chaz that walking iris is beautiful- i like the colors on it.

Thanks zubababy,
I've had this plant for many years. I first read about it in a book by Helen Van Pelt Wilson, "House plants are for pleasure" the photo of it was black and white! anyway years later I found a small plant for sale. That plant has become the parent to many off spring. Anytime someone sees it in bloom and smells the flowers they want one! It lives in bright light, no direct sun and blooms every year in February. The fans start blooming when 12 leaves are produced. It's a tropical/sub tropical plant so it doesn't take cold well, although keeping it dryer in the winter helps it handle temps into the upper 30's low 40's. There is a blue flowered variety, I've got it but it is huge and hasn't bloomed in the 3 years I have it, maybe next year.

Chaz - I'm so glad your Papilio survived and appears to be growing... maybe you found a new way to salvage bulbs! It was worth a shot, and it seems to have worked!

I can't wait to see your Zombie bloom... Cindee's really got to me! I must have one!

That Iris is beautiful! The idea of it reminds me of the walking onions we have in the garden... they flower like alliums, produce little bulblets where the flowers were, and they bend over and root where they land, thus walking! Of course, the flowers are nowhere NEAR as pretty as the Iris! I love it!

Is that lucky bamboo I see in a little ceramic jar? I have some of that, myself... it hasn't grown much in the 3 years I've had it, but it's kind of cool... I have 4 stalks, about 3 or 4 inches tall apiece, not counting the few leaves they have.

You also have some nice orchids! And one of those really weird pregnant onion looking things that grow green hair type leaves/branches... have no idea what they're called, but I believe it's some sort of succulent...

You have a varied collection of plants... very nice, Chaz!

Jodi
I'm so thrilled my papi seems to be making it. As much as Minerva is my favorite for sentimental reasons, that pap is just gorgeous.

The weird pregnant onion thing you see in that photo is called a climbing onion, it will climb to about 3 feet or so at the size it's at now. I've got to repot that one.

The lucky bamboo you see is a favor from my nieces wedding last October, I have another that is easily 6 years old, still in its same bowl, I only add water and keep it in bright indirect light. It stopped growing at about 18 inches, it is finally starting to decline I believe. Gonna try to refresh it by potting it up in some soil.

I've got those walking onions in the garden, they can be used like shallots! I believe they call them egyptian walking onions here on the east coast.

I have more hippis than any one variety of plant now, used to be orchids, but the cold limits me right now.

Thanks!

Chaz, I see something new and interesting each time you post. I really like that iris! So many plants, so little time left to try them all..even if I Live to atleast 95 like I plan! Just going to have to have more greenhouse space, I see!

If ANy of my Bulbs escape my protective coverings and get narcissus fly larve I will try the neem oil trick! It looks like it was well worth the trial.

Well, a weekend coming up...and time to move plants around to utilize the space available...BLoomed out tulip crates out and another 3 in. MOre bloomed amies into the back bedroom on shelves. Going to be a busy weekend here, especially for my man, LOL.

My PT says I am a week and half ahead of most of her patients in recovery...Knee now smaller then the unrepaired one! I was so jazzed up I drove into town to do chores and that went well too, though I Am tired now. I am sure it is the amaryllis and the friendships here that have me ahead of schedule! SOmeone should check out the power of deep saturated colors on healing post-surgery!

Cindy, time to start a new round for you and Dennis :-).

Liza,

I try to keep a varied collection! I just love so many different types of plants. The flowers on the iris only last a from morning till late afternoon. Before I divided the mother plant 5 years ago it would have 14 or 15 stems blooming at once. They do bloom over a long period, 6-8 weeks usually when the plants are large. They unfortunately don't make good cut flowers.

Gorgeous, Chaz, and fun. Your photos are like a visit to a very special plant collection.

Iris relatives: most of them tend to be poor cut flowers. I suppose that means we have to stop and enjoy them as they flash by?

Speaking of books: there is a little old thing called "Bringing the Outdoors In: How to Do Wonders with Vines, Wildflowers, Ferns, Mosses, Bulbs, Cacti, and Dozens of Other Plants Most People Overlook" (gasp for air) by H. Peter Loewer that is well worth chasing down. It originally was a $1.95 paperback published in 1976. I think you would love it - it has the BEST ideas for growing all sort of things indoor, shows ideas for pots/containers and hangers, and the drawings are exquisite.

Chaz - I was wondering what to do with my bamboo... it's rooted pretty good, but growth is very slow... I think I will plant mine in spring and see what happens... worse case scenario, I'll have to go to the mall and get a few more stalks for about .59 cents apiece! There's a store that sells all different sizes and shaped ones, braided, etc...

Yes, it's called Egyptian walking onion... very interesting gardening plant.

I've got way more hippi bulbs than anything else... this is the largest collection of any one plant type I've ever had! Now that I have growing them down, I will continue to collect... although, I still want to collect some orchids! All things in good time!

Jodi,
I've planted one or four stalks of the dracena/bamboo before, they actually didn't do well in soil. I'm going to try again, maybe it was the soil used. I may also just cut off the water roots and let it root fresh in the soil this time. I hate to lose it after all these years but it really is starting to decline.

I got my egyptian onion from a local nursery, when I saw it I immediately remembered it growing in a garden of my youth. Now I have memories and food! LOL

I currently have more hippi's as a collection than anyone other type of plant, but it used to be orchids. I miss them but love the variety of the hipps just as much. Plus, now there is the possiblility of growing from seed! Not a chance of that with the orchids for me.

The orchids in the window you see take it really cold! They've actually had nights in the upper 30's due o there proximity to the window corner and distance from the heat source, two are dendrobiums, one is a mini oncidium, I'll have to look up the others, but they've done well. My cattleya orchids seem to do well in the room too, I'm going to summer them outside this year. My only worry is that rabbits have found them to be very tastey! I'll have to find someplace to mount them outside. In NJ I found rabbits on top of tables trying to get to them once they've had a taste!

looking back at my last post...excuse the spelling errors please!!! I'm just finishing my first cup of coffee and preparing to head out to shovel our fresh 6 inches of snow that fell yesterday/last night. UGH,

Chaz - I hear ya on the coffee! I'm a mess before my third cup, at least! Since Larry is extremely ADD, we keep a 2 burner Bunn functioning at all times! Folger's pays at least one employee salary with the amount of coffee we go through!

I had thought of just chopping off the old root section on my bamboo, but I'm not sure what that will do... do you think it will re-root in the water and perhaps restart growth? Or am I wasting my time, and it's just not meant to live forever?

Rabbits like orchids? I never would have thought...

You guys must have got the rest of the snowstorm we just got dumped on us! We got a few good inches, and it's very cold... even though it looks nice out with the sun shining!

Be careful shoveling! We're not as spry as we used to be! I usually am the snow shoveler here, but since I've been so sick, I'm letting someone else handle that job! Which means it will most likely have to melt off the sidewalk!

I've been reading up on Dendrobiums, and will probably get one or two when the weather breaks... Epidendrums are a good one for me... the cutting I got from Cindee already has 2 keikis (sp?) growing from leaf nodes, complete with tiny roots... it's an amazing plant!

Have fun in the snow! Can't wait to see your Zombie flower!

I can't wait to see my zombi flower either! regarding the snow, I pretty much clean off the automobiles, do some light shoveling, and if I absolutely have to I'll use the snow blower. But with the history of my back, Chase does most of the heavy work around here.

Wish I could send you all our Sunshine and high 50's degree weather this weekend...as long as we get to keep it too! YOur snow would be gone so fast, Chaz and all others afflicted with the cold white stuff! Spring is coming to Zone 8b Pacific Northwest! Daffodils are up with buds, green leaves nearly bursting out in the woodlands, and the sky so blue, so blue! Now how can I get anything done inside, LOL?

My days plan is starting seeds in the greenhouse but I may have to move to a table outside in the sun for the messy part...Oh how sad....(rubbing her hands in glee). Can I Complain about sunburn tonight? (Now ducking and hobbling away a little faster then last week!)

Liza and here I thought you were so sweet...
"(rubbing her hands in glee)" kinda like poking a tiger in a cage. Cruel my dear, just plain cruel! LOL
Enjoy your sunshine, I don't begrudge anyone.

Yes, do enjoy your lovely spring weather, Lizalily! Spring is around the corner for us, too... it's just a really long corner!

We're actually supposed to be getting more snow within the next few days, which probably means you'll get more, too, Chaz... I'm glad you have help shoveling! I'm used to doing most everything myself because Larry's back is so bad, but as I get older and my body fails me because of the accident and Lupus, it gets harder and harder to do things that a few years ago would have been no big deal... and I'm not that old!

Well, we all do what we can... at least we have our gardening! Lizalily, I wish I could be where you are to see the new leaves and buds on everything... spring is my very favorite time of year!

Here you are, Jodi, some new flowering quince buds:

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Enjoy.

OOOH, gorgoues and a week or two ahead of ours! Gotta dig mine out of the grass or vice versa. Another week and I will be back in the garden though slow at first. Not quite sure how it I will manage it but only experience will tell me, and I am sure it will be good therapy. At least I do have a strong knee to get me up and down if The muscles do not complain too much now...but I am sure they will get used to it fairly soon at the rate improvement is coming. Looks like time to get DH to rototill a few rows for me, :-) IN the meantime, my weeks work is starting seed flats, and paper cups of sweet peas. I am weeks behind!

Thank you! Just the boost I need! I look out the window here and the world is a white melting mess, with more snow in the forecast, along with low temps... my poor bulbs are hanging on, just itching to get out into some fresh air and sunshine... as am I!

Last year, we had an early spring, as I recall... this year, winter seems to be dragging on forever... maybe it's just me! After all, it is still February. About two and a half months, and I'll be planting outdoors... it just sounds like a really long time!

Thanks for the beauty!

If you have any flowering quince growing outdoor, don't forget they can be forced indoor. Just a little branch or two with fat flowerbuds that needs to be pruned anyway can be brought in and work spring magic - no matter what the weather outside.

And the flowers are such pretty pastels when that is done with them! I Have some in my buckets now.

I usually bring in some pink pussy willow and forsythia branches to flower in vases, and then when they root in the water, I have new material to plant!

It's still a bit early here to cut branches... we're still buried under snow! But it will be soon!

I have a beautiful flowering quince out back along a fence row. I cut it back last spring just to prune it into shape and it bloomed almost all summer! Looked like bouganville from a distance! I do cut some of it but like Jodi, it's too early here still, maybe another week or two and I can get to it! I also cut forsythia and if I can find them pussy willows, they don't seem to do well in my area for some reason. But I keep trying! I do have a beautiful curly willow tree that came from a branch in a flower arrangement, It's over 12' tall right now! I would have been larger but up till 2006 it was kept in a large pot, now it's very happy in the ground. I'll eventually get some of the different color pussy willow but need to get some of those Lilacs Liza showed us a couple of weeks ago first! I'm so itching to get my hands into the soil right now!!! Of course that's not so good for my patients at clinicals, dirty nails never look good on a nurse! LOL

Liza, any chance we could arrange a trade or postage for a branch of each different color willow? Heck if ya can cut'm and hold'm they might even be rooted by the time it's safe to send here!

Chaz- don't you find that the one really good thing about all that handwashing in nursing is that despite what dirt ( which I actually consider relatively clean!) you manage to accumulate under your nails on those times off, when it seems you can't wash it all out much as you try, as soon as I go to work and start the hardcore handwashing- it's just gone! I know what you mean about the embarrassment though- not everyone understands...

If you think a bit of dirt under your fingernails is embarrassing, you should see how I look after cleaning the kennels and digging in the gardens all day! I sometimes go to town dressed in my barn boots and dirt-smeared clothes (and not all of it is dirt after being in the kennels!) Luckily, it's a farming community, so I fit right in! I do feel rather frumpy, though, and try to clean up a bit now and then! LOL!

Chaz, I would be glad to cut some willow for you and stick it in a pot to try to root. I have found no trouble rooting them but when I put them out I usually forget to keep them watered and they die on me in our very dry summers. So look for a nice moist spot for them to go into or keep them potted for a year where you can keep them moist and get a good root system going.

I would love more curly willow in exhange! I have one feeble slow growing plant , but would try others in different environment, like the woodedge where the wild pussywillows grow.(Must protect from deer).

The Big pink Japanese pussywillow grows quite tall...up to about 30', so the best way to treat it is to stool it each spring so it will send up long (!5'?) wands with their huge catkins) Do give this one plenty of room though! THe black pussy willow I think only needs 10-15' and Rubykins is smaller yet. I will take a look at the lilacs and see if any have rooted shoots on them, but do not think I have noticed any. I would love to be able to give you peices of Chrystal and Frank Klager because I do not know where else you could get them. Chrystal stays small and bushy and has many smaller clusters of very fragrant flowers. Frank grows taller and has the very long intense and fragrant spikes...both just wonderful! The name of my other favorite I could ot remember, the blue one I Recommended is "Nadezhda" or something similar...It is a good one to pair with Beauty of Moscow, the double white.You may be able to find those two locally but I will check mine for shareable bits. I would be happy for these items to go live in your lovely garden!

Some day when I come back to visit my girls in Maine I want to come see your garden too! They live just east of Portland. How long would it take to get to where you live from there by car? Hee hee, I could bring a suitcase of plants for an exchange.

Liza,
Portland ME is about 1 hour 30 minutes from me, approx 90 miles. I'd love to have you come by!!!

I can make some cuttings of the curly willow and send them to you now while they are dormant if you'd like, or, I could wait and root them in water for you. I won't send anything with soil that's been outside as I've got Narcissus fly and red lily beetle here. Don't want to spread those nasties around!I've found the smaller stems root better for me although I do have one that needs pruning about 5-6 feet long and almost an inch in diameter, it would root but you'd loose a lot of the smaller branches on it. We could take a trip to Lake Street nurserys nearby, they do a lot of growing for the New England flower show!

I love the idea of seeing your garden and going to the nursery! Not sure when I will next be in Maine. I always like to go in October, but the girls are building a house this summer and there is a baby being planned for (My daughter will have it) so I anticipate more frequent visits to the area. This will be the first grandchild who carries my genes so you better beleive I will be there whenever it happens and as frequently thereafter as possible! MY daughter is 37 today..Happy birthday, Holly!

I think it would be fine to send the curly willow now...It is a better time for me to root it. The smaller branches would be fine too.... and I sure do appreciate you not importing lily beetles here! I have hundreds of lilies. Unfortunately I discovered last summer that we have the narcisses fly already! Can I send it back?

I think it higly likely I can seperate a bit of The Crystal lilac, but looks like Frank comes up as a single trunk, without suckers. I will do a bit of research....

I have the French Pink pussy willows, if anyone is interested in that one! I'd be happy to share cuttings, any size you'd like! We planted it as a small shrub growing in about a half gallon container two years ago, and it grows so well here that I prune it about three times each growing season to keep it manageable for the spot it's in. I put it in a small garden space against the east facing wall of a large white garage, and it took off and hasn't stopped growing! The area is not especially moist or wet, but it doesn't seem to mind at all. It's good cover for the birds that come to use the birdbath next to it, and under it I have planted some creeping phlox, oregano, variegated sage, and some pink dianthus...

As far as lilacs go, I have three small clumps of the old fashioned lavender/purple variety, name unknown... the buds got hit with a late freeze last year, so they didn't bloom as well as I'd have liked, but they should do better this year. I'd like to get more lilacs for the yard in other colors... pink, white and the yellow... I'd also like to get a deeper purple and the two-toned one I see in catalogs every once in a while... I have no idea as to names of lilacs... I'm just in the learning stages with shrubbery, perennials being the things I work with the most.

Last year we added a few different types of hydrangeas, forsythia, amethyst beautyberry, dogwood and the small landscape roses to the gardens... for some reason, the hydrangeas don't seem to like it here, but perhaps they'll do better this year, once they get established.

I have learned one thing, though... any type of willow will root here faster than you can point at it, and in the long run, the trees tend to be short lived, 15 years being about the limit. I used willow branches as teepee supports for some pea pods I grew last year, and they rooted and grew while the pea pods were climbing them... now I have to remove all the roots from the garden!