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Cottage Gardens

A Hidden Garden (3 pics)

15 years ago

Night Blooming Cereuses are a problem to situate.

They're gangly, they hang over the pot sides, they don't like too much sun.

I've hidden them behind some shrubbery, in front of a little grove of sassafras that came up under a red cedar (juniper) tree.

It made a good place to hide cuttings that are rooting, and some shade lovers, too.

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Nell

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Comments (9)

todancewithwolves
15 years ago
My father-in-law grows them. He is Vietnamese. In Vietnam the elder gentlemen will sit outside in the evenings during bloom time to drink tea and talk. It's a wonderful tradition. The flowers fragrance is mesmorizing.

I love your spider plant.

Edna
gldno1
15 years ago
Don't you just love little hidden places like that!

I used to have one under an old apple tree, but the ice storm took care of that.

I really envy you the little grove of sassafras...they are natives here too and have such wonderful fall color. You can't transplant them and last year I thought I had a seedling at last but can't find it this year and don't remember where it was last year..............ahhhhhh old age!

I have probably mowed it down already.
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Oops, guess I haven't read this thread for a few days... northener - My lights are on 16 hrs per day (on a timer) from 7 am to 11 pm. Haha, I can tell you are from Ontario because when I lived there we always called electricity "hydro". Now that I'm in Alberta, it's called "power". Amusing east-west distinction aside, I've never calculated the power cost... but 4 bulbs x 32 watts = 128 watts. x 16 hrs/day = 2048 watts per day, or about 2 kilowatts. I think we are paying 13 cents per kW now, so that's 26 cents per day. (Usually power is more like 10 cents/kW, so it would be 20 cents per day). I don't know how that works for you with prices determined by smart meters and cycle demand. luisito8m - 5 or more years ago I was a member of the ICPS (International Carnivorous Plant Society) and belonged to it for several years. Along with my $40 annual membership I got access to 12 free packs of carnivorous plant seeds from their seed list (or maybe it was $1 per pack?... or $1 per pack after my free dozen?... don't recall exactly). Anyway, that's where I got my carnivorous plant seeds from, and I had the best success with the various Drosera species. Last spring I was cleaning up my gardening space in the basement and I came across a partial pack of old D.capensis seeds. The seeds are as tiny as dust so I held out little hope for them to still be viable, but planted them all, and almost a year later they've grown into what you see in the photo. So I recommend ICPS as a good source, but it does involve a $40 annual fee to join. Next in line I'd probably try ebay, paying careful attention to the feedback from the sellers customers. I tried various seed companies long ago for numerous carnivorous plants, but was almost always disappointed with the results. Stick with the little guy who grows the plants themselves.
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aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
15 years ago
I've got one, I've got one, a garden web buddy gave me a cutting can't you just see me doing the happy dance. Please post pix when yours are in bloom so we can all enjoy and I can dream of that not to long in the future (I hope) evening where I'll be inviting the neighbors over to sniff and see :o).

I also love spider plants, mine are all outside for the summer, I have 3 hanging over the kitchen sink through the winter, the flowering stems take great delight in trying to poke DH in the eye soooo, when they appear I try to keep them cut off.
Annette
msscarlet
15 years ago
I too love little tucked away places :) I have never seen or smelled the Cereuses so please do post pics when they bloom...I will have to pretend I can smell them!
contrary_grow
15 years ago
I've always wanted to see a night blooming cereuse ever since I read the Mrs. Pollifax series many, many years ago. Please do post pictures.

Mary
libbyshome
15 years ago
What a lovely, little spot. It sure does look secret from afar.

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aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
15 years ago
Question for you Nell, how big or old was your cereus before it flowered? I think you posted pictures of yours last year when it bloomed, gorgeous. I envy your hidden garden, not having much space my pots of this and that are all over the place.
Annette
michelle_zone4
15 years ago
I love your hidden garden. Cool pedestal that you spider plant sits on.
PRO
Nell Jean
Original Author
15 years ago
As best I remember, Annette, they usually flower the second year after a piece roots, even if it's a good sized piece. The big pieces that broke off last year in a windstorm are not blooming this year with the old ones.

Michelle, the pedastal is a recycled lamp base with the basket attached to the top and a turned over dinner plate glued to the bottom to make it stable.

Glenda, sassafrases just kind of plant themselves where they want to grow, usually where something else is happily growing. They are about the best red fall color we have, this far south.

Here is a link that might be useful: Last Year's Blossoms

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