Plants are my joy

Today is Feb. 11^th. Tell it to my Christmas Cactus that only recently has decided to bloom. Actually, this used to be a Thanksgiving Cactus, blooming on time for years in late November. A couple of times it has bloomed at Christmas time, but I guess now it is a Valentine’s Day Cactus. Oh well, fine with me.

 

Speaking of Christmas, there is this Poinsettia—last year’s plant--that made it through the summer, fall, winter, spring, and now another winter. This is the only “red” it has produced, but I’m grateful for its effort. Not only that, but she is still alive, which is a feat all its own.

Finally, these are the plants that have made me happy throughout the dreary winter, and too-numerous Covid months. I just love their whimsical growing habit and those adorable little flowers.

 

 

How did it get to be November?

It really does seem as though ‘time flies as we age.’ We’ve all heard the phrase, but surprise; it seems there really is a scientific reason for it. If interested, read it here.

Sometimes it is hard to keep track as one day blends into another, then weeks seemingly fly by. Before you know it, months and seasons are behind us.

Thank goodness nature provides hints along the way. I knew when the days grew shorter and the daytime temperature cools, it is time to bring in my plants. I just did that a few weeks ago.

This is always a challenge. I never think I have many plants, but it is seems they add up quickly. That’s OK, there is nothing more pleasant in cold weather than to be surrounded by all that green goodness.

The state of my Christmas Cactus, at right, shows that we are nearing the Holiday Season. Actually, this is a Thanksgiving Cactus, which will be in full bloom at the same time the turkey is in the oven.

I have several Christmas Cacti, and it is always exciting to see flowers in those cold winter months.

 Some of my other favorite blooming plants are my most recent purchase—Shamrock plants.

I have always loved these plants and around last March when they are generally sold in stores, I could not find any. I fretted over this, so I went to Amazon and found several of them for sale. I jumped at the chance to purchase two different varieties, one green, one purple. I love them both.

These may be my favorite house plants of all time. They are almost whimsical. I love how the tiny stems support such large leaves and dainty flowers. The plants visibly bend toward the light. I have to turn them often to keep them from growing in only one direction.

I love this room, my favorite room in the house. And, I love it the most when it is filled with plants.

Retail stores are said to rush the season

They have nothing on my Christmas Cactus.

I suppose rushing the season is just how it is these days. At least that is the message I'm getting from one of my Christmas Cacti.

I have several of them actually, but this plant has been blooming for more than a week already. Even if it is a Thanksgiving Cactus, it is still early.

No matter. I love their delicate pink flowers whenever they open.

I bought this plant after Christmas two years ago at Home Depot because it had a pretty pale pink flower. Note the buds in the photo above. Last year I was surprised to learn the pot I bought really contained two different plants, as evidenced by the flowers that have already opened. They are a much deeper color. It was such a pleasant surprise.

I actually have several Christmas Cactus plants that always bloom at Christmas. The large one, shown at right, is the mother plant. The one in the pot next to it was started from a cutting. This is just one of several that I've grown from cuttings.

I obtained this plant from a garage sale in Bull Shoals many years ago. She said it had been in her family for generations. This reminds me a Christmas Cactus my Aunt Hazel had for many years that had belonged to her mother.

Perhaps these should be renamed legacy plants.

These plants are so easy to grow. They don't require anything special. Because they are succulents, they will live with sparse watering. In fact, they like to be on the dry side. They like indirect light, but are not too fussy about it. They have even withstood little cat paws that bat and flick at them as though the fronds were a toy.

Getting the plants to bloom

I've often heard that to stimulate blooming, these plants must be placed in a closet from for six to eight weeks before Christmas. I have never done that and my plants bloom like clockwork. The natural shortening of days in the winter are enough to encourage blooming. No closets are necessary in my experience.

For anyone new to indoor gardening, I think a Christmas Cactus, or even several, is a must have.