plants

Some of the plants in the kitchen

plants, kitchenwindows

The plants in my kitchenwindows. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

This is some of the plants in the kitchen. I love having greenery around me. I have two windows in the kitchen. The one to the left is south-facing, the one to the right is west-facing. And then there is the plant-stand in the corner between them.

plantstand, kitchen

Plantstand in the kitchen. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

The plant-stand is fairly new. It comes from ikea and is called SATSUMAS. I like it because it is airy and gives a light impression. Its inclusion in the kitchen though is one of the reasons that the large aloe vera that used to live there had to move elsewhere. It is simply too heavy. Each platform on this plant-stand can only take 5 kilos.

corokiacotoneaster

Corokia Cotoneaster on the plant-stand. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

One of the plants on the plant-stand that got moved to the kitchen recently is my corokia cotoneaster, or zig-zag-plant as some call it.  After a couple of weeks there it seems to like its new place. It is very hard to take pictures of as the leaves are so small, many and spread. The pot it lives in is very light despite its size.

I got the pot from former neighbors Lars & Camilla when they moved north last summer. They thought it might get destroyed in the move. I also got four stephanotis, pots included, from them. Two I’ve kept, one I gave on to neighbor Gullis and one to friend Ulla in town.

ginkgobiloba

Ginkgo Biloba on the plant-stand. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Also on the plant-stand is my ginkgo biloba, which has moved around a lot in the flat since I got it at a garden fair in the spring.  It has grown since I bought it and it too seems to like its new place in the kitchen.

slideranka, plättar_i_luften

Newest plant in the kitchen. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The newest plant in the kitchen is the above one, which has only been in my kitchen a short time yet. I hope it will like it here. It is a muehlenbeckia complexa (in Swedish called slideranka or plättar-i-luften) or maidenhair vine or a lot of other names. Very trendy in interiors presently…

plants, orchids, kitchen

Orchids in the kitchen window. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Another change for the plants in the kitchen windows is that I’ve moved three of my orchids (I have six) into the hanging plant-containers (from IKEA) in the window. I took the opportunity to do that when the latest flowering had passed. Next time the flowers come the flowers will be allowed to hang out from the container. I will move down the one in the top container and up the one with green-white leaves. There is another one of those in the top one. I divided the original plant some time ago. Now both have flowers.

doftranka, stepahanotis_floribunda

Stephanotis floribunda in the kitchen window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

In one of the kitchenwindows lives one of my stephanotis floribunda, a very common house plant. I have two. The other one hangs in the window in the livingroom. This one also used to be in the livingroom, but moved here when I moved the aloe vera to the livingroom. Funny thing is, it totally changed its form when it got its place in the kitchen windows. It now gets light from two directions which causes its leaves to turn in new directions. I like it.

plants, houseplants, kitchen

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

I keep moving plants around depending on the season. When the cold season comes (October?) some of my outside plants will move inside. That will totally change the situation and fill all available space with plants from out on the patio.

kitchenwindow, houseplants

Plants in one of the kitchen windows. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

This is the south-facing window. This orchid is the last still blooming. It grows in a crazy way… Will have to do something about that when it stops blooming.

The large plant surrounding the window, a philodendron I’ve had for almost two decades, is now reaching the second window as well. It replaces curtains and is hanging on the curtain rods. The green-and-white-striped hanging plant is one of those tiny plants Ikea sells that has become large and got a larger hanging pot of its own. What it is called? I have no idea.

houseplant, kitchenwindow

Plant in the kitchenwindow. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

I hang the hanging pots on the curtain rods as I do not use curtains in the kitchen. Blinds are needed though during summer for protection of the plants from the sun when it shines.

I’ve always had lots of plants in the kitchen. They change over time and with the seasons, but always lots of plants. Who needs curtains in the kitchen when you have plants?

plants, houseplants, kitchenwindow

Plants in the kitchen. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

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

Garden and greenery at its peak

garden, patio, greenery

Entrance to flat from the garden. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

The summer in the garden is green and inviting. It cannot get any greener than it is just now outside. The greenery is at its peak. There are still flowers that will bloom that hasn’t done so yet. But they are coming along just fine.

weatherchange, garden, greenery

Weatherchange Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

The weather has been good this summer. Mainly dry, sunny and warm. But of course there has been days with some rain and thunder too. Not many though. Feels like I’ve never before had to water the garden as much as this year. It is so dry.

flowerbed, garden, greenery

The small flower bed. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The astrantia major (the pink flowers in the picture) are taller and more plenty than ever. The hortensia is green and coming but I doubt it will get any flowers this year. The chives unfortunately looks poorly this year. The oldest one has nearly died. The giant verbena in the black tub will get tall too after some problems with it in the beginning.

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The astrantia major. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

The astrantia major is much loved by both bumblebees and bees. They create a constant buzz there.

hollyhocks, garden, greenery

One of the hollyhocks in the garden. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

I have two hollyhocks. The one above is in the regular flowerbed around my patio. It is pink and yellow. This year it is also tall and healthy. No holes in the leaves so far. No bugs have eaten on it. Yet.

The one below is dark pink. It grows near to the anti-noise-fence, just as last year. I make sure every year to spread the seeds from them as they only live for two years. I love hollyhocks.

hollyhock, garden, greenery

Hollyhock. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

garden, greenery

The backgarden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

Above the view from the backgarden, behind the patio. At the most narrow point I’ve put a rose-bow for the two old honey-suckle plants that I cut down to almost nothing last autumn as they were sick. They’ve grown a lot this year and only just now started to flower.  They’ve had lots of lice on them though, black lice. But after some thorough showering with water they now look more or less OK. I think the lice-season is over for this time.

blueberries, garden, greenery

Bluberrry-bushes in the garden. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

The american blueberry-bushes that I moved last year to the back-garden are coming along fine and they have now plenty of blue-berries that just started to turn blue. Can soon be picked. Still not too many berries, but at least more than previous years. They never liked the previous location.

blueberries, garden, greenery

First blue blueberries in the garden. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Lousy picture of the blueberries… but you get the idea…

veggiebox, garden. greenery

The veggiebox in the garden april 2016. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

A funny comparison. The veggiebox in the back-garden above in april this year. And just now in July below.

veggiebox, garden, greenery

The veggiebox in the garden in July. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

It has grown there… Lots of parsley and french tarragon and lemonbalm (though something has eaten a lot of its leafs). The chives here is fine and so is the sorrel in the frontmost corner. The sorrel and teh lemonbalm survived from last year. I had two oreganoplants between the parsley and the sorrel, but I had to move the oregano to a large pot of its own as it became too crowded in the box and I really want to get as much oregano as possible to last me until next year. I cut and dry it when large enough to be bundled.

herbs, thyme, mint, garden, greenery

Thyme and mint. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The two kinds of thyme (regular and lemonthyme) and the mint are coming along fine in the back garden as well. The mint I also cut and dry to have in tea until next year. When it is fresh I use it in salads and drinks. The thyme I dry as well and use both dried and fresh in salads and other food.

Another fun comparison is the flowerbed along the outside of the patio. Below from 2011…

flowerbed, hostas, echinacea, garden, greenery

Hostas and echinacea in the garden 2011-07-18. Photo: ©

Notice the two hosta plants and the echinaceas. Notice size and spread.

flowerbed, hostas, echinacea, garden, greenery

Hostas and echinacea in the garden July 2016. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

The above is the same flowerbed in July 2016. Particularly the green hosta has grown a lot this year (now blooming). And the echinacea behind them have spread quite a lot. They were good last year but I think they will be even better this year.

hostas, flowerbed, garden, greenery

Hostas in bloom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

This part of the flowerbed along and behind the patio comes late as it is less sun there. In the spring it is almost empty with only krokucuses. Then the rest come, slowly. Every year it looks like the hostas are cone for ever. Choice of plants has been difficult for it but I now have mix that works well there. Between the two hostas there is actually a japanese anemone. They are almosts hidden by the hostas this year.

echinacea, garden, flowerbed, greenery

Echinacea. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

I have two kinds of echinacea. One pink, one white. Neither is blooming just yet, but they are on their way. They get very tall and last long into the autumn.

bumblebee, rose, garden, greenery

Bumblebee Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

In the backgarden, after my area ends, still grow these roses that spread like a pest via their roots. Plan it to dig them all up and use the area for something else. Our rhubarbs will move to their space. The flowers have a strong fragrance and the bumblebees love them, but… (click on this link to see a short movie with the working bumblebee).

ladybug, echinacea, garden, greenery

A ladybug in the echinacea. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Even though the echinacea flowers are not ready yet, the bugs are there… like this ladybug.

bug, echinacea, garden, greenery

Bug in the echinacea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

I’ll stop here. This was only the backgarden and part of the flowerbed along the patio. I’ll show you more of the garden another day.

garden, greenery

Way to the backgarden. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

In the foreground, two white astilbes, one pink astilbe and the pink-yellow hollyhock. In the background the back-garden and the rose-bow.

rosebow, garden, honeysuckle, greenery

The rosebow with the climbing honeysuckle. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

Posted by nini in Flowers, Garden, Garden and Nature, greenery, Nature, Outside, 0 comments

Planty Table Settings

plantytablesetting

Planty table setting for breakfast. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

This months Urban Jungle Bloggers task is to present “Planty Table Settings”. This is my contribution to the subject. I always have plants around me in the kitchen, so welcome to my jungle.

plantytablesettings

Second breakfast. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The “second breakfast” is just that, the second breakfast on days when I go to the gym and come back home and need to eat something.

Mainly my plants are in the two angled kitchen windows, and sometimes on the end of the table where I keep all that is needed with the eating.

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Planty table setting for breakfast. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

The very small pot on the table contains basil. The pot was handed out at Ikea recently on one of their events. The seed is actually growing… which is a first for me when it comes to seed from Ikea…

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Planty table setting for lunch. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

For lunch with a friend, another kind of planty table setting, where the rosemary tree and a large pot of fresh basil have moved onto the kitchen table. Forgot to put glasses on the table though…

plantytablesetting

Planty table setting for lunch with a friend. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

I often vary the place mats on the table and have several in various materials, sizes and patterns.  Above I remembered to put glasses on the table…

plantytablesetting

Planty table setting for dinner. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

For a planty table setting for dinner I used one of my inherited old linen table cloth, hand-embroidered by my father when he was young at the first half of the previous century. One of my orchids was moved from the window to the table together with my new ginkgo biloba plants. A cutting (unintentional cutting) of a narciss from the garden was placed in a thin vase to add to the theme.

plantytablesetting

Planty table setting for dinner. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

plantytablesetting

Planty table setting for dinner. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

There is still plenty of space left on the table to place the food, salad, wine etc there. This is a table setting for two. The two small dogs on the table are old ones I’ve inherited from my parents. They are silver-plated (need polishing) and are used for putting away your knife on instead of putting it directly onto the table cloth. The small glasses with a green foot I’ve inherited from my grandmother.

Welcome to breakfast, lunch and dinner at my kitchen table, in the company of some of my plants. At my place all meals are eaten at the kitchen table, in the kitchen jungle.

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Posted by nini in decoration, House plants, Interior Design, kitchen, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 2 comments

Plants and Glass

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

I’ve always loved the combination of plants and glass.

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Having the light go through the glass and seeing the plants through the glass … I like it. This particular glass decoration comes from IKEA. Don’t thing they sell it any more.

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Through the glass you see my new hanging pelargonia which has grown a lot lately and just had its very first flower. It is waiting inside still to come outside. Nights are still too cold for pelargonias outside. But soon…

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

You can also use the glass decoration to put a plant on top of it (in a glass jar of course). A bit dangerous though. It might all fall… Was only testing the look of it.

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

I often also use glass in combination with plants by creating groups of glass items near to the plants.

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

I like the contrasts.

plants and glass

Plants and glass at the livingroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The glass emphasizes the greenery of the plants.

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

You can also use flowerpots of glass. Common when it comes to orchids, but I’ve never noticed any difference in how the orchids grow and thrive if the flowerpot is of glass and transparent or if it is not. I don’t think the orchids mind one way or the other…

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The above is a temporary installation… Used a flowerpot of glass to temporarily place the pineapple when I wait for it to get ripe enough to eat… They say you can cut off the top (or was it the bottom?) and place it in earth and get a new pineapple plant. Have never tested it though. Might do that one day.

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The blue round vase here serves as a container for a scented candle in a glass. Placed on the kitchen table near to the plants I find the combination makes a nice contrast to the oxalis.

plants and glass

Plants and glass. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

In all the moving around of plants parts of the above one came off… So I put it in a laboratory glass in the hope of it getting roots so I can plants it together with its siblings. This kind usually sprouts new roots on cuttings easily.

That was the end of the photo session, this months task for the Urban Jungle Bloggers, as I also managed to have one of the window lamps fall from the windowsill and brake the LED lamp inside it. The lamp itself did not break, just the bulb… Fortunately I had an extra bulb to replace it with. Floor full of glass and vacuuming became the next task…

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

My oxalis

oxalis

My oxalis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

My oxalis is getting big. It has grown a lot since I got it about a year or so ago.

oxalis

My oxalis. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Its leaves are fascinating. Daytime they open up in their full glory. Nighttime, when it is dark, they fold in the leaves and close.

oxalis

Oxalis leaves. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

For a while the past autumn and winter I thought it was dying. It kept losing leaves. The leaves just collapsed. I also had it in a lighter spot for a while. It didn’t like that so had it moved a bit further from the window and onto the kitchen table.

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Coming up, new oxalis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

But then it started sprouting new leaves and even flowers.

oxalis

Oxalis flowers. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The flowers are beautiful. Small and pink in a cluster.

oxalis

New oxalis babies. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

Both leaves and flowers first appear as small loops at earth level. They grow fast though so in a couple of days they are up.

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My oxalis. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

The whole plant turns towards the light so you have to turn it around frequently.

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My oxalis in the sun a couple of weeks ago. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

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Oxalis flower. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

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Oxalis flower and leaf. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

I also have wild oxalis in the garden. I dug them up from another space where they suddenly appeared and at first put them into pots.

They spread like weeds… and keep coming back each year. I’ve even removed a lot of them when they became too many. The wild ones in the garden look different though and are another specie.

oxalis

Wild oxalis in pots. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

At first I had the wild oxalis in pots, but soon enough moved them into the flowerbeds instead. The leaves of the wild oxalis are rounded and their flowers are yellow and bloom a very short time. The wild ones behave the same way as the ones indoor. They close their leaves at night, and open them again when light comes in the morning.

oxalis

Wild oxalis in the flowerbed. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

There is also a green variant of the oxalis which has white flowers. Have been considering to buy one of those too. Have to wait though until I can move the small pelargonia plants outside for the summer so I get some more space in the kitchen windows… Presently it is quite crowded there.

There are about 900 species of oxalis… Read more about it here.

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

Botanical zoom

cactus

Baby-cactus. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

So, this months task for Urban Jungle Bloggers is Botanical Zoom. Made me wish I had a camera that could get even closer to my plants than the one I have… (I have a Canon G15).

cactus

Cactus. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Looking close at plants for a botanical zoom is fun. You discover forms and patterns that you do not normally notice when you observe plants on a normal distance.

cactus

Botanical zoom on one of my cactus. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

I have three cactus. If I include my crazy November-cactus that gets flowers several times a year…

cactusflower

Cactusflower. Photo:©nini.tjader.2016

This one just got two small flowers. They open later in the day when the sun reaches its location.

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November cactus. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

novembercactus

November cactus. Photo:nini.tjader.2016

The November cactus just finished its early spring bloom… It usually have another go on it in May, then August, then October… but never November.

These are my oxalis. For a while there I thought it was dying but now, with the spring light, it came to life again ans is sprouting both new leaves and flowers. Interesting plant. (Reload page to get pictures to show in another order, click a picture to see a larger version).

aloevera

Aloe vera. Photo: ©nini-tjader.2016

Ever notice the little thorns on the sides of the leaves of an aloe vera?

corkiacotoneaster

Corokia cotoneaster. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

My corokia cotoneaster is extremely hard to take pictures of as its leaves are so small. Love it though and it is getting really big.

rosemary

Rosemary in bloom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

This year my rosemary, bought at the supermarket last spring, survived the winter after I took it inside in the autumn. To my surprise it started getting new leaves and to bloom recently. So, presently I cannot cut it to use it on my own baked potatoes which I use to…

Here are some other of my plants.

(Reload page to get pictures to show in another order, click a picture to see a larger version).

Let us finish with a leaf from my figtree.

figtreeleaf

Leaf on my figtree. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

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

Jungle Animals

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Aloe and Jungle Animals in the kitchen. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

This months assignment for Urban Jungle Bloggers was to combine plants with animals in ones home-jungle. Quite fun actually.

jungleanimals, plants

Parrot under the fig tree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

jungleanimals, plants

Bird in the fig tree. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Notice the fig under the bird? It is still there and I am waiting for it to get ripe – if it ever gets ripe. I’ve never had figs before.

junglenanimals, plants

Jungle Animals. In the kitchen window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The bird flew onwards to the kitchen and landed in one of the orchids. In the air is a flock of pink bird, originally from Israel.

jungleanimals, plants

Jungle Animals in the kitchen. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The small bird (originally a xmas decoration that I kept in the plants, simple but decorative) also liked to be in the aloe vera and communicate with the big bird there.

jungleanimals, plants

Little bird in the white orchid. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

Had to spread out the taking pictures over two days as the light has been extremely bad due to bad weather outside and light came and went.

jungleanimals, plants

Bird in the aloe vera. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

This bird (whatever kind it is) suits the aloe vera.

jungleanimals, plants

In the hanging plant in the bedroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The small bird moved on to the hanging plant in the bedroom.

jungleanimals, plants

Bird in the olive tree.Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

There is another kind of bird (with a hat) in the small olive tree in the bedroom. That one is permanently there.

jungleanimals. plants

Dragonvase in the bedroom. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

In the bedroom there is a dragon in the jungle.

jungleanimals, plants

Parrot in the jungle. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

The parrot has been there as well.

jungleanimals, plants

Dog and owl in the bedroom jungle. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

Bulldog and owl can also be seen there. The wooden owl to the left has a smaller wooden owl inside it. It comes from Sicily (or was it Greece?). The bulldog is ceramics by Lisa Larson, a famous Swedish potter.

Notice the November-cactus in the background. It is flowering time again. Last time was at the beginning of October. The thorny cactus had several of its small kids removed today. Will get proper soil for it and plant the cactus-babies and see if they will grow. The big one gets several babies every year. I usually just remove them and throw them away. This time I thought I would try to plant them.

Meanwhile the cats (from Sicily) and the bulldog (from Sweden) will protect the jungle.

jungleanimals, plants

Cats and dog and cactus. Photos: ©nini.tjader.2016

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

In the kitchen

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Plants in one of my kitchenwindows. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

The above is one of my kitchen windows. My hanging plants there are getting big.

plants, kitchen, kitchenwindow

Kitchenwindow November 11th 2015. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On November 11th the other kitchenwindow looked like this. And the amaryllis on the table were all very small them. Since the light in the window had a sudden death and could no longer be lit so I removed it.

plants, kitchen, kitchenwindows

Kitchenwindows 2015-11-11. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The two windows are cornered to each other which give real good light in the kitchen.

oxalis, plants

Oxalis on the kitchentable. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

My oxalis has been moving around from one to the other and is now on the kitchentable. Seems that is the best place for it. For a while there I thought it was dying. Since it moved to the table, a bit into the kitchen from the windows, it came to life again.

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On the kitchentable. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Above some of the items kept on the kitchentable.

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On the kitchentable. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Some more items on the kitchen table… The radio is partly giving up. It has a rechargeable non-removable batteri, which enabled it to be move from here to elsewhere. It has stopped recharging the batteri and now only functions with the electricity cord put into the wall. No more radio in the bathroom.

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Oranges on the kitchentable. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On and off there is also a bowl of oranges, or grape-fruit, or clementines on the kitchen table. I have two of those thread bowls. They are excellent for keeping fruit in as they are airy.

pastajars, kitchen

Pasta jars. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I keep my different kinds of pasta – yes, I eat pasta. love pasta – in various glass jars. Pasta is decorative. The jars are kept in an old Billy bookcase I have in the kitchen for cookery books and other stuff that belongs in the kitchen.

tea

Tea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

My collection of teas are kept on these small shelves from Ikea (they no longer sell them). Well… not only tea. Bottom shelf to the left is a jar with cocoa, and the red one to the right on the same shelf contains regular coffee (which I almost never use nowadays s I use coffee capsules).

Experiment. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Experiment. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

In one of the kitchen windows I have an experiment. When we cut the bushes outside the house, I kept some of the sticks we cut off. Wanted to try if I can produce new bushes from them. I know it sometimes works. at this time of the year (winter) the sticks are red. I put them in a vase with water that I change regularly. Now, a few weeks later, one of the sticks got leaves… I see no roots on the sticks yet, but…

plants, amaryllis, kitchen

Amaryllis 25th November 2015. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

My amaryllis on the kitchentable are growing. Too fast again… The tallest one has started to show its red flower.

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Star in the kitchenwindow. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

As it is the season for stars in the window one of my kitchen windows got the big, white star that I had in the bedroom window last year. No space for it in the bedroom… The light from it when the daylight is gone is nice. I control that with a timer. We need those lights in this dark season.

star, kitchen, kitchenwindow

Star in the kitchen window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

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

Plants and Flowers

plantsandflowers

Plants and flowers. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The above is from my kitchen. The plants and flowers are taking over my kitchen windows this time of the year. And part of the table on and off.

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Plants and flowers in the kitchen. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I normally do not cut off flowers either from the garden or from plants. I usually think they look the best where they grow and not cut off.

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Plants and flowers in the kitchen. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This time of the year though it is necessary sometimes to cut off flowers. It is getting cold outside (-1C° this morning) and the pelargonias die when the temperature drops to under 0C°.

Their mother plants had to be cut off when moved inside as they were too tall and wide to get placed on the window sill in the livingroom. Some of the cuttings have been planted into soil and with a bit of luck they might root themselves and survice.  I doubt the cuttings with the flowers will sprout roots, but you never know… I know you are supposed to cut off all flowers of pelargonias if you want them to get roots.

plantsandflowers

Plants and flowers in the kitchen. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

I’ve just made space for the flowers in the window instead of on the table (by cutting off all basil leaves from the basil plant and freezing the leaves and thereby getting rid of one pot in the window).

To the right of the pelargonia flowers (the pelargonia is called “Mårbacka”) is my huge hanging Australian Violet, which also has been moved inside. That one too does not survive in frosty weather. It is full of flowers. If it survives the winter indoors? We will see. It started its life as an indoor plant. If I get company I have to temporarily move the violet away from the window where it gets the most light as one of the chairs at the table cannot be used if it is there…

Below the present state of parts of my kitchen windows.

plantsandflowers

Plants in the kitchenwindows. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

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

The new sideboard

sideboard

The new sideboard. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The new sideboard arrived and was collected by the middle of this week. Now assembled and put in its place. Assembly was a bit tricky. Took about an hour instead of the promised 15 minutes… Plants can now move in from outside on the patio.

Under the sideboard I keep the peanuts for the birds and some garden utensils that cannot be kept outside when it rains. You normally don’t see those things except in this angle.

sideboard, livingroomwindow

Livingroom window with new sideboard. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

So far no plants have moved in onto the sideboard. The corokia cotoneaster (also called zigzag-plant) is there at the end of the sideboard instead of on the white piedestal it stood on before. (The piedestal has moved back to the kitchen and has the huge aloe on it). One of the stephanotis (doftranka, Stephanotis floribunda)in the picture I gave to Ulla on Friday. Now only two remain. I got four (4) from Lasse & Camilla when they moved back to Umeå. One I gave to my neighbor some time ago, and now I am down to two for myself. That is quite enough. One of them hangs in an ampel in the window.

Any day now I will move inside those plants that are unfit for cold nights and winter. Already moved the November cactus and the smallest olive tree into the bedroom window. The figtree and the chili plants come next. The figtree has grown about 30 cms since I bought it… Its size will become a problem I think. The original window ledge is double width, but not wide enough for all the plants I need to get inside. That is why I bought the sideboard.

To be continued when the plants are inside and on the sideboard.

livingroomwindow

Livingroomwindow. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

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Posted by nini in decoration, Furniture and Decoration, House plants, Thoughts, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

Plants on my outside place 2015

Photo:©nini.tjader.2015

Photo:©nini.tjader.2015

I’ve got several plants on my outside place 2015. Both inside it and on the railing, hanging on the inside and the outside. On this side (above) are three boxes with regular red pelargonias.

vietnamese basil

Vietnamese basil. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the short side of the railing, by the entrance, I have a Vietnames red basil (which the bumblebees love) and a French tarragon.

french tarragon

French tarragon. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The tarragon actually needs to be moved to the real earth outside before summer is over.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Just inside the entrance I have a pot with red osteospermum (called “stjärnöga” in Swedish). It is a hardy plant that can be put outside early in the spring and lasts and blooms (provided you cut off wilted flowers regularly) until some time in October, or until the frost takes it.

basil

Basil. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the back of the bench on my outside place I also have plants. One is the regular basil, bought at the supermarket, which at first just stood in glass with water, but has since been replanted in a proper pot with proper soil.

thyme

Thyme. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Just beside the basil is a thyme. Likewise bought in the supermarket and replanted. Bought already some time in the winter. Used in cooking when I want fresh thyme.

Chili

Chili. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

At the time when I took the above picture the chili, grown from seed from Ikea, was also placed here. It started its life inside, in the livingroom window, but moved outside when it got big enough and the weather permitted. I have no idea which kind of chili this is. I have moved it since to another location at the outside place.

rosemary

Rosemary. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Then comes the rosemary. It is hard to make that last inside over the winter and it doesn’t survive the winter outside so in late autumn I usually dry the rosemary to make it last over winter.

fragrance geranium

Fragrance geranium. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Then comes the fragrance geranium (doftpelargon in Swedish). Gets small lilac flowers, has a citrus smell. Is said to hunt away mosquitos – something which could be needed this year.

pansies

Pansies. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Until recently I had a pot of pansies on the outside place on the shelf there. They lasted from March until mid July. Now gone.

mårbacka pelargonia

Mårbacka pelaargonia. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Beside the pansies I then had a large Mårbacka pelargonia. It has since moved into the corner of that shelf and the Ikea-chili has moved onto the shelf.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the table I have a white tobacco plant. It is supposed to give off a nice fragrance in the evening… but I think it has been too cold this summer because I’ve not felt any fragrance from it at all.

novembercactus

November cactus. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Above the table, on the railing is the large and old November cactus. It loves being outside, rain or sun, during the summer season. It also makes it to produce flowers. See the flower buds above?

november cactus

November cactus. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Not yet, but ut will have fully open flowers some time in August. That’s been the result of putting it outside for the last three years. Before that it refused to get flower any time of the year… Now it gets them in August, in October and in April/May. But never in November.

viola hederacea

Viola hederacea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the railing I also keep a viola hederacea (Australian Violet). It has grown a lot since I got it in March. Then it was indoors. It will return indoors in the autumn when it gets cold. Problem is how to place it as it gets those long creepers which probably would like to crawl aling the ground…

ruccola2jul ruccola20150719

 

On Jul 2nd the first seeds of the ruccola salad started to show. On July 19th it got ready to start eating. I have it on the railing.

olivetree

Olive. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Further inside I’ve got two olive trees, that are indoors in the winter. The thrive outside in the summertime regardless of if the it is sunny or rainy. The above one is the small olivetree that I bought at Ikea last summer.

olivetree

Olivetree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

And the above one is the old olive tree which I cut down hard last summer as it had grown in all the wrong directions. It is coming back just fine.

chili

Chili. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On raised paletts on the floor in the warmest corner of the outside place I have two chili plants. The above one has lots of fruits at this stage. The other one has just started to flower.

chili

Chili. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

These two chilis are supposed to be medium hot. We will see when they are ready.

mårbacka pelargonia

mårbacka pelargonia

Mårbacka pelargonia. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Behind the chilis there is a large Mårbacka pelargonia, child of the other one on the shelf.

tomatoes

Tomatoes. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

There is also the big tomato plant. Since picture was shot, I’ve eaten the red ones… They are delicious.

figtree

Figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

In hat corner also lives the figtree which is new for this year. It will move inside over the winter. It has grown quite a lot since I got it.

lavender

Lavender. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

There used to be a lavender plants there too. I’ve since moved it outside (in its pot) as it looks so sick… If it survives I’ll plant it in one of the flowerbeds.

white pelargonias

White pelargonias. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the wall at the back of the outside place hand three white pelargonias. It was one at the end of last summer and two of them come from that plant. A very good white pelargonia kind which does not get brown flowers when it rains, which most white pelargonias do.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Scaevola aemula Goodeniaceae (Femtunga). Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the plank also hangs a large scaevola aemula goodeniaceae (or Femtunga in Swedish). When I got it was rathe small and not all that good-looking, That changed though when it got a larger pot to hang in with sufficient enough soil in it. It is a thirsty plant.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the wall above the tomatoes and the chilis I have this plant. Also a thirsty thing. It only now started to grow. Have forgotten the name of it (it started with D) but I have that somewhere…

clematis

Clematis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the wall I’ve this year a clematis instead of the cobea I usually have. Thought is that if it manages to survive in the pot over winter, I will not have to change climbing plant every year.

clematis

Clematis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

clematis

Clematis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This one gets large dark blue/lilac flowers with an interesting middle. It only now started to open its flowers.

That is this years plants on my outside place. I will probably keep moving them around as they grow and need sunshine and warmth, but there won’t be any more there now. To see an overview of my outside place, instead of only the plants go here.

red pelargonias

Red pelargonias on the outside. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2014

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

Happy Green Easter and Pessach

easterchicken

Easter chicken in the herbs. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Easter and Pessach is fast approaching. Time to style your home with decorations and plants. Not that I usually do that, but I just today took check at what decorations I had stored from previous years.  Still hesitant if I will use it or not.

Yellow is the color of Easter. Plants with yellow flowers are nice to have and give som much needed color at this time of the year when the greenery outside is still not awake.

daffodils

Minidaffodils. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Bought them on Sunday. Not a single flower had opened then. They all opened up yesterday and today. When they are “done” I plant them outside in one of the flowerbeds so they can come back next year, outside then.

kalanchoe

Kalanchoe. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

I also got a yellow kalanchoe to brighten up the kitchen window.

wooden tulip

Wooden tulip. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

My red, wooden tulip also does its best to brighten up the kitchen.

white and yellow roses

White and yellow roses. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

In the livingroom I placed 12 white and yellow roses that I got for free from Plantagen because I bought six eco herb plants at the fair last week.

yellow roses

Roses. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

Roses are fascinating flowers. Almost too perfect in their form. No fragrance from these ones though.

easter eggs

Easter eggs. Photo: ©nijni.tjader.2015

Intended to go out and cut off some branches to hang the small easter eggs in. So far didn’t get around to do that as the rain has been mercilessly pouring down the last couple of days (around 40 mm in two days). Today is sunny, but I have other plans (food shopping).

easter eggs

Easter eggs. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Also found a couple of empty easter eggs laying around. No point to take them out if not filling them with all kinds of sweets. Need to do some shopping… Normally don’t have sweets laying around. Too tempting…

Not that I celebrate Easter or Pessach in any way, but Happy Holidays everyone.

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Posted by nini in decoration, Flowers, Furniture and Decoration, House plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 2 comments

The jungle in the kitchen

kitchenplants

Kitchenplants. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

My kitchen has two windows in a corner. One, the above facing south, the second facing west. I stopped using curtains in the kitchen a couple of years ago. I use plants instead. The windows have semi-transparent blinds (from Ikea) to regulate the light and sunshine. Some plants lCAN get too much sun. The windows also have regular blinds that I sometimes in the summer have all the way down.

kitchenwindow

Kitchenwindow. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This time of the year, when there are no fresh herbs outside yet, I also added a pot of thyme on to the kitchen table. In easy reach when you need for cooking.

thyme

Thyme. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I recently did some reorganizing in the kitchen windows as I bought two trellises from Ikea to have somewhere to store some of my pelargonia cuttings until they get roots, and to put some new smallish plants I also found at Ikea.

kitchenwindows

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

kitchenwindows

Kitchenwindows. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

One of them bloomed on the second day after it came to my home. The plant has lilac leaves.

flower

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I love my sunny and light kitchen and the way you can have flowers in the window there. It is relaxing watching them when eating breakfast.

The aloe in the corner isa problem. It has become very heavy and big. Hard to keep it upright. It also has a small aloe-baby in the pit that I’ve planned to move to a pot of its own at some time. Just haven’t got around to it yet. Now would probably be a good time for doing it.

kitchenwindows

Kitchenwindows. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

And all the orchids on the windowsills are in bloom presently.

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