Houseplants Taking Over

When we moved to northern Virginia almost three years ago the dining room looked a little bare. So we got a console table to place below the mirror and loaded it with houseplants. They looked good, but lately they have been a bit overgrown and unsightly. So I took a scissors to them and cleared it up a bit. It’s always sad to cut plants back but after it was done it did look a bit neater. I moved one out of place overgrown plant over to the wine cabinet. Since the lamp broke there was a space for it. When the lamp gets repaired I’m not sure what I’ll do with it. My husband has been babying a miniature rose plant that came back once. Now he is hoping that it comes back a second time. That would be unusual but interesting if it does. Part of a plant that I cut off was placed in the little vase on the dining room table. It’s not the kind of plant that roots, so we will see how long it lasts. I have already placed cuttings in the wall vase so there was no room for the latest bunch. So they ended up in the garbage. Many of the plants look a bit tired with yellowed leaves and withered stems. The orchid we got from my brother and sister in law as a house warming gift has leaves but has not bloomed since. It all makes us wonder if we need to do something different in the dining room. Who needs a dining room anyway? My husband thinks maybe a sideboard with storage may be a better idea. I’m not convinced - yet. I’d rather do something with the den. This house just doesn’t feel homey yet. It’s got stuff from the old house with some new pieces, but the color scheme varies from one room to the next. It’s just not what I’d like it to be but my interest in making changes isn’t like it used to be either. So cutting back the plants was a good first step. Who knows what will be next? 

Plants, Flowers, Weeds and More Plants

When you spend most of the day indoors, the subject matter for a blog can be uninspiring. It takes a bit of creativity. I used to get a lot of ideas walking around Capitol Hill before we moved to northern Virginia last year. We don’t walk in the park here because people don’t wear face masks and they can’t be avoided on the narrow paths. So we stay in the neighborhood where it is easier to cross over when someone approaches. Why is it that the people wearing face masks (like us) have to accommodate the people who don’t? So, a lot of the blogs have been about plants, flowers and weeds - because I’ve been seeing a lot of plants, flowers and weeds. It includes things like tulips in the wall vase, weeds higher than my knee caps, the money tree that lost leaves, repotting our orchid, petunia stigmas, Growjoy plants from Indiana, balcony flowers, lucky bamboo, outdoor flowers, the bromeliad ... thank goodness we have our houseplants, wall vase, and balcony baskets. It gives us something to care about - and lately - something to write about. 

What Happened to the Money Tree?

What happened to our money tree? All the leaves were falling off. After we moved to northern Virginia last year we got a distressed white console table for the dining room for plants. The idea was to soften the space, but also provide an indoor garden. We no longer had our tiny Capitol Hill patio so this would be a way to take care of living green things. So we went to our favorite Ginkgo gardens in DC and stocked up on several different varieties, along with some pots. The plants are all doing very well - except for the money tree. We even have a water gauge that tells us when the plant is thirsty, water balls to put in place if we are away for several days (which won’t be happening for quite some time), plant food, and every day care and attention. What I learned long ago is that sometimes you just need to whack the whole plant back to start it going again. So I did. I placed the money tree on the lower level of the console table away from any direct light and cut back all the stems. Within a couple of days the little green shoots are already starting to grow. I’m not sure if it will ever look like it did when we first got it, but only time will tell. I don’t want to give up on it quite yet. Given the weird world we live in live plants are becoming all the rage. But we already knew long ago about the advantages of having them around. 

Houseplant Artwork

We always had plants and flowers in our gardens. In the Midwest we had several window boxes and containers to go along with the flower beds. In our tiny patio garden on Capitol Hill we had a birdbath, many birds, perennials and annuals. Even for a small place it demanded constant attention. But it was worth it. When we moved to northern Virginia last year we swapped our patio garden for a console table in the dining room - and filled it with indoor houseplants. Most, if not all, have survived their first year. They sit beneath a lovely mirror that reflects the sunlight in the late afternoon. Unfortunately, none of them are flowering. We used to fill the wall vase with cut flowers every other week, but lately all that’s left is greens. When one is stuck in the house, it’s tough to be creative with ideas to update this blog. Luckily something usually comes to mind. I remember taking up close photos of the plants at the US Botanic garden - my favorite place. So I thought I’d do the same with my plants. If you look close enough, the detail of the leaves is so artistic. I am hoping that the orchid that was given to us as a housewarming gift once again blooms. It seems the sunlight in the afternoon is nudging it along, although I’ve never had much luck. So in the mean time we will continue to look after our indoor friends. It’s good for both of us. 

Alotpower Moisture Meter for Houseplants

When we moved to Virginia four months ago from Capitol Hill, we swapped a tiny patio garden for a balcony. Rather than have outdoor plants in a garden with a birdbath, we now have a console table in the dining room that is home to several indoor houseplants. Watering houseplants can be tricky. I got a few water bulbs that can be used for when we go away for a few days/weeks, but I found out it’s not a good idea to use them for every day purposes. So we thought having a water meter would be a good way to figure out if the plants were really thirsty or not. So we got Alotpower moisture meter and gave it a try. Immediately we knew it worked. We decided to not water the plants for a week and see what the results would be. Some of the plants were dry, while others were moist. So I now have a better idea which one is which. The houseplants have brought life in to the living space which is the general idea. Now we need to make sure we take good care of them.