Monday, February 15, 2010

Foliage Follow up and Plant Census

Pam, at Digging hosts a Foliage Follow-up the 16th of the month, the day after GBBD.  I took these photos the 14th with the idea of combining this with Mr. McGregor's Daughter's Great Houseplant Census of 2010.  This also gives me the opportunity to keep track of how plants have survived the winter so far.  All but the African violets and a couple other plants will spend the summer outside.

I counted 25 pots, not including the one with the dead plants in it, in this room that used to be the computer room.  We are in the process of turning this into a play room for our grandson.  At this point, we think the east facing dog kennel these plants are on will come out, so I'll have to put an open shelf for them there.



This is a view from the side, showing a variety of textures of foliage, from the cactus, to the aloe, jade Christmas cacti, etc.




I'm not sure why I included this photo, but it shows the scented geranium is not doing well.  I need to cut it back and see if it will put on new growth.  I have never over-wintered an agapanthus, which is the plant on the left.  I hope it blooms this summer.




The air plane plants, oxalis, and philodendron should survive the winter at this point.




This angel wing begonia went too long without water.  I am hoping to revive it.




I'm not sure what this big plant we've had for several years is.  It belongs to our daughter, who has a cat and decided she didn't want the plant.  The green oxalis is not doing well.  I think I overwatered it.  The little kalanchoe and African violets will need to be repotted this spring.




Next to the south window are some of the babies of a mother of thousands that have probably grown large enough to have their own.  They need thinning.  The scented geranium below looks to need a trim again.  That's another cactus on the right.




Larry's rabbit foot fern continues to do well.




The prostrate and creeping rosemary plants did well this winter, but they got a bit dry in the last couple of weeks.  I hope they recoup from that.  I will put them outside anyway this summer, and keep them watered, because a few years ago, I had one I thought was dead, and put outside, but didn't get it dumped onto the compost right away.  I was pleased when I saw that it had revived.  I still have it, too!




I counted 3 plants in the kitchen.  I had a couple more, but they were on the hoosier, which got moved to the dining room.  When the kitchen gets new shelves, I'll put them back in there.










I counted 22 pots in the bedroom we turned into a dining room a number of years ago, which brings the total to 50 pots.  We had the east window replaced with a garden window a number of years ago.  It's not as big as I thought it would be, and has caused the room to be cold, even with double paned glass, but I have enjoyed having it.

One of the scented geraniums is doing better than the other.  They usually don't look good by the time spring gets here, but put on new growth and fare better in the summer.  The rosemary on the top right is the one that looks dead by the time spring comes, but revives when put outside.




I've only remembered to use my parsley a few times.  I am hungry for it, now.




I included this photo because the melting ice with the blue sky behind it is a reminder that, yes, it is still winter, but spring is on its way.




The River Nile begonia with the red tinged leaves had lots of blooms last April.  I'm glad it's doing well, and hope to see more blooms soon.  I've had the bay tree about 4 years.  I wonder how big it will end up getting.  It barely fits on the edge of the garden window.





The begonias don't need as much light as other plants.  The one on the left is the one that bloomed for so long.   I cut it back a few weeks ago so it would bush out more.




I cut this angel wing back, too.  I wish it would bloom.  




This angel wing had leaves on the ends, with dried up stems.  I cut it way back in hopes it would put on new growth, and it looks like it is going to be OK.




This pothos plant actually goes on the spot where the previous plant is.  I have a print with a number of things, including a pothos, that I have repeated on the side board cabinet it is above.



So, if you've been able to read the GBBD posts of those on the list near yours, and more, go ahead and check out the foliage follow up and then see how many plants people have inside their homes.

19 comments:

  1. wow what a perfect post for foliage day. Hanging ferns are just superb.

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  2. I guess the plants are all very anxious about the arrival of spring... ~bangchik

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  3. What a great selection of indoor plants. I don't have good luck with them. I love the rabbit's foot fern.

    FlowerLady

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  4. I don't know how you keep up with all of these...wonderful selection!

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  5. Wow, and I thought I had a lot of indoor plants! Yours is quite a collection. Good luck with overwintering the agapanthus. Those plants are so tough (well, except when it's freezing cold) that it will probably do great for you next year.

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  6. Wow you're living in a sea of houseplants! I don't have a one. The cats eat anything they can sink their teeth into and I forget to water everything else. Pretty sad, really.

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  7. I really envy you your houseplants! We don't have any. a) we have seven cats, so any house plant would be eaten within a week and b) our main living areas all have north facing windows so there's just not enough light. Instead, I opted for ..*gasp* .. SILK plants!

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  8. Thanks for participating in the census! It's a good thing I haven't had a chance to finish tallying the results, you're definitely going to cause a bit of a skew. I've never thought about trying to overwinter an Agapanthus indoors. I love them, but have never planted one because they are too expensive for annuals.

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  9. Admiring all your begonia - they are truly a survivor.

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  10. What a presentation! Great job of keeping them going, love the rabbit's foot fern.

    The plant from your daughter is an Arrowhead Vine. Syngonium or Nephthytis, depending on where you look for the botanical name.

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  11. What a lovely collection of houseplants. I esp. love the red edged begonia. I had no idea begonias looked so nice as a houseplant...you've inspired me to give them another look.

    Christine in Alaska

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  12. Sue, I love your collection of much loved and sheltered house plants...but boy oh boy...I really liked the garden window I saw in one of the photos...I would love one in a kitchen...perfect for herbs! How's the kitchen coming along? gail

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  13. Oh my! My family has to read this post and then maybe they'll stop giving out to me for all the plants cluttering up this place- WHICH I have to say are rather fewer than yours!! And tell you something else- consider yourself licky you live on another continent or I'd be over there taking cuttings and slips and prodding at everything! You have a lovely variety and I've so enjoyed looking at them all.
    Btw, I've kept agapanthus for nearly ten years, sometimes in, sometimes out and they have multiplied a lot! Also they flower every year, sometimes better than others, white and blue, but I don't know the variety as I dug them up from FIL's garden before we left East Africa!

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  14. You have plenty of indoor plants to keep you company!

    I have one. Easy to count!

    Cameron

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  15. You have a big collection of houseplants. I don't have too many and several of them were Amaryllis.
    You really do have a lot of pretty foliage on your plants.

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  16. Sue, Sue.....you wear me out with all your energy. If are able to revive that dead looking angel wing begonia, then I'll know for sure that you're a miracle worker:)

    Your husband's rabbit foot fern is simply amazing. Luv it.

    The photo with the melting ice and blue sky is something special. It's my favorite photo out of the entire group.

    donna

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  17. Kind of stumbled over here this morning (I've visited in the past) and SO glad I did. I could have spent the entire morning just studying each picture! Your explanations are just "right" - not to long, not to short. Descriptive and fascinating!

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  18. Sue, I love your garden window, despite it not being as air-tight as you wish. So many houseplants...how do you remember to keep them all watere? (Well, a couple you already admitted you 'didn't'!!)...but that IS a lot to take care of. I also like the rabbit foot fern-your hubby has good taste;-) I must look in to getting a River Nile begonia...I love the variegated foliage, even if it doesn't flower! And yes, your window with the ice & blue-sky background made a lovely photo;-)

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  19. Sue, I love your garden window, despite it not being as air-tight as you wish. So many houseplants...how do you remember to keep them all watere? (Well, a couple you already admitted you 'didn't'!!)...but that IS a lot to take care of. I also like the rabbit foot fern-your hubby has good taste;-) I must look in to getting a River Nile begonia...I love the variegated foliage, even if it doesn't flower! And yes, your window with the ice & blue-sky background made a lovely photo;-)

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I welcome comments and questions from anyone, including those who do it anonymously. Some people find my posts by doing searches, and I like hearing from them. I guess spammers won't even read this message, but I will delete spam as soon as I see it.