Tag: Winter

Curious World

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Air plants are strange little things. I’ve had a few, but never really got into them until this year. Maybe putting them out for the summer and seeing a lot of growth helped.

Air plant in amber glass container.

I read a book on them called Air Plants: The Curious World of Tillandias. The book showed them in arrangements with succulent, and that fascinated me.

Air plants dance in hanging baskets.

I also like the airy appearance that they give to my winter plant menagerie.

Larger air plant with nice red color.

They come in large sizes, which makes them look more like a real plant.

Small air plants in Native American pots.

Or small sizes, where they look like mineature desert plants.

Air plants perched on holders add character to this large pot succulent arrangement.

They come in lots of colors and add to the variety of the succulents, while mimicking the shape of agave and yucca. And, the blooms are cool!

Reddish color highlights this air plant in hanging glass container.

I’m about at my limit, though, because it isn’t humid here so they need a spritz a couple times a week. I have enough on my plate with work, yard, house, and pet menagerie.

Air plant in a specially designed stone holder.

I have killed a few, but have lots more pups. Cautiously optimistic that I won’t burn out caring for these beauties. I even have one serving as the star on mt pencil cactus with kokomo succulent ornaments.

Air plant perches above my pathos.

They do create a curious world and I’m a curious girl.

Air plant in macrame hanger.

This week, I move my evergreen daylilies into the porch for 3 months. And, then, it begins to turn into spring!

Air plant in pumpkin glass container.

SAD: Succulent Addictive Disorder

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The days are about to get colder and darker. We are back in severe drought in my corner of Colorado. The wet spring was nice, but gone once our monsoon season was mediocre. I did put leaf mulch on my daylilies and started winter watering last weekend.

My echeveria after the sprinkler hit it last month.

I have thyroid disease and so time changes/dark days are difficult for me. Full spectrum light can help. I believe my mix of full spectrum, flourscent and purple plant lights help. I also think living in an indoor forest boosts positive energy. Something is always coming into bloom. Right now, it’s my vanda orchid, azalea, poinsettias and begonia. The Thanksgiving cactus aren’t for off. January/February will bring the orchids.

One of my poinsettias coming into bloom.

Speaking of orchids – I have over 40. They fill two rooms. They were what got my through some tough times, working at home fulltime (isolation) and separation from family. Now, I work long weeks away from home. Orchids are hard to keep up with . . . There are too many. And, my environment is nothing like their natural habitat.

One of my new orchid pots.

I’ve spent a horrific amount of money the last two months. I converted the orchids back to wood chips (from water), because that doesn’t require as much work. But, I needed several new orchid pots.

Red bromeliad – a mail order neo from Florida.

Then came the shift to air plants, succulents, and bromeliads. I gave away plants that didn’t fit the new theme. I bought new plants to create my new reality. The house feels a little different, more fun. More creative. My bank account . . . Hmmm.

My new succulent pot with crassela, aloe, miniature sansevieria, and others.

Yesterday, I played with succulent containers. It was my Saturday escape. I got 3 kinds of crassela, a reddish sempervivum, an aloe, a miniature sansevieria, a turquoise one with teardrop leaves – need ID. I used an outdoor pot whose plant had died.

Fountain converted into home for succulents and an air plant. I want to paint the frog green.

I added a couple of new succulents to the two converted fountains that I started using for succulents.

My Toki Dokie bird fountain converted to a succulent garden.

I felt pretty awful yesterday. Mostly tired, I just wanted to sleep. But, despite wondering what I was doing shopping for succulents when I felt so poorly, it turned my energy around.

Air plants hang from baskets in my kitchen window.

Creativity is a strength. It’s my top one. I have an appreciation of nature/beauty strength and curiosity in my top 5 strengths. Bringing those out really helped.

My new red desert rose plant.

I’m way over budget and out of light for more plants. I need to find other outlets for these strengths. I’ve thought of painting succulents. I love painting daylilies. Still, my art cove feels a little isolated. I’ll figure something out between winter watering my daylilies. In the mean time, I’ll live with my SAD: succulent addictive disorder.

PS, I’m considering at Etsy sales page once I have enough cuttings.

Kokedama Succulents for Christmas

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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

Feng Shui

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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My mail order air plants 8.29

Dwindle

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Savoring the Four Seasons with Daylilies

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Savoring is the art of being in the moment and totally immersing ourselves into an experience.  It means no multi-tasking or thinking about chores.  It also includes planning for experiences, as well as reminiscing about the past good times.

So, today my yard takes on all of the above.  Here are my in the moment blooms:

Apache Uprising:

 

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Apache Unrising – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Royal Palace Prince:

 

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Royal Palace Prince – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Fairy Tale Pink:

 

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Fairy Tale Pink – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Marque Moon:

 

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Marque Moon – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Orange Flurry:

 

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Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Stella do Oro:

 

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Stella de Oro – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

In savoring the 2016 daylily season, I write this blog.  Last night, I actually looked through every post I made this summer.  It will be so cool to read back on things this winter, while I am painting these beauties.  I have tile paintings of Inwood, Cheddar Cheese and Route 66 in my room.  I said I didn’t want to ever have a day of the year where I didn’t wake up to daylily blooms.  And, so it is.  I cannot wait to add a few paintings of my new Ned Roberts Spiders.

And, that is a perfect segway into savoring through planning.  I have a few interventions for my Ned Roberts garden to start this month.  Things to empower more blooms next year.  Last night, I also found a Ned Roberts spider that is pretty rare on the auction, and put in a bid (it’s under $10).  I got my potted ones planted yesterday . . . the ones that were only temporarily in pots.  And, I fertilized.  It’s all part of beginning to savor next season.

The seasons of savoring daylilies:

Spring: Looking for the baby fans, cleaning out beds, watering on nice days, fertilize a little, early bloomers show-up!

Summer: Bloom fest! Photography and active blogging. Savor each colorful bloom.  Also, water, weeds, insects, and dead-heading.

Fall: Savor the late bloomers. Take time to smell each one.  Begin preparing beds for fall.  Fall planting.  Begin to consider which cultivators will make the best paintings.

Winter: Break out the paints!  Be creative – what new ways can daylilies be painted objects that I see every day during the cold, bleak months?  Paint daylilies on pumpkins.  Hey, what about daylily ornaments?  (I just thought of that one and need to consider how I might accomplish that before Christmas.) I love the daylily solar lights in my garden.  More for this winter, too.  Oh, the list goes on.  And, hey, what about searching for a few rare daylilies to add to my garden in the spring?  Look, winter is the busiest season of savoring of all!