Sexy Succulents

October 18, 2019October 18, 2019Leave a comment

I’m changing my inside plant scheme to largely succulents and air plants. Succulents are cool because they come in all shapes, colors and sizes. And, they require little care.

So, I found a few books on designing with succulents. I need to do more with group arrangements and pots that have a theme. I tend to grab whatever pot is empty.

I usually come home from my spring Southwest road trip with Senora desert dwellers. So, I’ve had succulents in my collection for a long time. Just now, with a crazy work schedule, they make more sense that orchids. Especially water culture orchids.

My orchids are now all moved to bark. They have cool pots. I just have so many! Maybe I will give some away as gifts at some point.

Air plants, succulents, and bromeliads is my new focus. I read one design book on mixing air plants in succulent displays. I like the effect a lot.

Freeze is upon us for a couple of weeks. Leaves are falling. I haven’t watered daylilies much this month, and we are headed back to drought weather. Leaves are falling, soon to be daylily mulch for the winter.

Come spring, I have plans to turn my old fountain into a succulent garden. I bet I could mix in a few daylilies – minis. I need to think about this idea!

Kokedama Succulents for Christmas

October 10, 2019October 10, 2019Leave a comment

Last Christmas, I shared my project on making succulent kokedama to decorate my 6 foot pencil cactus. It’s getting down to 19 degrees tonight, and my houseplants take over my thoughts.

Kokedama succulent ornaments

My kokedama tree spent the summer outside on the porch. Most of the original succulents had to be replaced once or twice before spring. I would call it trial and error growing them into kokedama during the winter.

Kokedama succulent ornaments

Spring came, and they thrived (despite me being too busy with daylilies to keep up with their watering).

Kokedama succulent ornaments

I think I have around 18 now. Most came from Home Depot. I’m thinking I’ll get ribbons or bows for them for Christmas.

Kokedama succulent ornaments

The challenge is that the pencil tree sits along a wall with no plugs. I do boost light from a few feet away, but can’t really hang lights on the tree.

Kokedama succulent ornaments

I love succulents because of their wide array of leaf colors/ shapes and ease of care. The kokedama only need to take a swim every 2-4 weeks.

Kokedama succulent ornaments

I’ll try to post an update after I decorate them. In the meantime, stay warm.

Kokedama succulent ornaments

Air Plant Blooms

October 2, 2019Leave a comment

It’s funny. My outdoor garden started as miscellaneous Walmart plants. Now, it’s mostly daylilies.

My indoor garden is shifting from orchids and miscellaneous to air plants/bromeliads, orchids, succulents – begonias, amaryllis and succulents.

My first blooming air plant

Sadly, I have to look up the name of this air plant from the order slip. I’m new to these guys. But, it’s good to have bloom success.

I’ll try to post my winter blooms. For today, freeze warning means I gotta move some plants today.

Fall Landscapes

September 23, 2019Leave a comment

Tomorrow is the first day of Fall. It’s sort of a time for reflection on how to stay sane during the winter months.

Capitata Mauve

I spent too much on air plants because I realized that I couldn’t mail order after freeze. I got some succulents and a bromeliad, too. I didn’t realize that they came in so many bright leaf colors.

Close of the Day bromeliad

And, I took the plunge for my first landscaping project since I hurt my back putting daylilies in buried pots 3 years ago.

Front yard before

Xeriscaping. Because who plants grass on top of a slope in clay in the desert and expects success 70 years later.

Front yard after

I started putting this checkerboard around the yard various places a decade ago. It’s held up pretty well, so my bald spots can now hold succulents, cacti and other drought hardy plants in the summer.

Side of front yard before

Five trips to Home Depot over 2 weeks. Lots of buckets of dirt removed. Blisters on both hands. TGF Motrin.

Side of front yard after

The Last Bud

September 11, 2019Leave a comment

Hundreds of scapes. Hundreds more buds. Purple Corn Dancer is the finale of the finales. I think she will have her last bloom tomorrow.

And, so, I focus more on my houseplants. Landscaping a little, too. But, the blog will rest now. I’ll log on if I have some interesting houseplant blooms. But, until June 2020, the daylilies will rest.

Purple Corn Dancer 9/9/19

The Last of August

September 1, 2019September 1, 2019Leave a comment

I’m sitting in my tent, dosed in natural melatonin. There is cool air . . . It feels nice. Desert camping was hot all but about 2 hours a night. It will get down to 50 or so tonight. Good sleeping weather.

Purple Grasshopper 8.31

This shift also means only 3 blooms today. Honestly, it is a little bit nice to not have a million photos to take. But, I already miss the excitement of checking the garden for Premieres.

Frans Hals 8.31

Today brought travel to the 4-corners region. If you know Colorado, you know that means a drive over the San Juan Mountains. 10 k feet above sea level.

Ruby Stella 8.31

The largest city in the area is Durango and I wanted to see if their nursery had any nice succulents or air plants. The best route is over Red Mountain pass, which is high, curvy and no guard rail. I got vertigo and was sick for 2 days last time I drove it, so I take the longer route now. Adds an hour but oh well. I use to drive Red Mountain in chains in a blizzard at night. Those days are gone.

Animas River 8.31

So, I ended up with 2 bromeliads – one in bloom and one with 2 pups. I also got a small red desert rose (succulent) and another cool succulent. I was thinking of what I read about not having too much variety. The bromeliads are the same family as air plants so they bring familiar features.

My new baby red Desert Rose 8.31

I want air plants and succulents/cactus to be my core plants. The other major groups I’ll keep are orchids, begonias, poinsettias, amaryllis, calathea, African violets. I have a few others, but I’m giving a lot of miscellaneous plants away. Since you can decorate most plants with air plants, that should help blend things in together.

My white Desert Rose in bloom – taken a few days ago.

I have my new plantlets in the hatch covered by a blanket. The bromeliads are far from their natural habitat. The succulents won’t care. No clue what I’m doing tomorrow. It’s a nice problem to have.

Feng Shui

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019Leave a comment

I had a peer who was into feng shui when I lived in Boulder, CO. I actually did my house in a feng shui color pattern for awhile. I don’t claim to know much about it, but it was a creative project. Cleaning closets, etc, to make room for more good energy is also part of it.

Cripple Creek 8.29

Currently, I am doing houseplant feng shui. I spend all winter counting the days until the plants go outside and I can have more space. And, there are some plants I am bonded with and some that I am just tired of looking at. Not that many, maybe half dozen.

Purple Corn Dancer 8.29

I found homes for them with friends on Facebook. It is kind of hard – but I still have more than I need. My problem is that new plants help me pass the winter doldrums. But, as I have said before, the orchids are kind of high needs – and they always seem fragile – ready to rot or have the leaves drop off from dryness.

Indian Sky 8.29

I’m not giving my orchids away – but there will be natural attrition and I just won’t keep buying them. The rex begonias, African violets, calathea are all staying put, too.

Frans Hals 8.29

My new theme is cool succulents and air plants. I have a good bunch of Southwest plants from my road trips – but you can always find a fun new species. And, air plants are fun to decorate with! I got my first batch of mail order ones today – all 6 in a box that is maybe 5 inches square. They are space efficient and fairly resilient to a bit of neglect if the summer gets busy. Also, pretty cost effective except the big, fancy ones.

Purple Grasshopper 8.29

I had five in bloom today – daylilies, that is. That’s a good number for the last Thursday in August. It won’t last long, though. They have been in bloom for nearly 90 days. So, I am happy for the little air plants today. Gives me something to look forward to this winter.

My mail order air plants 8.29

Dwindle

August 29, 2019August 29, 2019Leave a comment

Tonight, life seems right, again. Or at least blogging seems right. I ditched the S mode deal on the new 2 in 1 and now have straight windows 10 pro. I can download a printer driver and Chrome. That makes the whole computer more functional. I actually read a techie column that said it was a much more functional computer and didn’t loose that much speed or security by ditching the S deal.

Purple Corn Dancer 8.28

So, my daylilies dwindle. Today, it seems like the reality of season end is hitting. Soon, there may be 0 daylilies some days . . . then most days . . . then all days.

Frans Hals 8.28

My mind turns to fall daylily work. Nearly all effort now goes into building healthy plants for next season. The little sprinkler system and trimming the plants back to encourage new growth. I need to level and mulch the Southwest garden – well, at least level it. As the earth settles from burying all those daylily pots 2 summers ago – well, there are some low patches and some plants that need their soil level increased.

Ruby Stella 8.28

After that, I will see what, if anything, needs to be divided. Maybe some fertilizer.

Then, the leaves come and I bury my buddies until March. Leaves are pretty, but winter is bland. The roads are slick. The days are short. And, daylight savings time comes. I can’t wait to see what I can do with my air plants this winter!

Speaking of dwindling . . . this will likely be my last week of nightly blogs. Weekly, then prn until the buds open, again.

Stay of Execution

August 28, 2019August 28, 2019Leave a comment

So, my day job is busy, although the buzz of the term is settling down some. My evening job this week is tweaking the new drip system. Last night, it was staples and stakes. Tonight, I tried sprayer heads on a couple of the larger pots that were hogging water. I think the little sprayers will work better without a much water waste.

I can’t believe I still have 7 in bloom today. But, the buds become rare and every day I say goodbye to at least one cultivator for another year.

Purple Corn Dancer is in 2 locations and so she has most of her buds left in location #2.

Purple Corn Dancer 8.27

Frans Hals has maybe 10 buds left – +/-

Frans Hals 8.27

Purple Grasshopper and Ruby Stella have a handful of buds left.

Purple Grasshopper 8.27

I think both Navajo Curls and Cripple Creek have a bud or two left.

Navajo Curls 8.27

Purple Thunderbird maybe has one bud left (max).

And, then it ends. Except that I found one of my Lowe’s Stella hybrid rebloomers with a new scape. It only has a few buds, but it is still 90 degrees. So, my hope is that the new drip system might give me a few more reblooms. My stay of execution.

Ruby Stella 8.27

My poinsettias seem to be perking up – but it is not a good year for them. I need to start forcing the big ones so they can all cycle through the bloom closet.

El Desperado 8.27

I’m camping this weekend and maybe looking for succulents down in SW Colorado. Oh, and I mail ordered my first air plants. They should be here tomorrow. I was reading that too many varieties of plant detracts from all of them. I honestly am OK with having less and getting more air plants and succulents. All my super market specials make the place look cluttered . . . we will see. The long and boring winter is less than 4 months away. My stay of execution is only temporary.

Dog Day Bouquet

August 27, 2019Leave a comment

It’s National Dog Day!!! Dogs and daylilies are my two most expensive hobbies. LOL. Well, my dogs help me garden to earn their keep. They take naps in the sun for me and chase off every other dog who dares walk past my daylily garden. My dogs have been sick a lot this summer, unfortunately. Maizzy, the larger, short-haired chi, is just senior and Sazi, the small long-haired chi, has disc disease and was paralysed in June. She slowly regains function – she is walking and running but lost a lot of feeling in her back legs. I do blame that for part of the fact that my yard is not at its best. Of course, they are a happy part of my camping travels and the best companions ever! Happy Dog Day pups!

Kachina, Sazi, and Maizzy at Monument Valley last month.

What bloomed for them today?

Purple Corn Dancer is doing yoga around her bud. I have a few more blooms to look forward to from her.

Purple Corn Dancer doing yoga 8.26

Royal Palace Prince is on the new drip line and opened his last bud today. Hoping for more blooms next year.

Royal Palace Prince 8.26

Mama Cuna also opened her last bud. She is so big and showy – I may see if I can divide her and put a couple fans up in the front yard.

Mama Cuna 8.26

Indian Sky – and I am not sure if she has buds left. Maybe. But, not many.

Indian Sky 8.26

Purple Grasshopper – this would be Kachina’s favorite. She loves to chase those things! (Kachina is the Terrier).

Purple Grasshopper 8.26

Ruby Stella – she is a champion bud maker this year and I have a few left to bloom.

Ruby Stella 8.26

And, as the blooms fade away, the weeds seem more noticeable. My front yard looks as gross as ever. Don’t plant grass on a hill in the desert. And, the daylilies can disrupt the sprinkler flow . . . which doesn’t help. I am thinking of thyme or sedum for part of it – and maybe ornamental grass. Thrilling to dig in this mud. Can’t wait. LOL.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Sexy Succulents

Kokedama Succulents for Christmas

Air Plant Blooms

Fall Landscapes

The Last Bud

The Last of August

Feng Shui

Dwindle

Stay of Execution

Dog Day Bouquet