it looks like a proper Ginkgo Biloba plant again. Not lika year ago, but almost. Its color is lighter than last year , but at least it now has leaves everywhere and a second stem has appeared from its foot.

My Ginkgo Biloba has now moved indoors as autumn is more or less here. Not that cold yet, but…

Lesson learned: not to give up hope when it comes to the Ginkgo Biloba. It might look all dead and leafless, but it isn’t. It will lose it leaves again, and I hope it will again survive the winter and come again next year.

March 17th 2020
By the end of last summer (2019) I planted my Ginkgo Biloba in one of the flowerbeds outside. Thought it was old enough then to move outdoors. Remains to see if it survived this snowless and green winter or not. It is still too early to see. Will report.

June 10th 2020
Unfortunately my Ginkgo Biloba didn’t survive the winter in the flowerbed. It is now dead and burried… Just dug it up for further transport to the waste.

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Posted by nini in House plants, Plants, 2 comments

The Green Curtain

green curtain

The green curtain. Photo: ©nini,tjader.2017

I’ve written about this before, I know. That is, how I stopped using curtains in the kitchen and opted for a green curtain of plants instead. This green curtain has changed over time though so I thought I’d show some recent pictures of how my windows presently look in the kitchen. They will soon change again when some of the plants that are outside on the patio move indoors when the season changes to autumn. It is still summer-like outside, but we have already had some really cold nights. So, soon enough, plants will be moving indoors.

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The green curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The name of the plant above is rhipsalis, a cactus-relative. More about it here.

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The green curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The good about it is that it sifts the light through it and does’t make the kitchen dark. It hangs on the curtain rod above the south-facing window in the kitchen together with another green plant.

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The green curtain. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

I don’t think the green one to the right (with white stripes on the leaves) is a tradescantia, even though it is somewhat similar to them. Its “flowers” look more like the ones on pepperomia plants. I have no idea which one it is though. The pepperomia family is large.

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The green curtain. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

Above the two windows in the kitchen a large, and by now quite old, philodendron hangs on the curtain rods and follows the upper part of the window along the ceiling. I have had that one for years already in my previous flat. I know I cut it down a couple of times in my previous flat when I thought it got too tall (long). It had a period this spring and summer getting yellow leaves which fell off, but we are now past that period. It grows new stems again. And new leaves. I probably ought to fill in some fresh soil into the pot it grows in. Otherwise it doesn’t ask for much maintenance. As long as it gets watered it is happy.

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The green curtain, philodendron. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

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The green curtain, philodendron. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

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The green curtains, philodendron. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

I have no idea where to lead it when it reaches the end of the second, west-facing, window. It will soon do that……

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The green curtain. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

In the corner between the two windows I have a plantstand (from IKEA) which presently houses one of my two stephanotis floribunda (doftranka in Swedish). I got them from a neighbour that moved north in June 2015. This one is soon up to the ceiling as well. It has grown a lot since I replanted it in a new, larger pot, with fresh soil this summer. The other one stands in the livingroom. 

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The green curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Above it hangs a “wandering jew”, a tradescantia. I have re-started that one several times since I got it as it periodically gets a bit ugly and looses all its leaves at the end that grows in the soil and only keeps the ones on its tops. I then cut the tops off and put them in new soil and -re-start it. Works really well.

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The green curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

To the right of the tradescantia hangs two of Ikeas hanging planters, one attached to the other, with in total six (6) spider plants.

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The green curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

They presently bloom and have lots of spider plant “babies” hanging down from them.

green curtain

The green curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

These “babies” are actually ready to plant, but neither I, nor my neighbour, nor other friends, need any more of them.

green curtain

The green curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Its flowers are small and white. Rather nice actually. I’ll keep the “babies” and its flower hanging there for a while yet, as long as they look fresh, but in the end, I will probably cut them all off. There will be more of them again.

green curtain

The green curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

My white orchid is blooming again. On a stem that dried out to half its length and then suddenly shot out a new stem. It is not that long ago since its previous blooming. On the windowsill behind it you can see a cutting from the philodendron. I took that off some time in the spring for someone who wanted a cutting. But it turned out to be too complicated to deliver it, so it still stands there on my window-sill. It took for ever for it to get roots, but now it has and its growing.

What I have on the window-sills presently isn’t all that interesting and it will change soon when I bring in some of the plants from outside. I have my six (6) orchids – which I presently test growing in water only – there and some other smaller plants.

Who needs curtains when you have plants? I have blinds though in case I want to hide from the world outside. I almost never use them.

green curtain

The green curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

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Posted by nini in decoration, greenery, House plants, kitchen, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

Tropicool

tropicool, patio

Tropicool corner on my patio. Photo ©nini,tjader.2017

The summer challenge of Urban Jungle Bloggers is “Tropicool”. As many of my plants are outdoors over the so called warm (?) season, I choose to have my tropicool place outdoors as well, on the patio.

tropicool

Tropicool corner on my patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

So I take a couple of step out to come to that space. There I can sit under the big figtree (which has lost almost all its leaves at the top of the old branches and not produced new ones yet).  It is a pretty protected area even on overcast days, surrounded by pelargonia-plants, the fig trees and my olivetree, to add to the the tropical illusion. It is a nice place to sit and read, pretty cool, and you can hear the wind-chime on the wall.

tropicool, patio

The tropicool corneer on my patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

It is a perfect place to sit and read a book. To take time off from gardening and other tasks.

tropicool, patio

The tropicool corner of my patio.Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

From here I can see all my plantpots that are out on the patio and keep an eye on how they feel and how they develop outdoors. The arrangement on the trellis on the wall is not optimal. A cobea and lots of sweet peas are fighting for the space. They both live in the same large pot. I should have had only one of them… either the cobea or the sweet peas. The sweet peas are not yet in bloom. I await their fragrance when it will bloom, which will be soon. It is the first time I succeeded to get sweet peas to grow. The cobea blooms much later, if at all, usually by September. The cobea is a fantastic climber and can reach 3 meters in height during one summer.

Notice the small figtree in middle front?

figtree, tropicool, patio

Small figtree in the tropicool corner. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

This is the cutting from the larger figtree that I cut off early spring and placed in a bottle of water. It got roots pretty fast and got planted in a pot then. It is developing fine and it likes being outdoors, sprouting new leaves at every branch. I wish the larger figtree would get new leaves soon too…

tropicool, patio

The tropicoolcorner at the patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Only the cut off  branch of the larger figtree has fresh leaves. But they all came when the figtree was still indoors. The other leaves are getting yellow falling off one by one. I know, that is normal in our climate, but still… Please grow new leaves before autumn comes when the tree go indoors again!

patio, garden

The patio with view to the garden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

From the tropicool corner I can look out into the garden. I have plants in pots out there as well. The sofa is the most protected space at the patio, as the up-stairs neighbours balcony protects it.

My patio can be really tropical on sunny days and temperature can reach +38C near to the wall. The tropicool corner does not get that hot. If it does you have to leave the patio for the garden…

tropicool, patio

The tropicool corner of my patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

I really should have moved that hose under the chair and the mover at right front before I shot this picture… They don’t belong in this styling…

tropicool, patio

At the patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

I even have plants on the top of the sofa at the patio. From left a small carnation with a divine fragrance, then my ginkgo biloba which has come alive again against all odds. Then two rosemary plants that over winter are indoors. They have both bloomed. The one to the right started blooming in winter and has still not stopped blooming. The bumble-bees love it. I cut both regularly when I need rosemary with my food.

tropicool, patio, tomatoes

On the patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

On the table is a tomato-plant that comes from seeds from a slice of tomato bought at the supermarket. Recently, it has grown a lot and flowers have now appeared. There will hopefully also be tomatoes on it… On its right is a myrtle tree that blooms on and off. On the railing is a smaller tomato-plant with cocktail-tomatoes which I bought ready-grown. When a tomato is ripe there, I pick it and eat as a snack. To its right are two kinds of thyme which I had to move to pots because they got all grown over by my peppermint and mint in the garden.

tropicool, patio, pots

At the entrance to the patio. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

At the entrance/exit to/from the patio and garden I have a pot of red and white flowers called cape marguerites. The white ones are presently on the other side and not seen in the picture. They bloom until the frost takes them some time in October. Just outside are two pots of red yemenite basil which I have each summer for the sake of the bumble-bees. It can of course also be used as regular basil and eaten. But the flowers are nice and the bumble-bees love them so I don’t cut them off to have in salads. Behind them is a large pot with giant verbena. 

livingroom, tropicool

In the livingroom. Photo, ©nini.tjader.2017

We’ve not had the best weather this summer. Rain, thunder, hail, and sometimes sunny. A day can begin sunny and then the rains and clouds come. And it being sunny is no guarantee for tropical weather or hot temperatures. Slightly warmer… but not tropical. There are few days in Sweden that you can consider the weather to be tropical. This corner (above) in the livingroom is the most tropical I can produce indoors. But it is also a nice place when the weather is uninviting to go outdoors.

Or I can spend time in the kitchen which always is a bit tropical when it comes to plants…

ktichen, kitchenwindows, tropicool

Tropicool in the kitchen. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Posted by nini in House plants, outside place, tropicool, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

My outside place

outside place

Part of my outside place 2017-05-28. Photo: ©nini,tjader.2017

My outside place can finally be used. The warmth arrived and plants could go outside and everything be arranged.

outside place

My outside place 2017-05-20. Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

My outside place faces west from the wall and south from its entrance from the garden. It gets very hot there in the afternoon. On sunny days it is sunny the whole afternoon until evening when sun disappears behind the higher ground on the other side of the road.

outside place

My outside place from the entrance. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The floors in my outside place are of concrete and not that pleasant to walk on barefoot so I have two outdoor carpets, plastic, on the floor. I think they are already on their third year so they have lasted fine through rain and lousy weather. I take them in over the winter, before the snows begin.

outside place

Part of my outside place. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Just outside the door I have this black wooden bench – which has cushions when weather permits – which I bought at Ikea the very first spring I lived in this flat, 2010. It is placed toward the wall and has cover from the upstairs neighbours balcony when it rains. Convenient… 

pots

Pots Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The top of the sofa has a small ledge where I can place various pots when needed. The naked plant in the middle of the picture is my ginkgo biloba plant… I am still unsure if it still is alive or not. Meanwhile it lives outdoors on the top of the sofa where it is warm and it gets as much light as possible. Still waiting for it to come alive again… it might, they say. To the left of it is a fragranced pelargonia from last year that survived the winter indoors. To the left of that a bought tomato-plant. I gave up on growing tomatoes from seed… At the right are seed-sown sweet peas that are coming along just fine. They will be planted in my large pot in the corner of the outside place when I get the plant they will live together with. That plant is still not available in shops. Too early yet.

outside place

Hanging plants at my outside place. Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

Just at the entrance from the garden to my outside place I’ve hung two pots on the railing. The one to the left is a red basil, the one to the right is a lavender. Just inside are white and red “stjärnöga”, Osteospermum. They last and bloom until the first frost some time in October if you frequently cut off flowers that are done.

Pots

Pots on the table. Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

On the table in my outside place I have two pots. The one to the left is a rosemary, which has bloomed also indoors for a long time by now. I keep cutting it, as I use it with oven-baked cleft potatoes regularly.  The one to the right is a myrtle. It has buds, but I am still waiting for it to bloom. Bought it at the garden fair this spring and it has been indoors until recently.

outside place

Part of my outside place.Photop: ©nini.tjader.2017

This corner of my outside place isn’t quite ready yet. The large black pot still have to get its plants. I am waiting for the climbing cobea to arrive in stores. It will live there in the corner and grow upwards on the trellis on the wall (it can grow upto 3 meters in one season). I haven’t had a cobea for the last two years. It is time for it again. It will live together with the seed-grown sweet peas that are ready for planting. My olivetree is outdoors as well now. You see it on the right in this picture.

wildpelargonia

Australian wild pelargonia. Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

On the high wall at the outside place hangs an Australian wild pelargonia which I bought at the garden-fair this spring. I will get whitish-pink flowers later on that smell like candy. I have never succeeded to save one of these over winter indoors so have bought a new one each year. Might try again. Oh. I got myself a wind-chime to hang outside. Got it from Ikea. I like the sound of it.

outside place

Plant under umbrella. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

I recently moved my figtree outdoors to the outside place. For the first couple of days I let it live under the umbrella, to protect it from the strong spring sun. Didn’t want to do the same mistake I did last year when the strong spring sun burned some of the leaves and made them fall off.

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The figtree on my outside place. Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

The figtree is now out from under the umbrella. Haven’t seen any sun-damage so far even though the sun has been pretty strong the last week.

outside place

My outside place from outside. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Along the railing of my outside place are three boxes with three bright red pelargonias in each one of them. As I live on the groundfloor I can have the boxes on the outside and even water them from the outside. Very convenient.

olivetree

The olivetree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

My olivetree – which used to be small and compact… – has also moved outdoors and seems to like it. It is no longer small an compact. I cut off all dead parts of it in the spring, but not the long new ones. Still hesitating if to cut it more or not.

poppies

Poppies. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

Just outside the outside place the poppies have started to bloom. Just yesterday I removed a lot of poppies as they spread a bit too much. They are nice, but I won’t let them spread too much. Hard to take photos of though because it was a bit windy just then.

The day before yesterday friend Ulla and I spent some time on the outside place eating home-made (by me) frozen strawberry cheesecake with a glass of cold white wine (wine is Inycon, I really recommend it) in the sun.

My favourite season has finally arrived. May there be more days like these this summer.

outside place

Ulla on my outside place. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Posted by nini in House plants, Outside, outside place, Plants, 0 comments

New Beginnings

 

figtree, new beginnings

New beginnings with new stems and leaves on my figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

“New Beginnings” is this months theme for the Urban Jungle Bloggers . Just the right theme for this time of the year when talking about the plantworld.

figtree, new beginnings

Part of my figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

At the end of March I decided I had to cut my figtree. Something I have never done before and have no experience with. I decided to cut at least one of the stems that grew straight out and made the plant larger than I wanted it to be. So I cut off that branch and dived it into two pieces after consulting the internet and some plantgroups on FaceBook.

One part of the cut off branch had no leaves and was put directly into soil in a pot with a plastic bag around it. I kept notice of what was up and down of that bit of stem before planting it. It just took a couple of weeks until it produced a small green thing on the stem. I hope that will be a new beginning for that piece of figtree…

figtree, new beginnings

Figtree cutting. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The top part of the cutting I put in a decorative vase with water. All leaves except one soon fell off, but on the cut branch in the water small white growth appeared pretty fast.

figtree, new beginnings

Part of my figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

I hope those small, white things that appear on the cutting in the water are new roots?

With a bit of luck I will get two brand new figtrees after cutting off that branch.

figtree, new beginnings

New branches on the figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The new branches and leaves are growing just fine (and fast) on the tree itself.

My figtree is, against all rules, kept indoors over winter, in regular house warmth. I give it extra light by a special plant-lamp. It loses some leaves over winter, but not all. When the branch got cut, it immediately produced two figs… If it is anything like the last time it did that, it will take a couple of months to get ripe and will be almost inedible.

figtree, figs, new beginnings

Figs on my figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Also one of my old cactuses is showing new beginnings. (Reload page to get images to sort in another order, click an image to see a larger version).

Apart form those two new beginnings I am again, against better knowledge, sowing all kinds of seeds. I am usually not very successful in that, but I keep on trying. Those are for outdoor plants though and will be covered in another post later on. Those are tomatoes and some flowers.

geranium, whitegeranium, new beginnings

White geranium, cut down. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

I cut down my white geranium to get more plants and to give the old one a new beginning. This is the only one I kept indoors over winter as I simply didn’t have space to keep more of them. This kind answers well to get cut down and made more plants from and did so this year as well.

geraniums, pelargonia, whitegeranium, new beginnings

New beginnings of the white geraniums. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

One of the small cuttings died since I shot this picture, but I will get at least three new white geraniums. These new beginnings will all get their own larger pots when they get big enough and I am sure that they will survive. They live outdoors on the patio over the summer.

geranium, fragranced geranium, new beginnings

Fragranced geranium. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The above is a fragranced geranium that also is a cutting from last years geraniums. It was two from the beginning, one died. This second one is growing though. The cutting started off in a glass of water where it got lots of roots. Only some time in January did I move them and put them into soil. Then its twin died, but this one survived. It needs more light to grow better. This spring has been poor of light and warmth, but hopefully that changes soon.

ginkgobiloba

Ginkgo Biloba Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

If the Ginkgo Biloba will get any new beginnings is doubtful though… Since I shot this picture two more leaves have fallen off and it is down to one rather withered leaf. I cannot yet see if the plant is dead or alive.

My oldest and largest aloe vera is very much alive though with lots of babies. Need to remove those, but waiting for warmer weather so I can take it outdoors. It is hard to handle it indoors as it is so big and heavy.

aloevera, new beginnings

Aloe Vera with babies. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

(And then there are the tomatoes…)

plants, houseplants, new beginnings

New beginnings. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Posted by nini in greenery, House plants, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 2 comments

Too many plants… it is somewhat crowded

plants, crowded

Plants in the kitchen 2017-04-16. Too crowded. Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

There are too many plants everywhere at the moment. It is somewhat crowded. To use the kitchen table for instance, I need to temporarily move various plants and seedlings.

plants, crowded

Crowded with plants. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

I’ve had to move around lots of the plants to be able to use space and light as best I can. Some of the orchids have had to take a step down from the windowsill to other plants that need the light more.

plants, crowded

Crowded with plants. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The kitchen table is occupied by tomato-seedlings and some other seedlings. The tomatoes have been replanted once so far. I keep on taking away new plants that keep coming up. The tomato-seedlings all comes from tomatoes bought in the supermarket. They grow like crazy.

plants

Plants. PHoto: ©nini.tjader.2017

Some of the seedlings are flowers that will be placed outside when they get bigger and weather permits.

plants, pelargonia, geranium

Wild pelargonia. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

It sits low on a low piedestal. To the right of it you see one of the orchids that I had to move down from the windowsill to get more space there.

plants, basil

Plants.Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

plants, geranium, pelargonia

Plants. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

And here are some more images of the plants that crowd my kitchentable and the windowsills in my flat presently. Reload page in browser to make images sort differently. Click an image to see a larger version.

Meanwhile outside there is still some snow in a corner and we are waiting for warmer weather. Not around the corner presently though…

garden

Part of the garden seen through one of the kitchenwindows, 2017-04-16. Photo;: ©nini.tjader.2017

Posted by nini in House plants, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 2 comments

Orchid phaleanopsis – it is orchid time

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid Phaleanopsis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Orchid phaleanopsis, the most common orchid in most homes. It is now orchid time. All my six orchid phaleanopis are either blooming or on their way to start blooming. They all bloom about twice a year. They live in the area of my kitchen windows, one south facing, one west facing.

orchid phaleanopsis

Phaleanopsis orchid Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

Three of my orchids were replanted, roots trimmed, bark exchanged and leca added recently. Three still need to be taken care of, even though they have meanwhile started to bloom. The above orchid is my oldest, the very first I got years ago. It blooms about twice a year every year.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phalleanopsis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

My orchids have been around for quite some time. The three I replanted recently I set in glass vases without a hole in the bottom. Leca balls at the bottom, som bark in between the plentiful roots. They get water very seldom and those three I have replanted I check carefully after watering so the water is not drowning them.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopsis Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

Phaleanopsis orchids are really easy to care for and very seldom need watering. Mine get water only about every second week or so.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopsis Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

To know if an orchid need water, just check its leafs. If they are solid and shiny, it doesn’t need water at that stage. Don’t give it more water then. If leafs feel soft somehow, it needs water.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopis flower bud. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

You can also shower them regularly, on leafs and flowers and flower buds. They love that. They take in a lot of what they need of humidity from the air around it. The drier their surroundings, the more they need to be showered now and then.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopis buds. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The above orchid is my newest (just a couple of years) one. It will get yellow flowers. This year it has two stems for the first time. Those yellow flowers use to stand for a couple of months every time it blooms.

orchid phaleanopsis

Yellow orchid phaleanopis Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

The yellow one is one of the three I recently replanted. It has a dying leaf that looks a bit boring. But, dying leafs should never be removed until they have dried away completely and are easy to remove. Let the nourishing from it go back into the plant before you remove that ugly leaf.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopsis Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

You can also check the health of an orchid by looking at is roots. Are they thick and green (or sometimes white-ish depending on how much light they have got) the plant is fine. Are shrivelled and dry and brown? Plant may still be fine, but  those roots can be removed/cut off as they have no purpose any more.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopsis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Watch out for its leafs if it stands close to a window. The leafs can get burn-damage both from cold windows and too much sun and hot windows. It is fairly common and looks like a large dry spot on the leaf. It won’t harm the plant, but it doesn’t look nice. Windows can get really cold in the winter and really hot in the summer. Move those plants so they do not touch the windows.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopsis Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

I have always been fascinated by the orchids flowers. Take a close look at them. Sometimes they look butterflies, sometimes their insides looks like small leopards are residing inside the flower.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopsis Photo. ©nini.tjader.2017

My orchids do not use sticks to hold them up. That is not how they grow in the wild. They hang.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopsis Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

I use one of Ikeas hanging planters for the three orchids that haven’t been re-planted yet. I will probably not be able to use that after they’ve been re-planted.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopsis Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

When the flowers are done and finished you end up with an empty flowerstem. It might be tempting to cut that off. Do NOT do that. Keep it as long as it is alive. You might get new flowers on it at a later stager. If the flowerstem dries and dies, then you can cut it off. It is then yellow and dry. If not, let it remain.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopsis Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

I love orchids. But I only have one kind, the phaleanopsis in various colors. Maybe I will get some new color and/or new kind one day, but presently six (6) orchids are enough.

orchid phaleanopsis

Orchid phaleanopisis Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Posted by nini in greenery, House plants, orchids, Plants, 0 comments

Who needs curtains when you have a philodendron?

philiodendron

Philodendron instead of curtains. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Who needs curtains when you have a philodendron? I have this old philodendron plant instead of curtains in my kitchen.

My kitchen has two windows, one to the south and one to the west. There is plenty of light in the kitchen.

The philodendron plant, which someone in one of my FaceBook groups said is called philodendron tuxla(num), has been around for many years. I know it is a philodendron, but there are many in its family so I cannot swear on it being just that kind.

I originally got my philodendron when I lived in Vårby Gård at Bäckgårdsvägen, and it came with me when I moved to my present flat in November 2009. It is at least 15-20 years old by now and was cut down a couple of times in my former flat as I didn’t have any good way to keep it up when it got too tall/long. I have no idea how long I had it in my former flat.

philodendron

Philodendron 28th December 2010.

This (above) is how the philodendron looked on December 28th, 2010, a year after I moved to my present flat. It was much smaller then than it is today. The philodendron was later moved from that position to the livingroom.

philodendron

Philodendron in the kitchen. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

Some time in 2013 I moved the philodendron from its corner in the livingroom to the kitchen as it didn’t get enough light in the livingroom. Plan was that it should get more light in the kitchen and more space.

I stopped using curtains in the kitchen already in October 2011. They were just in the way and stole too much light. I have shades and half-transparent blinds in the kitchen windows in case I need to protect plants and the kitchen from the sun. But no curtains. I prefer plants to curtains.

philodendron

Philodendron in the kitchen. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

As soon as the philodendron came to the kitchen it started growing again. I measured it the other day. It is now 3.80 cms long, counted from its pot on the floor. It has got several stems. The philodendron hangs and is fastened on to the curtain-rods, which I kept despite not having any curtains here, and covers one and a half window. It will soon cover the top of both windows.

It just keeps on growing…

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Philodendron in the kitchen instead of curtains. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

I guess it also creates a good climate in the kitchen in addition to the greenery it ads.

philodendron

Philodendron in the kitchen instead of curtains. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

philodendron

Philodendron instead of curtains. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

philodendron

Philodendron in the kitchen instead of curtains. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

 

Posted by nini in decoration, House plants, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 1 comment

Red amaryllis “Merry Christmas”

red amaryllis

Red amaryllis “Merry Christmas”. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

I just realised I haven’t shown you my red amaryllis “Merry Christmas” here. Yes, that is its name. I got four of the red amaryllis (and one white that is documented elsewere).

red amaryllis

Red amaryllis “Merry Christmas”. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

It started its life on November the 3rd when I woke up its roots over a glass of water for 48 hours.

red amaryllis

Red amaryllis “Merry Christmas”. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

I planted them into a large, round pot that originally came with a tomato-plant. I’ve had this kind of red amaryllis before, last year actually. Then also planted in this pot.

red amaryllis

Red amaryllis “Merry Christmas”, 2016-11-17. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

It started to grow pretty fast.

Below are more pictures of its growth and development. The flowers became 20 cm in size in diameter. Heights 60 cms.  At first two of the bulbs had 2 stems, the other two one. Now a second stem comes in one of those with one stem. Each stem has had 4 flowers. The flowers are now beginning to die and their most beautiful period is over. I am now only watching it dying… The lifespan is around two months from when you awake the roots of the bulb.

red amaryllis

Red amaryllis “Merry Christmas” 2016-12-26. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

I haven’t decided yet if I should try to keep them for next year. If I do, I have to keep it somewhere light, give it water, and let the leaves grow out. Then take it outdoor over summer, cut it back in September and put it somewhere dark without water… Then start over again by end of October/beginning November…  I will probably NOT do all this. Too much work.

I love this amaryllis for its very red color and its beautiful large flowers. I will probably have the same kind next year as well.

Click on an image to see a larger version.

Posted by nini in amaryllis, Flowers, House plants, Plants, 1 comment