21 February 2009

Ask Me About My Houseplants (a photo essay)

July 2008 - baby arrowhead vine, baby kalanchoe, baby airplane (or spider) plant, baby devil's ivy (l to r). These were cuttings from Scott and Lauren's plants in Chicago - they gave them to us in July when we visited and we brought them home on the airplane.

Except for the airplane plant which is from Mom and Dad and brought home by car. (We didn't do so hot with the airplane plant cutting from Scott and Lauren.) I potted these last summer with compost from Green Worm and used four identical pots precisely distanced on our window sill by my resident perfectionist.

January 2009 - Much bigger now; I finally had to trim the ivy and vine - they were long enough to wrap around their pots multiple times. Sergio, my resident perfectionist, began to cringe as the vines kept going and growing all over everything.

So I cut them into pieces and put them in water.

Right away the devil's ivy got to work on its new growth.
I was worried that the arrowhead vine wasn't doing the same. Until I finally noticed it was doing this ...




and when we got back from Florida it was well on its way.


The airplane plant is well on its way, too, looking for new depths and reaching for new heights.


I think I am going to need more identical pots precisely distanced on my window sill. And I might need some more window sill, too.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

enjoyed this photo essay.

Deena said...

I'm impressed! Your plants have fared so well. Will you be expanding your greenhouse in the spring?

Emily said...

Thanks, Mom!

Yes, Deena - I think the plants are insisting that I expand my greenhouse, which I am more than happy to do. I am so pleased with how well these are doing. Maybe I don't have a black thumb after all!

Anonymous said...

Glad to see your plants are doing well! Looks like you have some "baby" airplane plants to start rooting soon. Has your kalanchoe ever flowered?

Emily said...

No flowers on the kalancho yet. I hope it does flower - do I need to do anything special? I think it needs a bigger pot - it's getting top heavy - those stems are so thick. I'm also going to replant the mama airplane plant into a bigger pot, as well as getting those babies started to root.

Hooray for houseplants!