Indoor plant love

I live in central Alberta, which if you look on a map you will see is pretty far north. It means that we really only have 4 to 5 months that we can garden outside. I love green growing things and I have always had plants in whatever home I have lived in. Since I have moved several times across the country there aren’t many plants that have made the journey with me, so I have usually had to start over. Fortunately I get into communities where people are willing to share or have given them to me as gifts.

I thought I would share with you some photos of my plants that keep me going through a long, dark, winter season.

 

One of my orchids in full bloom. Happy to say this one is sending up a new flower stem.

 

This lovely peace lily was a housewarming gift for our new home.

 

This is my oldest orchid and it amazed me last year with the size of its blooms.

 

This little primula I bought last year and it survived and decided to bloom again this spring.

 

I have had this lovely plant for almost 10 years. It is such a wonderful burst of green and has delicate white flowers.

People often ask me how I keep my plants going and basically I say healthy neglect. I make sure that they have appropriate light, heat and usually only water once a week (more during the hot season in the summer), but after that I let them be. I do repot when necessary but certainly not every year.

 

What indoor plants are your favourites? What is your best indoor gardening tip?

Healthy Neglect

I have been away from home for a few days at meetings and visiting family. It has been a good time, but I must admit to missing my new garden and my houseplants. The dear one texted me the above picture and if you look closely you will see that one of my orchids is putting out a flower stem on last year’s flower stem. Can I hear a woohoo?!?

I am thankful that the dear one sent me the photo and all, but I would have really liked to have found that myself and been able to show it to him. It makes me wonder what else I am missing in the garden and with my houseplants. I wonder if all the new stuff we planted outside has survived all the rain that has happened since I left. I wonder how much growth there has been. I wonder if the bleeding heart has started to bloom, I wonder if the irises have started to bloom. There it is, I muss my new garden and I miss my new home.

I know that it will be there when I get home and I know that I will have work to do to make sure that everything is okay. I also know that a little healthy neglect doesn’t hurt when it comes to a garden or to houseplants. I have had a number of people ask me if there is anything special that I do to get my orchids bloom year after year. I mostly tell them not much – a little healthy neglect. It is the same attitude that I had when raising my children – be around but don’t be around too much – a little healthy neglect.

This away time is preparing me for a longer away time this summer and has got me to thinking how I will get our new garden looked after when we are away on our summer holiday. Something for me to ponder over the next couple of months before that happens.

What in your garden or your life could use a little healthy neglect?