You Never Know What You Are Going to Get

Plant genetics can take some surprising turns, even when one doesn't crossbreed plants on purpose. A few days ago, I posted a picture of the lovely Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, (New England Aster) that popped up in my garden unbidden last year.

Volunteer Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Well, I collected some seeds from that plant last fall. They produced several seedlings, only one of which I managed to plant in my garden (or so I thought).

The result was this:

Blue and pink Asters. In person, the flowers on the right are a deeper shade of pink without the hint of purple seen in the photograph.

As far as I can tell, this is only one plant with two different colored flowers, though it is remotely possible that there were actually two seedlings that came up too close together to notice (or separate) when I was planting them. While I would find the former really cool, (and really surprising) if there are indeed two plants here, the all seeds still all came from the one blue-flowered original. Asters are much beloved by bees and butterflies, so I'm sure that open-pollination contributed some genetic diversity to my plants.

At any rate, I'm going to collect seeds again this year, from the original plant, and from the both the blue and pink flowers here, and see what happens.

Something New Among the Leaves--Monday Macro

One of my favorite things about blogging is being able to share photographs of my plants. Taking the pictures allows me to view my plants in a new way, and, sometimes, to explore my my creative potential. So, today I'm introducing a new feature: Every Monday, I will post an extreme close-up photo of a plant, or part of a plant, that will fill the screen when opened to full size. Usually, I compress my pictures quite a bit for posting, so there are times when details are lost.

Here is this week's offering. (Click once to open, then a second time for full size.)

Echeveria chihuahuaensis, (tentative ID) after a rain shower

I've owned this Echeveria for about eight or nine months. It has been outdoors since June, and the color of the leaf tips has really intensified in the sun. It seemed to do pretty well indoors, too, in a south window.

Haw, Haw, Haw

It's funny. Haworthia is not one of my favorite genera. I don't usually come across one in a store and think, "Oooh, nice plant. I've got to have it!" (This is my general reaction to almost all Aloe, every Echeveria, several Sansevieria, a bevy of Bromeliads and, well, I won't go on.) But I accumulate quite a few Haws anyway, because I love making Haworthia dish gardens. You get all the charm of a succulent mixed bowl, without the worries that occur when planting species with incompatible needs together. I've shared some of my bowls before in this post and this one, and now I've got a few more. Quite a few of these plants are NoIds. Haworthia are tricky to identify, and I admit to not trying that all that hard. They tend toward a lot of similar subspecies and varieties, not to mention crosses with both Aloe and Gasteria. I lose patience trying to pinpoint what's what.

Five new bowls, three mixed, two with a single species

Haworthia limifolia var ubomboensis, (bottom) and xAlworthia 'Black Gem,' (top left) both acquired in trade, share this bowl with a NoId plant

Haworthia gracilis, (or some subspecies thereof) at the top, and a NoId

A variegated plant that I think is some form of Haworthia attenuata

From the bottom left: Haworthia limifolia, something that is probably a Gasterhaworthia, and at the top, a complete NoId

Yet another unidentified variety

I enjoy adding mineral specimens to each bowl as decorative elements, along with the aquarium gravel I use as top dressing. I now have a total of nine bowls, and that number will probably increase, as several of my older plantings need to be divided due to new growth, and there are always new plants waiting to be snapped up.

What's a Blogger to Do...

...when she's stuck for a topic? It seems that in the last couple of weeks, nothing particularly interesting has been happening here among the leaves. The succulents outdoors are soaking up their last few days of sunshine before they are brought in for the season. The outdoor garden is winding down. The houseplants indoors are looking happy, but for the most part aren't blooming or putting out any noteworthy new growth. Fortunately, none of my plants are experiencing setbacks or infestations or anything bad either, so I can't really complain. My schedule hasn't allowed for much plant-shopping or conservatory visits recently. Most frustratingly, for some reason, my creative juices just aren't flowing when it comes to thinking up interesting topics to blog about.

So what am I going to do? Rather than waiting for either my plants or my brain to jump start themselves, while the interval between posts grows ever longer, I went looking through my photo collection. I found a few plant pictures that I like, but somehow didn't make it into previous posts.

Anemone at the Chicago Botanic Garden, from April. I entered a similar photo in the CBG's spring contest, then discovered that two other people had entered shots of the same flower. I guess we pretty much canceled each other out.

Variegated Hoya carnosa leaves, from the smaller of my two plants

Aechmea 'Blue Tango' from the CBG

Epipremnum 'Marble Queen' cuttings, rooting in water, the result of a pruning mishap. I meant to cut off one stem, and somehow ended up removing several. These have since rooted and been potted up.

Helenium variety, from my garden

Cissus discolor, climbing up some sort of utility pole at the Lincoln Park Conservatory. This plant is on my "never-again" list, but will always love it.

x Gastworthia 'Royal Highness' from the CBG. At least that is what the tag said. The pictures of Gasterworthia/Gasterhaworthia 'Royal Highness' I've seen on the web have thicker leaves, and aren't variegated.

Another from the CBG. Unidentified Sempervivum displayed as a companion plant to a large bonsai.

Seed grown Linum perenne, (Flax) from my garden this past June

My Crassula 'Campfire' in its bold summer coloration

And finally,

I've got my eye on you

(As always, click pictures for larger versions. I recommend it for the Hoya, Helenium and Crassula, and maybe for the Gaster-whatever and Anemone as well.)

Late Bloomers

Well, I totally let this month's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day (September 15) get by me. But in in the spirit of "better late than never" I'd like to share what's in flower, indoors and out, anyway.

I'm surprised that my Asclepias tuberosa is still blooming intermittently; last year it was done in mid-August, if I recall correctly.

Asclepias seed pods with a pair of Oncopeltus fasciatus, Large Milkweed Bug.

I was able to rejuvenate one of my Rudbeckia hirta plants by cutting off the spent blossoms, causing a bit of late-season back budding. In the background are some weedy wild Asters. I allow several these to stay in my garden because they make nice filler plants in the fall.

Clematis ternifolia or Sweet Autumn Clematis. Believe it or not, there is actually a trellis under that mound of flowers and foliage. I planted both Clematis 'Jackmanii' and the C. ternifolia at the base of my trellises, so I get two season of bloom, with the former flowering in June, and the latter in late August through September.

View with both trellises. The C. ternifolia vines actually trail across the Buddleia planted between them.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, (aka Aster novae-angliae or New England Aster). This beautiful plant came up out of nowhere in my garden last year. I have never planted a New England Aster, as I almost never see them for sale around here. So I have no idea where it came from. The nurseries usually carry numerous cultivars of Symphyotrichum novi-belgii (New York Aster.)

Same plant, closer....

And closer still.

I'm still getting a few flowers on my Hibiscus moscheutos

It's life among the weeds in my backyard. This volunteer morning glory (Ipomoea species) came up a few feet from the planter box where I had grown morning glories last year.

Pelargonium behind my Sansevieria hallii. The new Sans leaf that emerged this spring (second from the right) is now the largest on the plant.

Crassula caput minima

Sansevieria ballyii, the only plant actually blooming inside right now

I will try to remember next month's Bloom Day, which coincides with the average first frost day around here, and hope that I will have something still blooming to share.

Capricorne Ascendant

I'm very fond of the genus Astrophytum. For one thing, I find its members easy to identify, which is rare for me when it comes to cactus. For another thing, they are interesting-looking plants, often quite uncactus-like, which is probably why I find them easy to recognize. In addition, there are relatively few Astrophytum species (six, according to one book I read) which also helps me keep track. That also makes it easy to collect them all, if one limits oneself to the basic species. (There are a lot of really fancy cultivated varieties out there. Some of them are absolutely gorgeous. Others look overbred and precious, at least in my opinion.) So far, I have an A. ornatum, an A. asterias, and an A. capricorne. I have been thwarted twice by Astrophytum myriostigma, which insisted on rotting and dying. Both plants got cool and wet simultaneously, which is a Very Bad Thing for cactus in general.

Of the species, Astrophytum capricorne, is one with a more typically cactus-like appearance.

Astrophytum capricorne, also known as Goat's Horn cactus, with its tangled topknot of spines.

This week my A. capricorne gave me one more reason to appreciate it: It bloomed for the first time.

Flower starting to open

A. capricorne in flower. This is as open as the flower got. For one thing, I think it would be difficult for it to open wider, as its base was surrounded by a virtual cage of thorns. For another, the weather has been cloudy and a bit rainy for the past couple of days, which can put a damper on cactus flowers.

Fully open or not, it was a lovely flower, quite a bit larger than those I had seen on my Astrophytum asterias. The red and yellow coloration was richer, too.

Closed, spent blossom rising above the spines

Actually, I was quite surprised that it flowered at all, as I thought it was still an immature plant. For one thing, it had very few spines when I bought it a few years ago. It has only been in the past year that they've started to look like they mean business. For another, the plant hasn't increased in size very much. It has been in this 2.5 inch pot since I brought it home.

Bird of Paradise, and Art Among the Leaves

I own two Bird-of-Paradise plants, one Strelitzia nicolai, aka White Bird of Paradise, named for its white flowers, and Strelitzia reginae, which has the more familiar orange flowers. Because they are indoor plants, I do not expect to see them flower anytime soon. The brightest light I can provide for them indoors is bright enough for them to grow nice foliage, but I'm sure that it is not bright enough for blooming.

Previously posted picture of my Strelitzia reginae. I grew this from seed in 2003 or 2004, so I suppose it is still a bit immature for blooming, even if I had better light for it. This is the first season I didn't put it outside for the summer. I plan to do so in the future, as I believe that is the best way to induce it to flower, if indeed it ever will.

Strelitzia nicolai, center. As I understand it, these almost never flower in the home, regardless of conditions, but are great foliage plants. Peppermint (bottom right) finds it, like all plants, unworthy of his interest.

But even if my plants refuse to cooperate, I do get to enjoy one Strelitzia flower in my home:

Bird in Paradise, 1996, by my husband Bob. The flower was drawn from life; the background landscape is drawn from his imagination.

When we first got together, Bob had this colored-pencil work in storage in the basement, as for some reason, he wasn't particularly fond of it. But I loved it from the first time I saw it, so he had it matted and framed, and now it hangs outside the door to our bedroom, in our upstairs hallway. Our home is filled with his artwork, and my plants, and I love it when they complement each other in this way.

And this past week, I finally got to see a blooming BOP plant in person. A specimen in the Chicago Botanic Gardens Tropical Greenhouse had a solitary bloom.

Strelitzia reginae flower. Though I have seen them in tropical bouquets, this is the first time I've seen one attached to a plant.

Full plant from the CBG. Much taller than my S. reginae, but much shorter than my S. nicolai.

More of Bob's artwork can be seen here, on our family website. A post featuring his stained glass work, juxtaposed with my houseplants, can be found by clicking the "Art" label at the end of this post.

Just Chillin'

Since my cats no longer go outdoors, I seem to have fewer opportunities to photograph them with plants, so there have been fewer opportunities to make weekend pet posts. On the plus side, we also have fewer opportunities to chase live birds, field mice, and chipmunks out of our house, and even better, fewer opportunities to clean up dead ones, either in the house, or outside on the porch.

Another plus side is that I get to see things like this:

Meet Chippie, most likely, Tamias striatus, (Eastern chipmunk) though there are several other possibilities.

Closer view. It is hard to get high quality pictures, since Chippie will flee if I get too close, but this one is pretty good if clicked for full-size.

Chippie has taken to sitting on top of our garden fairy quite frequently, sometimes just hanging out, other times making a loud persistant "chip-chip-chip" sound. Chippie's burrow appears to be under our porch, as there is a hole nearby. We have been wondering if he or she is looking for a new mate, since unfortunately, one of Peppermint's last victims before he became an indoor kitty was another chipmunk, which he left on the porch.

I know I shouldn't like this critter, since like squirrels, they also dig up and eat bulbs. Also, earlier this summer, there was evidence of digging in one of the Hibiscus pots. (I replaced the soil, and there has been no further tampering, even though the Hibiscus are still nearby, as seen in the photographs.) But I'm quite fond of Chippie in a way, and in fact, I'm a bit concerned, since I haven't seen him or her since these pictures were taken last Wednesday.

Edited to add 9/12/10, 2:55PM: Just saw Chippie perched on top of the fairy, as usual.

Decline and Fall--Not Necessarily

As I've noted before, I don't put very many of my non-succulent houseplants outdoors. I try to choose plants that will do well indoors year-round, so I can always have a house full of plants. I might have mentioned this before, but one of the saddest things I've ever read on the Garden Web forums was a post by a woman who was lamenting that she had to bring her plants indoors in the fall. They had been doing so well outdoors over the summer, and she was dreading having to watch their inevitable, dramatic decline over the winter. But a major decline is not inevitable if one chooses houseplants wisely in the first place. A plant that is happy with the available indoor conditions will not need to go outside, and if it does, will not decline drastically when brought back indoors.

That said, I do put a few houseplants outdoors in summer. A couple are just out there for decorative purposes, like my Norfolk Island Pine:

Araucaria heterophylla dressing up my front porch

Others I put outside because, I admit, they are exceptions to my rules. A couple aren't well-suited to my indoor conditions, despite my best intentions, and need a rejuvenating vacation outdoors. There are also a couple of plants, which despite being okay with their places inside, are "problem" or ailing plants. For those, a bit of natural rainfall, fresh air and summertime humidity will usually turn them around.

Hedera helix, Fatsia japonica, and Dracaena reflexa 'Song of India.' The ivies and the Fatsia are outdoors because I think that fresh air and cooler night temperatures discourage spider mites. The Dracaena is just there because I like how it looks.

This Aspidistra elatior variegata was in the ailing plant category. I was perplexed by its failure to thrive, which I couldn't attribute to poor conditions or insects, so I put it under a tree and hoped for the best. It seems to be doing better.

In one of my earliest blog posts, I recounted the tale of "Foxy," my Asparagus myersii (Foxtail Fern.) Well, Foxy also spent the summer outdoors, in the hopes that it will continue to bounce back after its major pruning last fall. Maybe someday, it will regain its former size and beauty, and I'll have to start the process all over again.

Above, two pictures of Foxy, the Asparagus myersii.

Another small Asparagus that I cut back, and is now rejuvenating itself

Alpinia zerumbet variegata. I admit to abusing this poor plant this past winter, shoving it under lights in the basement, and frequently allowing it to get too dry. It has also recuperated nicely, and I've promised it a favored spot in a west window this winter, and plenty of water.

Tradescantia pallida, hanging around in my maple tree, just because. It was fine indoors, but I decided to put it out last month for its decorative value.

As autumn approaches, I will, of course, be bringing them back in. The Asparagus, Fatsia and Hedera helixes will stay out for quite some time yet, as they can handle a touch of frost. But when they do come in, I do not expect a dramatic decline from any of them.