sandyslopes..I don't get newspapers either and I used ads last year!..I sorted out the thicker paper ones from the slick glossy ones..

Karin..I couldn't believe the description of that storage method..as you said the opposite of what I've read..the pic you posted does remind me of EE blooms..my bloom tips are curving downward now..and shriveling..but it was exciting to get some :-)

I'm not sure if it is the right word but I bought litter for the cages of small animals that is made of wood and compressed and when open it gives a lot of storage media for the bulbs. I also can get sawdust, but it is wet and I would have to dry it first so I looked for something else :-)

I know what you mean..sometimes called animal bedding..I've seen that idea too..sounds like a good storage material..

Steve, did you ever get your giant EE out of the garden? Sorry, I have never heard of your plant Xanthosoma 'Mickey Mouse'. It's something special!

Karin, I had to laugh when I read this: "Lol, we are talking about decluttering while we're cluttering our house with plants for winter..." It makes me chuckle every time I read it. It's so true! I like what the article said that you read also: "it said that everything you own is part joy and part burden." How true!

Lovely garden photos Karin! I know what you mean about the little hostas needing more care. I began purchasing some minis last year. and then lost two or three during the winter. I hope I will be successful in overwintering the ones I have this year. I am digging the small pots into the ground for the winter. I have two pots with a few minis in them. I will overwinter those in my unheated garage.

Nicholsworth55, sorry to hear you had some rot in your tubers. Rot can happen in pots also---as I have experienced. I find it interesting also that the EE's love water and yet the tubers can be found to rot. And most surprisingly, is that the EE can look just wonderful and yet be found to have a rotting tuber! I believe I have read that EE's need good drainage. I think that is the key whether it is in a pot or in the ground.

Sandyslopes, you have quite a collection of indoor plants! It looked to me that your feline friend was wondering what happened to the garden! LOL Your EE's are looking great. Love the obscene one! LOL Delicious veggies! Cute mini coleus and succulents!

Popmama, the articles on EE and temperature is to give you an idea of what a good temperature for EE's is. I think, from what I remember, is that you were unsuccessful in the past with EE storage. I just wanted you to know that perhaps your temperature what a factor in the loss you experienced. I looks like Nicholsworth55 has shown a lot of good pictures here in regards to how to overwinter.

Nicholsworth55, I know what you mean about having to cut plants when they are looking so good! I did the same. I even threw some out in the trash because our yard waste was being picked up and I knew they would be dead soon. So sad. It's hard not to buy more plants when they are on clearance! I hate the cold so I find myself procrastinating about going outside. But when I finally go out, I always wish I went out sooner! Blooms declining on your EE's? That is sad. But I have never had blooms on mine, so I'm still envious that you did!

I'll be storing my EE's in a brown paper bag filled with shredded paper from our shredder. It has worked for me. In the past I used peat moss. I didn't like how messy it was. I think if I had had bulbs drying out for me in the past, I would be tempted to try overwintering the EE bulbs in slightly moistened peat moss.

newhostalady..some of the small bulbs seem ready to put away..I'm considering putting a bit of peat moss and the bulb inside a piece of newspaper just to make it more complicated lol..

I suppose newspaper is just as good as a paper bag! It just needs to be breathable and each bulb needs to be separated from each other.

Amazing blooms on your EE! You did something right for sure!

Yikes---hit in the head by a branch! It could have been so much worse. Glad you're OK!

I hope you guys get a kick out of this. I did manage to get Thai Giant out with the center leaf intact, now residing in my bedroom, till it dries out.

I believe, with all our trial and error, here on this forum, we're going to figure out the formula for over-wintering EE's !!! Dang-it!

newhostalady..I'm not kidding it whacked me pretty hard!! :-( but I'm fine..thanks for caring..I was surprised to see another bloom!..we'll see what happens..I am particular about the paper to wrap the EEs..I look for a softer feel..not shiny and slick..

Steve..you made me smile :-) that's so funny!!..the stems and the leaf are so HUGE..I need to reread this thread..I'm losing track of who has EEs ..who overwinters..how they do it etc..

Steve, that is funny, but so amazing!!! I hope you didn't hurt yourself removing it. How large is the bulb?

Nicholsworth55, I didn't realize the branch hit you that hard. You poor girl!

"I need to reread this thread..I'm losing track of who has EEs ..who overwinters..how they do it etc.." I know what you mean Nicholsworth55!

newhostalady..I was sitting on a garden seat looking down (never heard a thing or saw it coming) and BAM!..for a second I was in shock like "what happened?" then I saw the branch..now if "I can't remember.." keep in mind I had a blow to the head..lol..

Well that certainly was a surprise. I have often looked up at my trees when it has been windy and wondered whether a branch would come down.

'now if "I can't remember.." keep in mind I had a blow to the head..lol..'

Nicholsworth55, there are many things I don't remember and I haven't had a blow to the head . . . I think!

I've lived here almost 14 years..had 2 hits from falling debris..yesterday and one other time I was also sitting (I sit a lot!) and I heard a swishing noise..looked up just in time for a branch (smaller than yesterday) to hit me under my eye..got a small cut and later a black eye..it was creepy to think what if it hit my eye?..after that I jumped whenever I heard something falling..eventually was back to normal(lol?) but now I'm skittish again..maybe I need goggles and a helmet!..

NHL, I believe that big one may have contributed to my latest back spasm that I was rewarded with the next day, as I was attending to my other EE's I had to dig up. Had lots of houseplants I had to bring inside too. Just powered through the pain. I'm good now with the help of some pain meds and muscle relaxers.

Nicholsworth, gardening under mature trees is risky business for sure. I can be found walking around with my hand on top of my head, in case a walnut would happen to drop on me. I heard about a man who was killed from a pear dropping on his head, and I don't think pear trees are 60' tall like my walnuts. I've also witnessed a squirrel falling out of my trees on 3 different occasions, so funny! Can you imagine the surprise if THAT whacked you in the head while you're just chillin'!

Steve..seriously maybe we should get hard hats or a bike helmet!..my neighbor was biking in the park that's walking distance from our neighborhood and to quote her "a log" knocked her down..she told me she sat there a minute deciding if she was ok..she was..she told me the helmet saved her..I believe it..I hear walnuts hitting my neighbor's house (a different neighbor)..a walnut WOULD hurt..it would definitely be freaky to get hit by a falling squirrel!..a hawk landed on a branch above me..I kept working and soon it dropped doo doo on my head :-( gross but it didn't hurt like the branch..that's a terrible story about the man killed by a pear..life is fragile isn't it?..

Ann, good to hear that you are ok! I love trees but I also am aware that they can be dangerous. With the stormy winds we have the last years there are often twigs and branches lying around when I go cycling and in such moments I always have a bad feeling. The drought makes the situation worse, I think I already wrote about the falling trees on the banks of our river.

Steve, that's a gigantic leaf! You are right, we will find a way to overwinter our babies :-) I cut most of the leaves because I'm afraid they might get pests and bring them onto my house plants. We have frost in the forecast and I brought it in last succulents.

It is so good that our hosta are easy to care for, cut the leaves and put them close together, at least the big ones don't need more than that. The small ones are already in their winter quarters but there are some that still look good like Venetian Skies.

The gingko tree is golden now, so winter is not far...

Thanks Karin..I was fortunate that it wasn't a bigger branch..some of the bigger ones that came down could seriously hurt someone..from now on I'll go in immediately when the wind starts..in the winter it's shocking to see how many trees are leaning in the park..I'm still working on arranging my inside plants..my hosta were looking good but the wind dropped debris everywhere..they're still green but lots of them are smashed..at least it's fall instead of spring or summer..the gingko is gorgeous..

Nicholsworth55, it is kind of creepy that you have been hit by branches twice. Goggles and a helmet are sounding like a good idea! LOL!

Steve, take care of your back! You've got a lot of years of gardening yet to come!

Brought my amaryllis bulbs in (7 or 8 of them). I store them in my storage room amongst a lot of stuff that needs organizing or a new place to live!

I really don't think I need 7 or 8 of them. But some were a good deal and, well, you know how that goes.

newhostalady..twice in 14 years - considering how much I'm outside doesn't sound TOO bad..but I sure hope that I NEVER get hit again..even wearing one of my straw hats would've helped..and yes I know all about good deals haha..almost all of my space inside and out is full of them :-)

Good deals and fall sales, my appartment is full of them :-)

Last week I got the three big plants in front...I only wanted the Agave Queen Victoria...but I never order one plant alone, so along came a Sansevieria and an Epiphyllum anguliger...

End of this week my plant room will be ready and the kitchen table will be empty...just wonder how long this will last :-)

we will always find space for a plant that we love right?..lol..bedtime for me..I still have an unbelievable amount of work to do..I need some sleep to help me get going tomorrow :-)

Repotted my big Clivia today. Decided not to divide it because two would need more room than the original. It is a monster, here with my not so small June and First Frost in background...

Karin..your clivia is reminding me of newhostalady's amaryllis..I haven't had either one..I really like both..do they both go dormant like my curcuma?..

Amaryllis goes dormant, but clivia is not. That's why it gets really big over the years. It needs a cool, not cold, place to overwinter to get flowers next year. If it is too warm it does not flower. I think I have this plant for more than 30 years now, sometimes I divide it and give pieces away...

I normally buy Amaryllis bulbs in winter and they bloom around Christmas.

Karin..wow!..what a testament to your gardening skills to keep it going so long..I'm going to research clivia and amaryllis..because you know I need more plants lol..

My gardening skills?...I water once a week, don't fertilize more than twice a year and I have a lot of inside plants for decades...

I'm really tired today, emptied the water bed, built a rack out of it's frame, tore out some rug and started to rip off wallpapers...so please ignore the rough look of the room...I have my plant room now :-) And I think I could buy quite a lot of small plants if I want :-)

Karin, don't know how long your plant interest will last, but it certainly looks like you are enjoying it right now. That's what counts. Does anyone know how long anything will last? Your clivia is large and beautiful! 30 years? Wow! Your plants (looking great) and plant room are fantastic! As much as our plants bring us joy, your plants are lucky to have you as their caretaker!

Nicholsworth55, garden work---does it ever really end? Even if we are not actually in the garden---there is always planning and dreaming! As for Amaryllis, it does go dormant, for the most part. I do certainly want mine to go dormant. But I understand from the amaryllis forum that one can just bring them inside and continue to grow it. It will rest if it wants to. I just don't have enough room or sunlight to do that. So dormant works for me!

Karin..you DO have gardening skills!..there are people that kill every plant they own..good for you to finally have your plant room set up :-) from what you described that room will be more useful to you as a plant room than a bedroom..

newhostalady..I came in to eat the sandwich that my husband made for me..I said "the sideyard looks good" -I've been working on it for several hours..then he said "too bad it's justs a tiny part of the place" lol..unless a garden is EXTREMELY small I don't think the work is ever finished..I'm curious about amaryllis..I'll be on the lookout for it..

I tend to divide projects into pieces. Otherwise I find it overwhelming. So if I get a part of the project done, then I can pat myself and be pleased at the accomplishment. So your nice side yard is something to be happy about! Good job!

I can see that a large garden is a lot of work. These days, with ideas from the internet and all kinds of possibilities, small gardens can be a lot of work too. I'm still dreaming of some kind of structure for hanging plants. That would mean more containers and more repotting etc. and more work!

Nicholsworth55, DON'T look at amaryllis! You know what will happen . . . And if you were close I would give you a few of mine. The leaves like some sun and they need to be grown all summer after blooming. The long leaves can be broken by high winds so one has to be careful about placement.

newhostalady..if I happen to see an amaryllis or clivia I'll have to check it out lol..I'm not able to provide much sun..it might be smart to stick with shade plants..to divide and conquer is a good strategy..and I think making a list is helpful..I can see where to start and what can wait..we'll get a little break tomorrow..we have dentist appointments! haha..

I think with gardening I have found something I really love. I've always had plants inside but was too busy to do much in the garden, it was mostly gras and bushes. But now it seems that I can discover a whole new world :-)

Ann, I think men see the world in a different way. While you are happy with what you did he sees the rest :-(

But such a garden can never be finished, with all the leaves and seed and not to forget weeds it is a battle already lost.

With hosta I learned that the fun of buying plants is always followed by a lot of work and new investments in pots and soil...and most are quite big now so I think I have enough or can only get new ones if I give some away...

It is finally raining and I hope it goes on for a while even if it means to stay inside. It became cold and ugly overnight and the golden days are gone...

I never keep Amaryllis, for me it is part of winter at the moment the shops are full of them. In spring I throw them out and they never looked good after that.

Clivia only has flowers if it is kept cold in winter but thrives in a shady place.

Karin..yes men ARE different!..he works so much faster..I'm much slower and more careful..I don't care if I don't get finished today..the day after the windy day he broke a small rake that I loved..it had curved plastic tines with some spring action..I've had it for years..and now I don't :-( ..I have tools that I don't let him use!..I bought some cheap ones for him lol..he's a wonderful helper with supervision haha..I have to say I couldn't garden here without him..he helps me so much..but he has a different mindset..I enjoy taking my time and he wants to be highly productive..we're a good mix..a dreamer and a realist..I saw that there's a clivia and an amaryllis forum..when winter is here I'll try to learn a little..sounds like a shade loving clivia would be better for me..

"I think with gardening I have found something I really love." Me too Karin! I agree also that the work is never done and that new purchases are followed by a lot of work.

I am wondering how often you repot your plants Karin? I think that is the key to success---and of course, potting media. Amaryllis here cost about $20 Canadian or maybe half price if you are lucky to shop at the right time. So I find them to be a bit expensive and tend to try to overwinter and keep them alive. I just threw one out because of rot. Of course it was one of the prettier ones!

I agree that men can be different. My husband makes decisions a lot quicker than I do. He gets frustrated with me being so indecisive. I like taking my time to find the right thing for my projects and loving the results.

Nicholsworth55, I remember writing the tree forum for some advice. In the discussion it was suggested to me to grow woodland plants. And, of course, I don't want woodland plants---I want hosta! I've come to the conclusion that one can try to grow almost anything, but you pay a price in time and materials etc. when you don't grow plants that are more suited to your property. So right now, I try to grow what I like (within reason). But I know I am making it more difficult by increasing my workload. As long as I can do it, I will.

Having said all of that, I have to also say my backyard frustrates me greatly. It's all the roots which do not allow me to plant very much in the ground. I am stuck as to how to make things better. I go around and around in my mind with possibilities---cut down a tree (not sure whether I would be allowed to (city rules), plus it would be quite expensive. My old cedar hedge is declining (but I love to see the birds finding protection in there). A new hedge to replace that one would probably not grow due to the fact that the trees are now so large and providing a lot of shade and root competition. So I keep wondering who I could get to give me some ideas for my garden. A friend of mine just suffered three strokes (but is recovering). It makes me wonder how much time I have left and what I can do to get more out of my garden.

I do not repot indoor plants often, only if it is absolutely necessary. I fertilize zwice a year with a good biological fertilizer and that is enough. But sometimes I see roots coming out of the pots then I know it is time :-) The plants somehow consume all the soil in the pots, it's fascinating...I have plants in the same pots for more than 10 years. Ficus, Dracenae and Schefflera to name a few...

I also have a big old hedge and the landlord loves it. As you say, birds use it for nesting but the older it gets the uglier it is :-( Sometimes I would love to cut the lower branches to give it a more treelike shape but that is not allowed...you can see the massive structure in the background of my picture...

newhostalady..I didn't realize that your property is so much like mine with trees taking up most of the space..we have the same issues..for the first time fall was here and I DIDN'T buy any shrubs or ornamental trees..any new plants would just be crammed in somewhere..and they wouldn't do well..so now I'm loving growing tropical plants in containers and maintaining the plants I've planted since I moved here..I'm sorry about your friend..glad they're recovering..It's a reality check isn't it?..as you said I'm trying to garden "within reason"..the right balance is tricky..enough to enjoy but not be a burden..Karin said something that helped me..my large yard is "a battle already lost" lol..the ash seeds were UNBELIEVABLE this year..this morning I watered an EE and found 15 ash seeds collected in the recess of a big leaf..there were so many I counted them..

Karin, it is amazing that you only fertilize twice a year and your plants are doing so well---even in the same pot! Maybe that's the key---some plants don't want to be fussed with. Your "big, old hedge" looks like a cedar hedge. From the picture it looks really good. It is mine that is big and old now. We can see through ours because the neighbors either do not trim it or have trimmed too much. I would love to trade hedges!

Nicholsworth55, my property is very much smaller than yours, but the size of the trees I have limit my in ground planting and sunlight greatly. That's why I have gone into spin out bags and containers. But as I get more containers to look after, I am finding I cannot keep up the work involved with container culture. Then the garden is not at its best, and I get dissatisfied with it. Too many ash seeds---sounds like a pain! Some years are worse than others. Fortunately I don't have an ash tree---I used to have a black ash---but it did get removed due to emerald ash borer. One less tree yippee!

newhostalady..my trees control my planting too..I think both of us have filled our prime locations..and what's left is less than ideal :-( ..just like you I'm using containers but too many is a hassle in a cold climate..I'm still figuring out where to store them for the winter..I have several by the shed waiting to be put away..sitting and filling up with ash seeds lol..the ash seeds just about ruined my summer!..they dropped on EVERYTHING!..it drove me crazy..I'm anxious to start fresh in the spring..

The neighbours had one really big tree in their garden close to our property and with all the stormy winds in the last years they finally decided to take it down...that happened yesterday and it changed the light conditions in our back garden totally. It does not make problems with my hosta beds but the woman who is in charge for this part will have much more light next summer...

The hedge is Thuja, which is some sort of cypress and does not look good in the other direction. We had somebody to cut it two years ago and they took away too much green and now it has ugly brown holes and is losing old dry leaves from it's inside every day. Believe me, you don't want to trade :-)

I always buy plants that need no special care and they adapt quickly to my watering rhythm :-) They have all places on the windowsills and I only take care that they do not get burned in summer. I learned that plants more often die from overwatering or too much fertilizing than from reduced watering.

Had a few newcomers yesterday :-) It is still raining and so I will make new succulent planters today...

Karin..your new succulents are pretty!..if I ever catch up I want to try them :-)

Nice light you have in your plant room. I wish I had a setup like that. I like your new succulents. That branchy one is really different looking, and the one in your last picture is so cute with all the little babies around it!

Nicholsworth, knowing that you have a wooded lot, guessing you may not have a lot of, full day sun areas, inside your house, like me. I just wanted to share my experiences with succulents in, less than optimal, light and temperature conditions. They ALL get leggy for me over the winter. My best success has been with aloes. They seem to tolerate low light the best for me. Here's a favorite, with nice blue-green foliage, I just recently picked up called 'Hedgehog'.

I also started a small collection of 13 different varieties of sanseveria. There's 10 of them on this table.

A close-up of a really interesting one, with super thick leaves, and a red and cream pie-crust edge, called kirkii 'Silver Blue'

Enjoying everyone's indoor pics...and plant nerdiness!

Steve, such a coincidence :-) I just ordered Silver Blue, was searching for it for months because I also have a small collection of Sansevieria.

And I made an Aloe planter today...

Sansevieria and aloe tolerate not being in the first row on the windowsill...

Nice!, Karin. I believe we are kindred spirits, when it comes to plants and cats. Love that aloe planter, kinda wish you lived close to me, I'd hit you up to do some planters for me. You do a much nicer job than I do.

Steve..you guessed right..no full sun anywhere at this place..the tall trees cast shadows on the spots that you think might be sunny..I love your aloe.. that's what I would try first..my mother has a large sansevieria that was my grandmother's..she thinks it's 40?50?years old..I should get one..they're so dependable..Silver Blue is adorable..I love the textured pot..I appreciate that you shared your experience growing succulents in low light locations..it will save me money and frustration..when I see full sun on a tag I have to force myself to put it back..

Karin..everything looks great!..both you and Steve are recommending aloe and sansevieria as low light candidates..I'll start with those..

One of my Sansevieria is actually from my grandma and I have it for more than 30 years now. I don't know how often I have divided it in those years, it is so easy, they grow even if you neglect them...

Such a shame that we are so far apart, I could send you a few pieces to start with...

that's so nice Karin!..I'm sure that someday I'll have my grandmother's plant too..I have 2 sisters but I'm the biggest plant lover in the family and my mother is well aware of that!..my mother has a few plants..she would have more but my dad's grouchy if there's too many!..what can I say?..he's 88 and it doesn't take much to annoy him!..in his defense my mother has too much stuff in the house for my taste too..I would ditch some of the stuff and get more plants..

Nicholsworth, I find that some years are worse for tree seeds. I agree, it can drive you crazy and make the garden rather messy looking.

Karin, there is a big difference without your neighbor's tree! Neighbor's trees can definitely provide our own gardens with shade. I just realized this year that my neighbor's tree (that is about 4 years old) will shade my property in a few years. I am so disappointed about that---especially when the shade will not affect their garden, but will affect mine! Actually, it makes me angry when I think about it! About the hedge, OK, I'll believe you when you say I won't want to trade! I love your new succulents! The round one with the babies around it is so cute and photogenic! I wonder if we have similar succulents in our country. But I had better not look because I need to try to limit my plants! Love your aloe planter Karin!

Steve your sanseveria collection is wonderful! I also love your Silver Blue! I'd be lining up to get some of Karin's plant advice and plant arranging too if I lived closer!

Can you talk with your neighbours about the tree? If it makes a difference for your garden I would at least try to find a solution for both parts. Maybe they can still find another place for it as long as it is young...I miss that big tree, it has been here when I moved into the house 35 plus years ago and it will be interesting to see what happens next year.

Thank you all for your kind words about that planter. nicholsworth once said that I'm an experimental gardener and that is true in some ways. But mostly I have a sudden idea and I never hesitate to follow my head...I got two new aloe and immediately decided to combine them with my already existing plants.

Canada is not well known for succulents :-) Might be the climate that does not really fit for such plants. You could keep them alive with plant lights in winter or let them sleep like hosta. I will try both methods this year. But our winter is not as long as yours..Sansevieria and aloe are definitely ones you could try because they grow inside without problems.

I spent this rainy weekend with putting most of my succulents in terracotta pots and I got some kind of plastic tray from our gardener which holds 12 pots and I can water the pots in those trays. So I could arrange them without all those little plates under them and it looks much nicer now.

Karin, I am thinking about talking to the neighbors about their tree, but I want to stay on good terms with them. The tree is already too big to be moved I think. Also the tree was not planted on their property, but on the city's property, which complicates things. I am considering removing one of my own trees, but don't know whether I will be allowed to. We have strict city by-laws about tree removal now.

Thanks for the suggestion in regards to growing aloe and sansevieria. I will look to see what is available in our plant nurseries.

Your succulents do look lovely on your shelves. You did a good job arranging them.