Wishing All Gardeners a Happy New Year!

May 2015 be peaceful and blessed, green and blooming, for all of you:

What the Heck Is This??

A friend gave me some sprigs to "throw and grow" in my garden, and of course, I did that.
Now one of them is blooming and I have no idea what it is. Is it an Air Potato, a Morning Glory, or what? Sure has pretty flowers, grows soooo fast. Definitely a vine.

Growing well enough to bloom on a dune is not easy. Whatever this is, I admire it. It's message is clearly, "Hang Tough! You'll bloom one way or another...."

Happy Holidays!

From my garden to yours, have a wonderful holiday!

Plant Portrait: Tillandsia crocata

Tillandsia crocata is a rather humble Tillie when not in bloom. It's sort of a dull green-grey, somewhat fuzzy and out-of-focus looking, definitely not a diva. Until it blooms. No wallflower then!

Tillandsia crocata "Copper Penny", MR 2014

Only a few Tillandsias have scented blooms. And a saffron-colored bloom is very unusual for this genus. The perfume of T. crocata is rich and ebullient. It fills the room with its heady golden scent. It's not an easy Tillie to find, but if you find one, do give it a try.

Miniature African Violets in Winter

Miniature African Violets aren't that hard to grow. I've found that they need a location with several hours of medium indirect light. They like to be watered from the bottom every other day with just a teaspoon or two of water. They die if they sit in water for more than a few hours. They burn quickly in direct sun. They like occasional applications of dilute violet fertilizer. That's about it! They are only about 5-8cm in diameter, but really cheer up a room in winter; I call them Fairy Flowers:

Mini African Violets, MR, 2014

I'm particularly excited about the mini violet on the right. The buds are bright green, and the flowers are yellow-centered with white petals with green edges. Gorgeous! I have seen these new cultivars on web sites but they are even more captivating in real life.

Green-blooming mini African Violet, MR, 2014

I hope you'll be seeing them soon in your town!

Kitten Paw Plant: Cotyledon tomentosa

My regular readers know how much I love fuzzy plants. One of my favorites is the eminently cute Cotyledon tomentosa, also known as the Kitten Paw Plant, or Bear Paw Plant:

Cotyledon tomentosa, the Kitten Paw Plant, MR, 2014

This is a small, shrubby succulent from Africa. They like up to a half a day of full sun, and weekly waterings, or whenever their leaves begin to shrink and soften. They don't like soggy roots. They can tolerate brief periods of frost, but grow best in warmer climates. Adorable!

Bloomin' Babytoes Returns

It's been while since I posted a photo of one of my very prolific Babytoes (Fenestraria), so here goes:

Fenestraria in Bloom, MR, 2014

These cheerful mesembs never fail to make me smile....