What are those gorgeous acid green leaves
- Sonni
- Marge_Talt
- LadyB
- Cottage_Garden
- CarolWallace
- LadyB
- Sonni
- CarolWallace
- Marge_Talt
- Marge_Talt
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» Sonni - Gardening LATE
Judging by the appearance of new postings by Marge at 1:05 AM, I see I'm not the only insomniac on this list! But now I must go to bed and dream up some Findhorn Faeries that won't mind flying up 31 flight to my "sky garden" to visit the plants.Once we all get our winterizing done, I'm going to try to identify some more of what I picked up here and there through cuttings. So many plants - where to find the names!
And I thought I would never learn Latin.... hmmm.
-- posted by Sonni
» Marge_Talt - cuttings
Sonni,It's not hard to be enthusiastic about plants and gardens! My favorite subjects!! I'm really enjoying YOUR enthusiasm as you try new plants and things...
I dunno about gel or Jello, but I regularly use kitty litter to root cuttings in. The plain, unscented, un-anythinged kind. Now, the last bag I got seems to have more silt in it than I like, but, generally, it makes an ideal medium - pretty sterile, holds moisture and yet provides air circulation around the plant. Should be readily available for you in NYC.
Re: cuttings from exotics. Some will root and some won't, but it doesn't hurt to try - you never know what you'll get.
Air humidity is a problem in centrally heated houses - try setting pots in trays full of pea gravel (aquarium gravel?) kept topped up with water to the top of the gravel, but not over it - don't want those pots sitting in water. This provides extra humidity right around the plant. I've found it works well at keeping white fly, spider mites and scale at bay if I can only remember to check the trays regularly!
If you allow cuttings to dry out at all to the drooping stage - you've lost 'em....If you can't be there to check, insert cutting and pot in a large plastic food storage type bag and blow it up and seal it off..acts as a mini-greenhouse. You just have to open it gradually when the plant roots (which you can tell by its putting out new growth), to wean the plant back to normal world atmosphere.
-- posted by Marge_Talt
» LadyB - Aaaaaaaahhhhh CHOOOOOOOO!
*SNORF* OK, I've got a minute and a half here.....Sonni, I was going to suggest the gravel trays just like Marge so beautifully described. They REALLY help as long as you don't have everyone actually SITTING in water - that's what the gravel is for.Kitty litter, hey, never THOUGHT of that one. I use Perlite for rooting cuttings, you can get it at any garden center. I prefer it over Vermiculite (the gold stuff) because I find vermiculite just TOO soft. Don't like the DUST you get with the perlite, but it makes a good cutting.
I actually grabbed some cuttings yesterday of a funny little round-leafed sage at one of the houses here at Glynwood. Really sweet stuff, I've never seen it before. But it should do well as ALL the sages are doing spectacularly well around here. But of course you know what THAT means....where Sage grows well, a WOMAN is in charge. (heh,heh)
Oh, 'scuse me......AAAAAAAHHHHHH CHOOOOOO! sorry, time was up.....where was I.....right. sage cuttings....yes, I'll grab cuttings up to the very last second, but I won't start a seed 'til after Ground Hog Day. Days are getting shorter and greenhouse or no greenhouse, this is NOT good seed-starting weather. Besides, we ALL need a little DOWN TIME. Once those seed babies start appearing, I'm on 24 hour duty (*again*).
So Sonni, you really SHOULD catch the train and come up and see me...maybe we can do a joint article with photos and everything. (Hasn't someone made this woman our BALCONY GARDENING EDITOR yet??)
-- posted by LadyB
» Cottage_Garden - This place is hoppin'!
I don't know where to begin!Lady B, surely you have some good weed-based remedy for that terrible cold of yours? I sure hope you feel better real soon. ;)
Marge, why the gravel? This has always mystified me. It's so heavy that way. Why not a plain saucer of water with the plant propped up out of it? More we surface area exposed as the water level drops?
Kitty litter! I never thought of it maybe because we have no cat -- but at least it's light weight for schlepping purposes!
Sonni, sure you could be the balcony editor -- much better than the peanut gallery! 
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» CarolWallace - balcony and rooftop
I second Barbara's idea, Sonni! You've definitely got the enthusiasm - and it's gardening you are actually doing - it would be a valuable thing to share with others!And it's thanks to you that this year I have tons of cuttings of my ipomoea to overwinter instead of just going out to buy new ones next year.
-- posted by CarolWallace
» LadyB - Very funny, Ms Cottage Garden....
....do you think I'd sneeze GERMS into my prop chamber?????Well, want the GREENHOUSE EXCITEMENT story for today???? I brought the tractor-mower up to the cutting garden beside the greenhouse and heard this awful hissing when I turned the engine off. Hmmmm. Realizing it WASN'T the tractor, I went to follow the noise only to find the big propane tank spraying propane all OVER the place not 15 ft from the corner of the greenhouse. While our innkeeper was able to take a towel and turn the valve off (yes, it had just been filled this morning....) there were some TENSE MOMENTS while we waited for their emergency service to arrive and while we waited for my greenhouse oil burner to kick on to keep the water warm. It's as dangerous to turn any switch OFF and chance a spark as it is to let the oil burner kick on and hope we didn't get enough gas IN the greenhouse to blow the entire thing sky high. The Faeries must have been beating their little wings for all they were worth, as I still have a greenhouse. *whew*! I would have been begging cuttings off ALL of you!
Total incompetance on the part of the delivery guy. Filled the tank, slammed down the lid, walked over to the very noisy truck and just never turned the valve off. Thanks a LOT, buddy.
My next fear is any plant damage from the gas, but even the tomatoes seem fine. I believe they're the 'canary' plant for a greenhouse. I honestly didn't smell the gas in the greenhouse at any time.
More than enough excitement for me!
-- posted by LadyB
» Sonni - If it ain't one thing, it's another... Lady B
Unbelievable story! You're lucky to be typing that note -- things like that are so dangerous and we usually think we are so tough and strong that we forget about how easily bad accidents can happen.I'm sure we are ALL very glad that nothing terrible happened and that you were able to safely end the story.
(and right after you invited me up to do a visit and an article! Listen, you can change your mind- you don't have to blow up your property if you aren't ready for visitors! )
Well you all flatter me greatly by saying "be the balcony garden editor". I personally think that although my love and appreciation is true and deep, I have a lot to learn! I did grow up in a house with a father who was a workhorse -- and his Yews and Junipers and Japanese Maple and White Birch were his babies. His oaks are now about 60 feet tall. But my experience was always peripheral.(I was busy being a singer/songwriter,artist... you name it)... As a kid I loved planting hens and chicks -- little rock gardens -- marigolds and paper lanterns. Cockscombs one year and those other red feathery flowers were my real exotic accomplishment. I grew Indian corn and morning glories... and would pretend the water running down the gutter was a forest stream... but I never knew what my dad knows about fertilizers, acid loving plants, etc. etc. Although he was a real simple gardener (he didn't know all the details), he cared a lot about his green family. ESPECIALLY HIS GRASS! (Grass in Brooklyn New York was a real serious issue).
My love for plants was very naive and limited.I always loved indoor and outdoor plants... and I love hugging trees. I always collected interesting seeds, but haven't had much luck in growing them. (I will try kitty litter for cuttings, by the way. I do have a cat!)
Then, about 1 1/2 years ago, while walking through my horticulturally obsessed cousin Gary's garden in Florida, (HE LOVES FLOWERS!!!), something clicked inside of me. I watched as he described how he plants coconuts and when he handed me star fruits from his front yard. I stepped into his and his wife's little private courtyard where he grows his orchids and air plants.... and that little horticultural switch that was kind of half dormant inside my soul was turned on. I quickly jumped onto the net to learn as much as I could and started my GARDEN.
I am still learning the basics. I would like to see what happens this winter when the REAL WEATHER begins. I want to see if I can keep evergreens alive for Spring -- and if those perenials REALLY come back. I am also dealing with shade -- and don't know sun very personally at this point. (Some terraces are FRYING in sun.
When I pull through the winter and get a real start on Spring this year (last year was my first serious year -- I've only planated annuals and assorted other things until then) I might be able to take on that kind of challenge. (Trust me, I've already given the editor thing some thought.. but I figured I am just not educated enough yet for the garden section. And what about the time?)
I think you guys just want company working your heads off!
I would love to get my cousin involved from Florida -- I'm going to see them on Thanksgiving and will get him to join. He is a Pediatrician with a huge practice and lots of partners -- but he is an amazing gardener and lover of nature.
Well, I can't believe I went on rambling like that. Barbara M thanks for your welcome back too --
Is there anyone else lurking out there besides Marge, Carole, Barbara,Lady B? Come out come out wherever you are.... you couldn't know less than I do! You must have something to share!Most of what I learned this year came from posting questions and sharing what little I know!
Participation is the key to community!
Regards and thanks as always, Sonni
-- posted by Sonni
» CarolWallace - You've got it, Sonni!
Participation really is the key!And we would adore an editor to cover Florida.
But consider this about rooftops. You obviously love to garden and to talk about what you are doing. Our description of the ideal editor isone who has a passion for their topic. If you simply told us what you are doing from week to week, what ideas you are trying, what you are planning, what works and what failed - we'd all be learning with you. And you may have noticed that we editors are a gabby lot who also love to poke around in each others areas and help out.I've probablylearned more about gardening since I began here than I knew when I started my column. Helping each other and learning from each other is part of community, too. ;-)
-- posted by CarolWallace
» Marge_Talt - Beginner's Balcony Gardening
Now, Sonni, doesn't that sound like a good topic title? Seriously, if you have the time (and it does consume some) you should give it a whirl. You learn much more than you are able to pass on to your readers, believe me!Plus, I will second Carol - don't know as we have many (any?) editors from Florida - so recruit that cousin of yours :-)
I can see where you'd like to get through a winter to see what happens, but Spring is just around the corner (hear that, gang...keep it in mind for the next couple of months)...
-- posted by Marge_Talt
» Marge_Talt - Why the gravel
Well, Barbara, just what would you prop the pots up on in the saucers? Gravel works a treat - and when you've got a huge pot, you can plop it down....I could have nightmares about setting my 12' Shefflera on some kind of prop or other :-)-- posted by Marge_Talt
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