Category: Plants

New Plants and Seeds Purchased the Last Day of 2021

Milkweed

Early 2021 I purchased milkweed seed and planted them in flats and directly in the gardens. Only a single plant survived. Well, this is it today. Not sure how much longer it will survive.

Milkweed Plant

The tropical Milkweed, that is not recommended for Monarchs, doesn’t seem to die back.

Tropical Milkweed Plants

Tropical Milkweed Plants

Volunteer plants have occurred.

Tropical Milkweed Volunteer

The annoying thing is that I planted the proper milkweed seed in the exact locations and not a single sprout.

Milkweed Seeds

When I planted the seed, I unfortunately found two Monarch caterpillars. They should have gone through the chrysalis cycle and been on their journey to someplace warmer.

Monarch Caterpillar

Monarch Caterpillar

Concerned about them. The night temperature has been in the low 40s. I have tried caring for caterpillars in the past with no success. I hate leaving them on their own, but right now I am waiting to see what happens.

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe

Tillandsias Pretty Boy
Tillandsias pretty boy

Removed the wire hanger and constructed a hanger of linen.
Tillandsias pretty boy

Tillandsias pretty boy

Tillandsias pretty boy flowers

Tillandsias Houston Colossus

Tillandsias Houston Colossus

Made a wee linen basket for this plant.

Tillandsias Houston Colossus

Tillandsias hanging from shelf

They frame my laptop, how cool is that?!

Gloxinia

The Gloxinia nearly died. I took a few cuttings hoping to save the plant.

One of the cuttings today–

Gloxinia Plantlet

This is the parent plant–

Gloxinia Parent

It should be receiving proper light in its normal location.
Apparently not, because it is leggy. But not dead.

Apparently, Morning Glories Can Grow and Bloom Inside

Morning Glories

The bud behind this flower that will probably bloom later this morning.

Morning Glories

Morning Glories

The seed was harvested this year from a plant that was later eaten by a rat. The rat has been relocated. The seed was planted in August 2021.

Hope that I can harvest seed from the two plants growing in my kitchen. The pink flowers are lovely.

Why?

If a purple succulent leaves is desired, buy a succulent with purple leaves. There are loads of succulents in a variety of purple colors.

Painted Succulent

Painted Succulent

I don’t have purple succulents. When I brought the Echeveria Black Knight home, it was more of a reddish purple, natural, and beautiful. It has been living in the garden since July 2017. The color changes with the amount of light that it receives.

Echeveria

Much better than peeling paint.

Datura First Bloom

The plant was grown from a Datura seed mix. It was recently transplanted from a 4 inch pot into the succulent garden.

Pretty sure that it is a Datura metel Belle Blanche. Several years back I grew Datura Belle and the foliage, flower, and fragrance of this plant seems consistent with what I remember. Many Datura have a delicious fragrance in the evening. The Belle has fragrance but it is as annoying for me as some Narcissus.

22 September 2021 8:00 am

Datura Belle

23 September 2021 1:45 pm
Datura Belle

23 September 2021 2:45 pm
Datura Belle

23 September 2021 4:30 pm
Datura Belle

23 September 2021 6:10 pm
Datura Belle

23 September 2021 6:30 pm
Datura Belle

Datura Belle

24 September 2021 8:30 am

Datura Belle

Datura Belle

Datura Belle

Datura Belle

Datura Belle

I started marking my seedlings with clothes pins after the Blue Jay fiasco. I found every stake removed and tossed on the floor of the greenhouse.

Datura Belle

The permanent marker is fading. Next go round I am planning to apply paint to the clothes pins before applying the identification in marker.

Can still see R20 C1. The location of the seedling was Row 20 and Cell 1 of the flat.