House Plants

Imagine my surprise when this orchid rebloomed.

Phalaenopsis also is known as a moth plant

Sure, in theory, they re-bloom, but that’s not been my experience. I received this orchid as a gift in November 2016. I’ve been lulled into purchasing one or two over the years, but they’re pricey and usually end the same way.

Orchids are gorgeous when in bloom, and they don’t require much fuss. Eventually, like all flowering plants, the blooms drop away. What’s left is a small set of shiny green leaves. They look nice for a while, but apparently, I neglect them and the leaves fall off one by one. I’m left with compost-filler and a small, empty pot.

Light filtering through the Phalaenopsis bloom

I don’t mind admitting that its a bit guilt-inducing when you lose a house plant. I have my green thumb reputation to uphold! It was ridiculously validating to round the corner behind my couch last November and find my orchid in bloom, three years after the plant moved in. Furthermore, it continued to bloom well into February of this year. February!

Phalaenopsis

Of course, I can’t take all the credit, but after some reading, I’ll let you know what I did right. I moved the orchid close to a window that receives filtered light. There are other plants in the corner, which help create humidity. I stopped watering with my watering can and let a few icecubes melt on the surface instead. Orchids need oxygen at the roots and they don’t like sitting in water.

Those small changes paid off in a big and beautiful way.

My next project will be trying to revive an African Violet. Our foster kitten sat on it. That said, Little Bit went to her permanent home in early January and the violet is still hanging on.

I remain hopeful.

Little Bit lounging as one does

Stunning Schlumbergera

When we remodeled our kitchen nearly a decade ago, we enlarged the kitchen window. Not only is it wider and taller, it’s also deeper. I’ve kept things growing there ever since. It’s the perfect spot for plants, with indirect light, kitchen humidity and absolutely no excuse to forget to water the plants.

Trio of plants on the kitchen windowsill

Many of my houseplants outgrew their small pots and no longer fit in the window. These Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera cultivar) are another story. They like cramped roots and require very little care. The plant in the center is new, but the plant on the right is 17 years old. I gave it to my husband for Christmas, one year. He’s always been a fan of these pretty plants. The plant on the left side of the window was a house-warming gift and is now ten.

Soft pink bud

I think it’s finally time to re-pot. I’ve been searching for just the right vessel but without much luck. The pots I like are either too small, too large, missing a hole in the bottom, etc. You know the drill.

I decided to buy three clay pots and try my hand at decoupage. Last year I added gold leaf to my outdoor clay pots with pleasing results. It was also a lot of fun.

I saved the ‘wrapper’ from a pair of hydrangea with this project in mind. It has a pretty, watercolor affect and it’s durable. In fact, the wrapper is made from rock. Pretty cool, eh?

Like a lot of things I want to do, but haven’t tried before, I’ve been procrastinating. Now it’s time to get to it. I hope they turn out well.

Do you procrastinate when you’re afraid to try something new?