Friday, September 30, 2011

Hosta Guacamole - Spring Growth

My hosta Guacamole loved my backyard, and it has grown nicely and flowering as of September 30, 2011.

hosta guacamole taken June 29, 2011


hosta guacamole sending a flower scape - September 16, 2011


hosta guacamole in full scape sept. 28, 2011

My first Hoya Cuttings

 HOUSEPLANT:  HOYA CARNOSA

i finally got some hoya cuttings from a good friend Larry. I am excited and starting to pot some of them.


 hoya cuttings - i'm excited to try to see if I have green thumbs for hoya.

Friday: Planting Liliums and Tulips and Hosta on the Top:) Indoors: Coleus


Hosta Wolverine 2011


Hosta Wolverine 2011




Lunch Break: Tulips, Liliums and Hosta Wolverine, Hosta Sagae, and Hosta Purple Dwarf on Top

Hosta Hill Fall 2011
The back portion of my little rock garden becomes Angel Hill Hosta.
Deep on the ground are liliums and tulips, topped with hosta: Wolverine, Sagae and Purple Dwarf.




My lunch break was consist of planting Lilium bulbs, top with tulip bulbs. I was not contented, so I planted two pots of hosta on top, to create that hilltop look.

Indoors: I started a small flat of Coleus, just because I need something to keep me busy for winter, and these babies are so colorful, "red", my favorite color.


The plastic is covers the coleus cuttings for humidity.
There are 8 cuttings in this small flat, plus 2 in small yogort containers.
I plan on putting this cover for one week, then transfer them to the basement rack.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Hosta - August Moon

HOSTA AUGUST MOON
 (Ruh, 1996)

My hosta august moon is obtained from Dawn in 2011. I love her texture, sunny and my front yard has more sun. And look, she did not burn either.

The Hosta Registrar entry on her  mentioned that she is a medium to large plant measuring about 38 inches wide and 16 inches tall. a moderate to fast grower. I like the color overall, and she is a great centerpiece for a garden planter and many other small annuals you can tuck in. The growing location is OH, USA and she is of unknow parentage.
 
Below is Hosta August Moon  in container fall 2011. It  is in a perennial container, just by my front yard. I think this will be the last decent picture of it, as Ottawa is calling for frost.

Hosta August Moon - 2011
Hosta August Moon

2011 Overwintering in container. As I am a city dweller in a small townhome, I am restricted to small space, thus she is overwintered in her pot.  Of course, I was in panic by spring, because I cannot see her peaking out. Is she frozen dead? Oh No!

Well, she is not! She came back, along with Heuchera Palace Purple in 2012. hurray 2012 - welcome back August Moon! Ah oh, sacrificing a goat did help!

Hosta August Moon may 17, 2012

Houseplant - Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Red)

HOUSEPLANT: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Family: Crassulacea 
The genus was first described by the botanist Michel Adanson in 1763.

(1)The original Kalanchoe was brought to Paris from Africa in 1927. In 1928 seed merchant Robert Blossfeld from the German town of Potsdam saw this Kalanchoe and turned it into a houseplant, which he introduced in 1932. His name was also attached to the plant: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. The well-known houseplants are referred to as blossfeldiana breeds by growers.
(1) Source: http://www.waldangardens.com/
This houseplant is known to exist in Asia and Africa, native to humid continents, however, these houseplants in North America are already hybrids specially adopted to the cooler temperatures.

Growing up in the Philippines, I used this plants as hedges by the driveway, and they tend to display nice colors just around Christmas time. Temperatures at this time is about low of 16C, while the normal temperature during the day will be about 20C~. I believe our kalanchoe in the Philippines were never hybridize, they were very common everywhere,

Kalanchoe is easy care plant, an overuse term: easy care, meaning leave the plant alone, and stop overwatering it.

Watering: once a month suffice, if you insist once every two weeks.
How to water? Bottom watering recommended.
Put a cup of water in a saucer, (depending on pot size) 1 cup of water = small pot about 4".
Let the kalanchoe pot sit on the saucer for 30 minutes. Let the soil absorb some water from the saucer.
After 30 minutes, throw away the water in the saucer.
Put the kalanchoe pot in your sink to drain some excess water.
Once you think it has drained well, and won't drip anymore, put it back to its original location.

How I do it? I put the over time to 30 minutes. Once it beep an irritating sound, I got to take it off from water. I let it drain on the sink for 1 hour. So, I go back doing housework, and then another beeping sound from the oven. Nothing baked! Just the kalanchoe is drained enough to go back to the top bookshelf.


Light: near a window or near your house lamp, or little light really, on top of a bookshelf is just fine. 

 My kalanchoe grown bigger this year, so I end up taking a cutting for a little one, about 3 inches. This will be another plant - a baby kalanchoe in my living room.

This variety is red, so hopefully, she will be as lovely as the mother plant.



KALANCHOE - RED (HOUSEPLANT)
Started today - september 16, 2011



Kalanchoe Motherplant - given away Oct 2011 

For more information on caring your Kalanchoe, I found this article online:
http://ont.net/balfour/page6.htm 

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Hosta Fragrant Queen, TULIPS, CONTAINER H. DIAMOND TIARA

Got the hosta Fragrant Queen at Budds in By ward market last Saturday. SEPT 2011.
http://www.buddgardens.com/Planted it in a black recycle bin along with Gazania (yellow), Heuchera Palace Purple, Pulmonaria, Loosestrife.

HOSTA FRAGRANT QUEEN
$17.00 plus tax, Budd, Ottawa, ON, acquired Sept. 2011
According to Budd Gardens plant label on H Fragrant Queen,
22"h x 48". fast growth, sun tolerant, large, fragrant white flowers, elongated heart shape leaves.
Sun Requirement: Shade to Part Shade

The Hosta Registrar entry for H. Fragrant Queen, it says it is patented and it is a sport of Fragrant King. It set seeds, and its original clump upon registration is in Belgium.




Planted about 60 tulip bulbs in my yard and my neighbors.

Planted Hosta Diamond Tiara in an old baby toy.

HOSTA DIAMOND TIARA
Sept. 2011

Friday, September 2, 2011

Another Type of Flower in My Garden

Days pass by like pages of a book, they are growing fast, yet piles and piles of laundry is never ending.


bike ride probably july 2011

august 13, 2011 kieren handling his gift to Kuya Kenneth - 7 years old. 


august 2011-kieren moments


shopping with 2 kids.