Sunday, September 20, 2009

Conversation Piece [Updated 4-4-10]















This is a protea. Although one may find the cut flowers gracing arrangements from the florist, it is unusual to find a growing plant for sale. So, when we saw this one at our local Trader Joe's, we had to have it. Visible through the back window of the car as we completed our shopping, it caused many people to stop, peer at it and speculate on what it might be.

A month after these photos were taken, the plant was dead. Our primary mistake was disturbing the rootball when the plant was moved to a larger pot. (For those interested in learning more about the care of proteas, here is a good source we discovered after the fact.)

The lessons from this experience are (1) do not assume the care instructions on a plant label are complete (or even correct), and (2) do research the care and cultivation of any plant you bring home--do it as soon as you get home. Why else do we have the internet?

Thursday, April 02, 2009

X-Flowers



This is a variety of pelargonium commonly known as Martha Washington (or Lady Washington) Geraniums; in the UK, they are called Regal Pelargoniums. (Go figure.)





The label for this plant with the solid maroon flowers is open to debate. It is also a pelargonium. We suspect it is a mutation of the plant with the white-edged flowers or, perhaps more accurately, it is a reversion to the form of the parent plant from which the white-edged mutation was produced.



Too confusing? Try this then: plants grown from cuttings = clones of the parent plant; plants grown from seeds = anything goes.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Is This ...



... hail?




Then here's some more hail, with a Chinese elm seedling.