Pretty Blooms for Spring

Since Spring is almost here, I took some pictures of pretty, fresh looking plants I have around the house right now. I was lucky to inherit a begonia (Laura if you read this, I will replace yours sorry girl!) because my cousin accidentally left it on my kitchen table, so it's now enjoying its new home in my kitchen.







My new Cyclamen seems relatively happy, though some of the blooms are starting to wilt (I'm hoping that's because they were already fully open when I bought the plant, and not due to cold drafty air or anything). My other Cyclamen isn't looking so hot these days (the on who got the 'shower') but I think that may have to do with the amount of water sitting in the soil right now. There's no drainage hole in the pot it's in, just some gravel at the bottom, and the soil is still very damp to the touch, two weeks after I gave it its 'shower'. My other plant is thriving because it likes to have very damp soil. I'm hoping I haven't killed my Cyclamen though or something.. Maybe I'll move it into a pot with drainage holes for now.




My seedlings are coming along alright, hopefully they'll beef up a bit because they're currently really stringy. I think I'll have to get them a grow light.
Maybe I'll do that this weekend when I'm at the Ottawa Spring Home and Garden Show!! Woohoo!! Can't wait! :)

Aaaahhhh my first BABY SPROUTS!!! :)

Seedy Saturday

Well it was an eventful day in for the plants in my home today. :) It started with taking two of my flowering houseplants (one's a beautiful cyclamen and the other I don't remember but it was an annual that Carole gave me to make my herb pot pretty - pink flowers, anyway it's been living in my house for two years and has divided and re-divided over and over - it's tough!) and giving them the shower of death to rid them of the bugs that had attached themselves to the bottoms of the leaves. I should have known better when I thought I saw some small black specks on the new leaves at the base of the cyclamen a few days ago. I left it at the time and it quickly got out of control. Anyway, I went online and tried a remedy that I'm concerned was harsh, but we'll see what happens. It involved mixing alcohol (in this case, antiseptic mouthwash) with water and spraying it on the leaves and flowers, then taking a cotton swab and wiping the little buggers off my leaves. This was followed by giving them a shower, literally, in the tub. Then I pampered them with some fresh dirt and put them in a nice spot by a window in the sun.

Hopefully they're forgive me, but already the cyclamen (whose base you are not supposed to drench in water, or mouthwash for that matter) is looking a little 'dejected'.

Next, I gave all my house-plants new potting soil and moved some around, giving the larger plants bigger containers. I discovered that my gardennia's roots were a tightly packed mess, so I gently pulled those apart and put her in a bigger pot. She's now very happy on her window sill in fresh dark earth. I can tell you, it was wonderful sinking my hands into that glorious dirt, however Luc was in for a shock when he came wandering into the kitchen at 10:00, looking for something to eat. All I heard was 'Dear GAWD, SHELLEY!!!' - there was mud EVERYWHERE. He's such a patient guy. :)

:) Welcome to spring. ;)

Anyway, then I planted my Forget-Me-Nots and Thlapsi (Candytuft) flowers and finished off with watering everything.

Then it was off to my first 'Seedy Saturday' seed sale. We drove through a snowstorm to get there (kind of ironic) and I didn't remember to take money out so I literally had $3 on me. So out of the millions of seed packets, I got a Mimosa (Sensitive Plant - it actually closes up its leaves when you touch it). The sad part is that Carole probably could have given me one as she already has them in her house. Oh well - the seeds are soaking on the stove for the night and then I'll plant my indoor ones for now, and then put the rest outside in the spring - fun!

One thing I have to say about the seed-sale - there were way too many people swarming and pushing around the displays, I didn't feel comfortable taking my time to look for plants that we can grow in our shady back yard. And it's also sad because poor Luc kept picking things like 'sugar pumpkins' that need space and light (both which are in short supply at our place) to grow. I can't wait until we have ROOM!

Anyway, so that's it for me for now, I am, as usual, exhausted and need to get some shut-eye.

xo