One of Barbara’s favourite things to do in non-gardening months is to explore the municipal greenhouse to get ideas for plants for her own garden. In this video, she and Helen are on a search for house plants for Helen’s apartment — Barbara explains why certain plants will work for her conditions and others won’t.
Why not pay a visit to your own local greenhouse or botanical garden? If you see a plant you like but you’re not sure if it suits your growing conditions, snap a photo of it and send it to us. Barbara will tell you what kind of growing conditions it likes, so that you can decide if it’s for you.
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Barbara is a self-confessed seed addict. Every year she vows not to buy so many seeds, and every year the lovely seed catalogues persuade her to break her vow! So she does need a system to keep track of what she has and when she can plant it. Relax, have a coffee and join us as we do that.
We promised to let you see how it looks outside, so here it is!
Here is Helen’s quick video update on the hyacinth bulbs she and Barbara planted some months ago. As you can see, she’s quite excited! (If you missed the planting video, here’s the link.)
A reader asked how to choose the best of the sea of seed catalogues she receives in the mail every year. In the first of these two videos, Barbara explains what to look for in a catalogue. In the second, she talks about one of her own favourites, and why she likes it.
I’d like to call January - Spoil Your Houseplants Month!
And what better place to start is with one of the most popular and hardworking houseplants: The Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) They are wonderful houseplants that are almost foolproof. They live quite happily for years, often in the same pot, needing water only when they dry out and being able to exist with whatever light you happen to have in the room. They come in a variety of colours - their shiny leaves can be green, yellow and variegated in combinations of green, white and yellow. Not only are these plants attractive, they have also been sited by NASA as one of the plants that can remove toxins from the household environment. So to get those little toxin vacuuming filters working at maximum - we need to clean those leaves.
Here is my Neon Pothos. You can see it’s in need of some t.l.c.
First I remove it from the pot-cover or decorative container.
Then I inspect the leaves for damage and possible pests. No insects here, just teeth marks from my cat Hercules.
I then remove all dying and dead leaves and stems.
Next I remove the really long stems that I’ll reserve to make cuttings.
Then, it’s into the kitchen sink for a nice bath. First I test the water to make sure it’s room temperature.
When the water is just right, in goes the Pothos. I try my best to wash both sides of the leaves.
Drain the pot well - nothing kills a Pothos faster than being waterlogged in a pot.
Dry off the leaves with a soft cloth - or just allow them to airdry.
Wind remaining long stems back in and around plant to make the plant look fuller.
And here we are back in the living room - washed and ready for action - waiting to soak up all those toxins.
I hope you’re not bored with all this Amaryllis talk, but I just love these glorious tropical flowers now that I’ve actually grown some. I think my three bulbs have just about worked through their lifespan now, and this photo is a close-up of the last bloom.
I asked Barbara if people could grow Amaryllis any time, or if it’s just at this time of year. She told me they can be grown at any time, but the challenge can be finding the bulbs. Although in our part of the world, Southern Ontario, they have traditionally been available in December and January, apparently they are now making their appearance at other times as people’s interest in exotic plants increases.
If you are buying Amaryllis bulbs at any time, Barbara tells me the important thing is that they are fresh. Fresh bulbs feel like good, firm onions, and not (in Barbara’s colourful description) soft and climbing out of their box!
Here’s a thought I just had: if you have a lovely Amaryllis plant, why not send us a photo and we’ll post it here where other newbie gardeners can see it. We’ll even put your name on it and you can be famous! Send your photo to helen@learningtogardenwithbarbara.com
P.S. — A week later, and the last bloom has now gone. There’s no sign of any more stalks, but there are some quite tall leaves. I didn’t know what to do with the plant now, whether to throw it out and, if so, whether to keep the soilless mix. So of course I asked Barbara.
Here’s what she told me. “For the amaryllis there are two things you can do — one continue to water, enjoy the leaves and put it outside in the summer to see if we can get it to bloom again next winter. Or two, just give it the old heave-ho — soilless mix and all.”
I decided on the second option. Although the flowers are beautiful, I don’t find the leaves all that attractive, and since I don’t have a lot of space I’m going to thank it very much and then throw it out. But if you are wondering what to do with your amaryllis, those are your options.
Hi folks - we had some feedback from Darlene that articles were her preferred method for information. As she so kindly pointed out - not everyone can see videos easily. So in the future, we’ll do our best to have articles about the topics we’re taping. Here’s a short piece on Amaryllis, so you too can join us in the fun at home!
I’m sure you’ve all seen these little boxes of Amaryllis bulbs at the grocery store and the nursery and wondered whether they were worth the bother. Well, one word: Yes!
So, first step is to chose the Amaryllis that appeals to you most. Open the box to make sure the bulb is nice and firm. It should feel like an onion when you poke it. If it has started to sprout - terrific. If it is trying to escape from the box (with a stem bigger than 2.5cm or 1″), choose another.
While the pot that is included is perfectly fine, you’ll be happier with a clay pot, or at least one that is heavier than the one that is supplied. Amaryllis are top-heavy, so you’ll want a sturdy pot.
I get my Amaryllis wholesale. Here are a bunch just ready to be planted.
Here’s my method for growing Amaryllis:
1. Soak the roots in water for a couple of hours.
2. Put soilless mix in the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the Amaryllis bulb.
4. Fill to the shoulders of the bulb.
5. Water.
6. When bulb begins to grow, water just so the soil stays barely moist.
Moving along, these are this year’s bulbs - Papillio - you’ll notice they are smaller and I’ve put three in a pot. They are growing well, but I’m concerned I may have a problem with the stems of blossoms falling over. Here’s a trick that I learned from a flower shop in the neighbourhood:
Insert 3 dogwood twigs around the edge of the pot. The Amaryllis will grow into and through the twigs for support.
Layer moss on top of the soil - not necessary - but if you don’t like to look at the soil - it’s a little more attractive.
Now - here’s something that really isn’t necessary, but does look pretty. Take dried hydrangea blossoms and scatter them on the moss.
To water, just pull away a corner of the moss.
And, here it sits today - right next to me in my office keeping me company. (Yes, there are Amaryllis on my office curtains.) I’ll post progress photos so you can see how beautiful they are when they begin to bloom.
By the way, if you do want to see Helen and I planting amaryllis on video, Here’s the link.
I’ve added a short video to the end of the Amaryllis and Hyacinth planting post. Scroll way down to the bottom of the post if you’ve already watched the planting videos. Otherwise, you might want to watch them first.
The Hyacinths are still sleeping away the winter in the office fridge, but look at how the Amaryllis is doing, just four weeks later.
And I want to add this one.
Garden Goddess Hooded Sweatshirt I know I’m new to gardening — that’s why this site exists after all — but I do see myself eventually as a “Garden Goddess”, so why not start telling the world now?!
There are several products in this line, but I like the hooded sweatshirt — warm and cozy as well as fun. Great gift for the Garden Goddess on your list!
