Coleus Everywhere

coleus cuttings, coleus from seeds, there they are...anyone wants coleus in the ottawa area?
$2 per 4 inch pot and a thank you smile for clearing my space for next herb in season.

Houseplant: Aeschynanthus, Dizygotheca, Gollum

Jade(Crassula ovata) - but also I am wondering if this is the compacta variety. She seem to have smaller leaves than the rest of my Jade, so let's see. She is merely about 1 foot tall, so nothing really special. I just love Jades of all leaf shapes, and sizes. They seem to thrive by my neglect as CAM give them the boost for survival.



Jade Gollum or Hobbit.

Crassula ovata convoluta gollum

Now, don't ask me if she is Gollum or a Hobbit Jade. She is about 6 inches tall, because they are well...hobbit, tiny, compact. Left over from a bunch of succulents about November 2011.
She survive for about 3 months now, she is located in one of my bookshelves, so neglecting her is a habit. Maybe once a month I remember to check it out.



Castor plant (Dizygotheca). 4 inch pot.
Labeled under tropical plant. Check it out if I was right, most labels are hit and miss and so as my research.
She has been a resident of my basement since December 2011.
She survive on "watered when I remember basis".
I do my laundry every weekend, so she get's watered on this frequency with one cup of water. There is a shop light in the basement, so she gets light that way.
So far, she looks okay. I thought I would show her off now that she survive about 2 months of neglect.




Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus).
Labeled as tropical, and it looks interesting to me. Shiny leaves. Don't know how she will stay alive, but I like her anyways. So, she comes home with me. She lives in my basement since December 2011. Thriving on about 2 months with my neglect, I think she deserves a space in my blog. I hope she remains happy along with the rest of my plants who got personality issues.

Houseplant: Fitonia, Peperomia,Pothos

What can you buy with your $50?

Hawthoria spp

Euphorbia x Iomi (red flowers from Madagascar, wonders if she get a permanent resident status in my Ottawa home? )

Echevaria spp. ( a purple one, what do you call this one now?)

Echevaria lylacina - aha! I know plant tags are 90% wrong.

Correction: Kalanchoe luciae (1) - paddle plant, paddle kalanchoe, dessert cabbage
(1) reference: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/171623/

Echevaria - spp (thick and fleshy one, anyone know the name?)


Last christmas 2011, my bff gave me $50. she said that she thinks I deserve something, just she does not know what it is. I never did know what I deserve, a manicure perhaps? So, i look around for nail polish, and they came with the groceries, so I was left with $50, still to my account.

Today, I missed my gym time, I was too late going out of the house and I end up at Home Depot. I thought, maybe I can buy myself a sledge hammer to pound the ice on my walk way.

Well, it seemed the seed shelves are out.



So, I bought 5 packets of McKenzie Seed Packets: Swiss Chard - Bright Lights, Squash-Sunburst Hybrid, Onion-Annual Bunching, Cantaloupe Delicious, & Rosemary.

Then another nice table of Succulents:

Hawthoria
Echevaria - spp
Echevaria - purple (?)
Echevaria lylacina

Grabbing a box on my way out, these succulents came home with me tonight. Only time will tell if my $50 will last another year.

The bill was $38.14, plus tax - I paid $43.10. And I got a left over of $6.90 to buy stickers, stamps and thank you card for my bff.

Scallop squash - summer squash

I notice the vine of this hybrid squash is not long and always produce a lot of fruit. Maybe few years back, there was a label that was sunburst hybrid.

I also found some post that says it is a patty pan squash because of its shape.

MICROSOFT Telephone Scammer

Well, it hits Ottawa too. I am putting up this blog base on FCO cafe conversation and new from Ottawa Citizen.
MICROSOFT TELEPHONE SCAMMER


Summary: Person calls you - telling you he is a microsoft technician, and they tell you "your computer has virus, is reported by your remote microsoft connection", ask you to receive a script "computer file" to suppose fix the virus.

Then, the virus, problem solve, he ask for payment.

1. he is not from microsoft.
2. the file he sends you is something that will get your private information.
3. when you receive this call, he will convince you that you need help. You don't.

what if I receive the file already?

Disconnect from the internet. Disconnect your wifi, disconnect your cable.
this will prevent the person from getting your personal files, credit card numbers, etc.

find someone who can remove the file to your computer.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Microsoft+phone+scam+blame+reports/6011505/story.html

I am compiling here phone numbers where the call come from.
If you got a call, add the phone number here.
it will help us all.

1 510 9433040

thanks. angie

Winter Sowing: Hosta, Salvia

Winter Sowing Seeds:


Todays weather is -28C here in Ottawa, Zone 5B. I decided to winter sow my seeds, I have been putting it off. They are now out in the backyard garden, and expose to this -28C weather. :) Will update in spring, see how they survive.

I have hosta seeds(summer harvest - x. blue umbrellas, pilgrim, diamond tiara, guacamole) in a clam shell, and Red Salvia on a zip lock bag.

List:
1. Hosta Seeds (Blue Umbrellas, Pilgrim, Diamond Tiara, Guacamole)
2. Red Salvia

Indoor Garlic Propagation: (Allium sativum)

Garlic after one week, todays date: January 16, 2011 - this garlic leaves is about 6 inches tall now.

Garlic cloves (2) in a 6 inch pot, marked and dated with sowing date Jan 10. 2012

two cloves of garlic, set aside for planting in a pot

Indoor propagation of common household spice: Garlic ( Allium sativum)

I swear there is no more window in my house without plant, or every corner in my house there is a plant, if not toys. Why i keep propagating another plant, because I am a mad gardener.

While chopping garlic this morning for my eggs, I found two of these cloves has scapes - i meant that green thingy that will eventually become leaves. instead of chopping it off, and fry it, i decided to set it aside. Ahem, you know what this green thumb of mine is up to, right?

Indoor soil. i always have indoor potting soil at home, i do have houseplants, and seeds which is a hobby of mine. Do not bother using garden soil, just save yourself the trouble. I found a 6 inch pot, fill it with potting soil mixed with play sand (grit and drainage), and put down the 2 cloves.

Notice that I did not totally cover the whole of garlic with soil. Base on experience, I remember Iris varieties with large rhizomes need to breath. So, as any bulbs from the Lilium family & allium(garlic belongs here). This might not be an expert village, but i am trying to find my grove here. Once the green shots come out full steam, then root formation starts. As roots grow, this will pull the garlic down, so eventually, this garlic will be totally buried under the soil.

Water. Another factor is watering. Since this is the propagation stage, and there are no roots present yet, bottom watering the container is useless. No root tips or hairs that can absorb water. And if ever i attempt to bottom water, I will have soggy soil that will rot my garlic. Plus, indoor environment does not have decent air circulation that will dry it out. Possibility of ROT is high! (and true, it happened to me before, and it does STINK, LOL).
So, i will water from the top, maybe 1/4 cup once a week, and make sure it drained properly and increase the amount as needed.

Location: I have no more space except the shelf beside my oven. I can closely watch this garlic grow everyday, and if in case it starts to show rot, the compost bin is not that far either.

Light & Heat: The amount of light depends on when my kitchen light is on, maybe a little bit more from the window, or heat when my oven is on. I know, this ain't an ideal environment, but who else can provide one in this frigging cold winter?

So, here you go, another herb growing in my kitchen, literally. And ops, I just called my the "mad gardener". Oh well, I hope that is original.

Photos are all mine, taken from my Blackberry. and of course, that garlic is mine too, I got it from Produce Depot last Sunday.




Angie
Zone 5B
Ottawa Ct, ON, Canada

Pelagonium - Flowering in Winter

OVERWINTERED PELARGONIUM .SPP ( FLOWERING BESIDE MY OVEN) GERANIUM

when i say i have way too much plant i mean it. They are everywhere in my home.
if i like a certain plant, it stay close to me.

This pelargonium (white) was nothing special, but i like the color anyways.
so this fall, i put few cuttings in small pot, and bring her in.

So, she is a permanent resident near my oven. I know, it is a NO NO, but who cares, I want her where I normally am, the kitchen.

And not only she survive the variable heat, she flowered on me.
While show is pearly white out there, I have a white flower just beside my oven.

Love it.

Nail Polish: Black Obsession

if there is any luxury i can afford right now - that i also like, it is nail polish.
$2 on sale at Loblaws

rimmel london - black 430 satin black
lasting finish pro

Karlina's Stick on Nails

karlina's pretty stick on nails

girly time and karlina liked the idea of nice nails. It may have just lasted her a whole 5 minutes and she peeled it out, but hey...it was nice for a good time.
and giggles.

Kenneths Book List (WANTED: used books)

i was excited when kenneth started reading in grade 2, and happy to buy him book. however, due to some budgeting, I have not gotten his wish list last christmas.

anyone of you have some books (USED/new ) to sell?

This is his list with price from Scholastics Canada:

The Lego Ideas Book $25
Lego Star Wars $15
Lego Ninjago 35
Pokemon Black and White $10

I would buy used ones, if you have any. Well, if you got some fro FREE, the better. But really, I have little money to pay.

New Year 2012

new year 2012

christmas was fun, kids accumulated lots of garbage, but it makes them happy or at least laugh. The point of cutting junk to save for the children's future might be counterproductive. Let them be kids, let them have a blast opening gifts.
although, most parents tried the very best to find alternatives, this consumer base driven society is here. kids know that Johnny gets it, and know mommy has enough cash for it, so if he is good for the year, why not?
Since we discovered that we are covering our planet with trash, we started cleaning up. Not everyone, but all of humanity tried. While the Christmas trash is criticized everywhere, I sit down and wonder what grandma would think of this. Maybe she would say," let the kids be kids, give the gift now, do not wait until they do not want to play with it no more". enjoy the present and let the future be a cheerful one, because you enjoy the present. if you worry now (your present), the chances of worries carry over to the future, but if you laugh now, it will echo and bring positive energy to the future and its rulers --- yes, these kids will be our future. they will find solutions amidst challenging problems, because they can. because you teach them how to laugh with your hearts content, and live the present, and live to the fullest without hesitation.

new year...2012
it would be nice to remember 10 years from now, what i did for new year. i know, its old, boring plain housewife tale...but probably the best shot i have for life.

nite was cozy, in front of TV, with hubby opening a sparkling wine that won't pop.
So, hubby got the cork opener which blasted to his head, thank goodness it was not a life threatening moment.

watch the ball drop, sit with hubby some more, and then retire to bed.

Morning was late wake up about 8:30am, then i make "benignet". nope, not the typical philippines one, but local north american one. "sweet potato, plantain banana, barley, maple syrup & coconut milk".

hubby wake up late, just to think it is his last day of work.

i think i spend an hour with plant, doing all cleaning, and more cleaning...just like what is expected of housewife.

maybe i have the best of everything and I do not see it.

i got the greatest kids ( who would not say that?) and I got a great husband and I stay home taking care of 3 kids. Maybe i am just overwhelmed with this business of being the housecleaner day in and out, i am never use to it.

And long hours that get longer each day depending if any of the kids got constipation, teeth going on, or just naturally fuzzy.

as my husband tried to give me an hour or two break to visit a gym group fitness, it does make it feel better, that break time from demands of domestic life.

my entry is bias on what i feel on the moment and right now, my kids are acting up trying to make more mess than picking up the junk, so maybe I am just saying i only get calm when i am talking about plant, not life.