Brighten Up The Day/Evening with Plants & Fun Stuff

[Papageno]

This is the Oncidium Orchid that was repotted many months ago and is flourishing.

Notice that this variety has pseudobulbs that hold water.
They're slightly wrinkled, so I'll give that plant another soaking maybe next week.

[Pen]

Good morning, afternoon, evening class

I finally got the Phalaenopsis Orchids repotted.

BTW, if you suffer from allergies, you better be wearing a mask and examination gloves.
I dread mentioning the use of masks and gloves during these stressful times of COVID-19, but it's a necessity for some people.
On the bright side, this is a very constructive way to pass the time if you're self-isolated.

Here are pictures of how it got started. Pots, sphagnum moss, orchid bark/hydro stone.
It's easy to see which were the commercial containers and which are the homemade ones.

I work out of an enormous heavy-duty plastic tub, which is actually a huge cat litter box that's no longer used for that purpose.
It sits in the bathroom tub and is indispensable for plant projects and laundering needs.

Dried, twig-like roots were trimmed off and the plants then soaked before transplanting.

You're clearly a truly dedicated plantologist, thanks for the lesson! There was something on YouTube about soaking the roots in tea before replanting, but there are so many contradictory instructions re. orchids that it's difficult to know what's best. The watering seems critical.

[Papageno]

You're clearly a truly dedicated plantologist, thanks for the lesson! There was something on YouTube about soaking the roots in tea before replanting, but there are so many contradictory instructions re. orchids that it's difficult to know what's best. The watering seems critical.

soaking the roots in tea is complete nonsense.

Tea has astringent properties, not what you want to do to the plant roots.......also, Orchids don't live on tannic acid.

Watering is critical, but less is more.......more often than not, but that depends entirely on the particular species.
Some species have dry and wet cycles.

I was (briefly) playing around with bizarre microbial soil amendments, kelp nutrients, and all that other insanity.
I've learned by trial/error and finally, good plain common sense kicks in......you know ye olde adage "common sense isn't so common".

[stronglove]

magnolia opening up

[Papageno]

That Magnolia bloom is lovely. thank you, I can use a pretty picture like that today.

Orchid update.

Orchids 101 has been canceled due to allergies, everybody gets an automatic "A" grade for being such good sports.
My mast cells (look up mast cells) have been on a rampage all morning and are just starting to calm down (thank you non-drowsy Claritin).

Blame it on the sphagnum moss, that stuff is deadly to me, which is too bad because I was really looking forward to seeing how the new re-pottings would work out. Oh well, at least I learned a lot, which is in itself very gratifying, knowledge and all that good stuff.

However.........there are other plants to tend to and show off, such as the offshoot of the Sansevieria starfish plant which continues to flourish.

Meanwhile, I've donated the Orchids to my veterinarian's office, so the staff can split up the plants amongst themselves........which also clears up a huge amount of space for my other plants, that's the silver lining.

My cat is not well, another bout of projectile vomiting. Parents here will know what that's like, my mom told me all about it LOL

I had to stuff the anti-emetic into the methimazole thyroid medication chewable tab and coax him into eating it.

[Raven]

I love the Today's Card: Alfred Hitchcock, Rear View.......one of my all-time favorites.

Yes, yes, during this COVID-19 madness and everything being canceled left and right, we need some distraction.

This is an African Violet propagation that's doing very nicely for me:



I'll post updates on its progress.

This took FOREVER to happen, but it finally did.

One of my all time favourite films, too! Clever.

Your African violet looks very successful. Something positive as we walk through the valley.

[Pen]

Orchid update.

Orchids 101 has been canceled due to allergies, everybody gets an automatic "A" grade for being such good sports.
My mast cells (look up mast cells) have been on a rampage all morning and are just starting to calm down (thank you non-drowsy Claritin).



My cat is not well, another bout of projectile vomiting. Parents here will know what that's like, my mom told me all about it LOL

I had to stuff the anti-emetic into the methimazole thyroid medication chewable tab and coax him into eating it.

I looked up mast cells - thanks - I learn something new every day. Giving your orchids away was the wise thing to do - methinks it's a good philosophy to stay away from things (and people) that have a negative effect on one.

Projectile vomiting is scary, and the amount expelled always seems far too large for the stomach involved. I always wondered if that could be part of the problem as my son was always very hungry and the only one of my three babies that did it sometimes. I hope your cat is better soon.

[Diana]

magnolia opening up

Gorgeous. The magnolias in the town I live are all in full bloom, have been for some time, and very soon their glory will be over. They are my most favourite tree and flower in the world. There's a big park down by the lake where there are so many. I plan to go there for my daily recommended walk /exercice this evening and watch the sun setting on the lake. And revel in the last few days of the Magnolia's magnificence.

[Papageno]

Cultivating "String of Pearls" aka "String of Beads" with a bit of innovation.

Normally you see lovely pictures of thick ropes of these succulents also called, String of Dolphins or String of Bananas, depending on the shape of the "bead".

This is the ideal:



Purchasing just a single large container with dense growth and lush strands cascading all around would be very costly.

I purchased (last summer) 1 or 2 measly mini pots and then transplanted the strands into a self-made container filed with a fast-draining soil mixture of my own formulae. I was too cautious and should have used more of the enriched soil to sand/gravel ratio, so the plants would take root faster. I can still amend the soil by taking some from another larger potted fern, which I think I'll do......but it has to be done very carefully, otherwise the "beads" can easily rot.

The idea to get the "strings" to take root on their own and established in the container.
This has been accomplished and as the strings grow longer, they fall back into the container and start rooting.
Sooner or later, (later more likely than sooner) the plants will increase in density to the point where you (I) can simply let the beads flow over the edges, which is the desired effect.

[Joan Marie]

This is one of my most favourite plants. I had one for many years but I moved and gave it away. I haven't been successful with one since but now I am really inspired. That pic of those flowing beads at the top of your post is remarkable.

[Papageno]

This is one of my most favourite plants. I had one for many years but I moved and gave it away. I haven't been successful with one since but now I am really inspired. That pic of those flowing beads at the top of your post is remarkable.

It's one of my favorites as well, and it occurred to me that it's unnecessary to use a conventional planter which is fairly deep.

These have very shallow root systems, so I simply used a left-over shallow plastic cookie container and poked a bunch of holes into it for aeration and drainage.

Here's another example:

[stronglove]

I am not a plant person, my fingers are definitely not green even though i have a beautiful garden
but i am a scavenger, whenever i go out with the dogs i pick up any ‘gifts’ i find along the way. Every season and every year the things i am given are different. I remember picking up loads of feathers that seemed to be strewn across my path for days on end. one year i collected blue antaflu candy wrappers, when people heard about it they even put the wrappers they found through my mailbox : two days ago i went to a nearby park and found this shell, with a small shell tucked inside it. In the park of all places.... nowhere near the sea. But once a year they throw a big layer of crushed shells on the paths and this big one apparently survived a lot of hardship while being transported to its final destination. i think it id beautiful.

[Papageno]

I think that's a trumpet triton shell, a favorite theme in neoclassical art featuring Poseidon et al.....a lucky find.

It would make a nice planter except that the saline content would probably kill the plant.

Seashells are like gems of the sea, I love them.

BTW.....I have YOU to thank for the Gonzalo Æneas, Nouveau Tarot de Marseille.....but of course, you already knew that you enabler you.
bwhaaaaaaa

you have excellent taste

how do you like your Manuscript of Initiations? Isn't is lovely.

Taking that many steps further, the ULTIMATE DREAM Tarot would be a professional hand made deck, each individual card created like the pages of the finest medieval illuminated manuscripts. OMG .............(collapses into dead faint)

Pierrick Pinot - The Atelier du Pied d'Or

http://argolance.free.fr/english/illumi ... ntings.htm

The Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry, 1405–1408/1409

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/470306

[Papageno]

[Pen]

Cultivating "String of Pearls" aka "String of Beads" with a bit of innovation.

I've never seen a 'String of Beads/Pearls' plant before - are the 'beads' little berries or some strange leaf or flower form?

This is a very cheering thread - wish I could contribute some relevant pics but my end-of-winter conservatory needs some TLC before I can take any...

[Joan Marie]

I've never seen a 'String of Beads/Pearls' plant before - are the 'beads' little berries or some strange leaf or flower form?

I think it's a kind of succulent.

Maybe that doesn't answer your question at all. Like, what is a succulent, really?

[Papageno]

I've never seen a 'String of Beads/Pearls' plant before - are the 'beads' little berries or some strange leaf or flower form?

This is a very cheering thread - wish I could contribute some relevant pics but my end-of-winter conservatory needs some TLC before I can take any...

Thank you very much for the compliment, it's very gratifying.
I am making a substantial effort to make this a cheerful thread, we need something like this during these trying times.

That's why I changed the title of this thread to make it more inclusive of all things that are fun and uplifting.

The string of Beads plant is a succulent.....think cacti family.

The beads retain water, they plump when fully hydrated and wrinkle when moisture is low.

You don't need to contribute only plant pictures, just post whatever makes you feel good and what you think might make this forum feel good.
That's what I did with the Illuminated Tarot fantasy post......and stronglove posted a picture of the triton trumpet shell.

[Pen]

Thank you very much for the compliment, it's very gratifying.
I am making a substantial effort to make this a cheerful thread, we need something like this during these trying times.

That's why I changed the title of this thread to make it more inclusive of all things that are fun and uplifting.

The string of Beads plant is a succulent.....think cacti family.

The beads retain water, they plump when fully hydrated and wrinkle when moisture is low.

You don't need to contribute only plant pictures, just post whatever makes you feel good and what you think might make this forum feel good.
That's what I did with the Illuminated Tarot fantasy post......and stronglove posted a picture of the triton trumpet shell.

Ah, that explains it.

I came across the images below a few weeks ago and thought they were just beautiful and very different from most digital art. They're by an artist called awanqi at Deviant Art - I'm wistfully imagining an Awanqi Tarot. I can't seem to make the images appear without knowing their size, so will have to make do with the links as I'd better not copy and upload them to Imgur without permission.

Announcer

Love Trancends

[stronglove]

just want to share today’s gift, i hope it is allowed to do this in a ‘plant based’ thread
this morning i grabbed a new box of tissues and this was on the outside

since i always put my tissues in a wooden box i was able to cut out the words and stick them on my fridge as a reminder

[stronglove]

and to contribute to the ‘plantiness’ of this thread this thread i am adding a status update of my magnolia

[Papageno]

Virtual House Tours of Artists Homes:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/t-ma ... -home.html

[Pen]

Virtual House Tours of Artists Homes:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/t-ma ... -home.html

First thought: WOW!!! and Octopus chandeliers??!!

Second thought: The dusting... the dusting...

[Papageno]

Second thought: The dusting... the dusting...

a daunting task indeed.

this is for you, it has been renamed The Pen Plant.....you'll notice it has grown new leaves since my previous post.

[Pen]

I'll send it love and hope it thrives - it looks incredibly healthy. You must have green fingers...

[Papageno]

I'll send it love and hope it thrives - it looks incredibly healthy. You must have green fingers...

Oh, it'll thrive, it's a low light type of plant and has done well wintering over in a chilly bedroom.

Green thumbs only go so far.......the dracaena marginata, isn't faring well, it's one of those "truly tropical" plants that doesn't like the cold.

Looking at the picture of the Pen Plant, it suddenly occurs to me that it looks remarkably like the designs on the TdM decks.

BTW.....Please send love to the cat, he needs it more than the plants.