Random Happening's......it's been too long!

It's been way too long since I have made a post on my blog......I am just really finding it hard to write about plants that aren't doing too much, but recuperating from their move. They seem to be adjusting all right now, and some plants are getting a few flowers.



This is my Alsobia Dianthiflora .......the one I nearly killed last year. It is only throwing out a few buds, but a few is better than none. This pot of Alsobia is kept by a north window, whereas my other one is kept closer to a south window......the one with the lower light conditions is the one getting the flowers.


It isn't really visible in the picture, but there are tiny pink flecks in the throat of the flower. It is one of the prettiest flowers I have in my collection.



This is a pic of the seedlings I am growing of the fruit called "pitahaya" or dragon fruit. Officaially called Hylocereus Undatus. They are not the fastest growing plants, and it might take around three years to see a flower, but it's worth it, because these are really amazing plants.



I had to throw this pic in a post. Before I moved I had never seen anything like this in my life. There was a tree, and all over the tree was these golf ball sized spiky things. Turns out to be a Chestnut tree......I am not sure whether they are edible ye, but if they are, I am going to try and grab a few, and cook them up. Locally, these chestnuts make great children's war ammo.....lol.

Easter Cactus blooming like crazy

Lately I have been so busy with so many things that my poor plants are getting neglected, and my blog has been getting neglected even more. Every day when I am checking out my plants, I think about my blog. When I check my email, I think of my blog. When I take a picture, I think about my blog. I have got to start writing more often on my blog, especially since it is the perfect plant journal. Normally I love to write in my blog, but life has gotten in the way.


For the past little while, I find I am liking epiphytic cacti, and epiphytes in generalh more and more. I don't see them for sale very much but I am always keeping an eye out. It must be due to Mother's day because I have been seeing a lot of Easter
cacti (Hatiora).


The flowers on these are quite different from their schlum cousins. I am already finding them to be a bit prissy. One is wilting and I am not sure why. I have also read that to get them to flower, they need a cold period, rather than short days like their cousins.


I am really hoping they do well, because I really like the flowers. Obviously if I can't keep them thriving, I wouldn't buy them again. You can read about the basic care of Easter cacti here.

What the HELL is That?? & Happy Bday Cacti Seedling!!

I get creeped out pretty easily when it comes to bugs.....I can handle small insects, but anything big, fuzzy or weird......and I am outta there. So far it hasn't caused too many problems with my plants, but I admit that each time I find a mealy bug, I love my plants a little less for a couple days because they gross me out. So today while checking out the plants in my humidity dome, I found the grossest looking caterpillar-y things. I swear my heart stopped for a second or too, and I dropped the plant pretty fast.


So once the plant was out of my hands, I of course had to take a closer look. The plant in question......a Kohleria plant. Well stupid me.......it was a rhizome coming up from beneath the soil. I was equally creeped out when the person that sent me the rhizomes, sent me little baggies with what looked like worms. So now, I am not as creeped out by these things, but it did give me quite the scare.


A Happy Birthday is due in my little world of plants. It was a year ago this month that I planted some 12 pots of cacti seeds. Most germinated quite well, but as time went by and space became a rare and valuable resource in my house, I got rid of all but 2 pots of the cacti seedlings.


They are still really small. The one in the pic below is just over an inch tall, whereas the other 2 in the above pic are no more than a half inch tall. They are really, really, really slow growing plants. I don't think I would grow them again. It was cool to try and say I did it, but I am not a cactus fanatic, they are just too slow growing to keep my attention. Maybe if the cacti I had in my house would flower **hint hint**, I would pay more attention to them, but in my house, they barely do anything but exist. Either way, Happy Bday Baby Cacti!



On a final note......I have to give recognition to my Hoya Kerrii. For what you ask?? For growing 2 leaves on the same node. Now normally this isn't a big deal, most Hoya's grow their leaves in pairs, but this guy always seems to start with 2 leaves, and then drop one, and grow the other. This would be why, in the pic below, there is only one leaf per node. For the first time, since I received the cutting last year, it has decided to grow and keep two leaves on the same node. I can't believe this of all things gets me excited, but it does. Go Kerrii Go!!