House plant success and defeats--What are you growing?

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Like many others, I seem to be good in the garden and not so much with houseplants.

I am currently nursing a bromeliad back to health after seriously comprising it. A nice new stalk is growing, replacing the stalk I let wither away. I am also maintaining an orchid, of all things. It was a gift, and I knew it would not fare well. The foliage is rebounding nicely, and I consider it a foliage plant as I'd be amazed if I ever were to get it to bloom.

I do need third plant to place on my grandmother's plant stand; I just don't know what to get.

[Dumpling]

Thank you Pam for the info about the World Cup of Gardening postponement.
I think my sister is still going to visit us here this June but she will have to
change her plans somewhat I guess!

[Zacha341]

Very nice stand. Boston Fern if you have the knack for them. I do not. Or a good old Philodendron in a fat round pot?

[chuckles]

Bonsai, Bonsai, Bonsai.....Outdoor only, small patio 8'x12', water daily, fertalize monthly, 50/50 sun/shade...TLC

JUNIPER-MAPLE-PINE-LARCH

[Honky Tonk]

Bonsai, Bonsai, Bonsai.....Outdoor only, small patio 8'x12', water daily, fertalize monthly, 50/50 sun/shade...TLC

JUNIPER-MAPLE-PINE-LARCH

Nice work. I take it you bring them in for the winter? I don't know if I'd have the patience to trim those into shape.

[Zacha341]

I think I need the plastic fake version. Nice growing there Chuckles.

[sumas]

Just pitched my bamboo. Forgot to water.

Eagar to plant outdoors though. Stupid utilities came by and tossed a huge tree limb over my fence in my veggie garden. Not thrilled! To big for me to handle, so hire neighbors is my option for removal.

Rather spend that money on plants. I already have seeds and bulbs I can't wait to plant, but no, I have a tree limb in the way.

[Dumpling]

Checked the Belle Isle Conservancy page just now. The page had a note that the
annual Belle Isle plant sale will not occur this year as DPS has suspended its
agriscience program at the Conservatory. Went to that plant sale one time and
purchased a scented-leaved geranium, which I no longer have, but it is a nice
memory.

[sumas]

Sad to hear. I do the plant exchanges once in a while. With destructo dogs no point..They didn't entirely ruin my new front landscape but they are working on it. New huge hole in the back yard.

[gazhekwe]

Walking my dog down by the river this evening in the dark [[on the Indian River, Space Coast), I spotted an amazing line of large white flowers going up the side of a palm tree. It turned out to be these wonderful things, night blooming cereus. I am posting a picture from gardenweb.com because I didn't have my camera with me. It is not a climbing variety but the flowers look the same. We have the ones where the green cactus looking things climb up the trees. We often see squirrels climbing up behind the veil of cacti climbers.



Not a house plant, but so fantastic I wanted to share it. They are often grown here for night gardens as they are glowing white and very fragrant. All this time I never knew those things had flowers.

[Jimaz]

This Crazy Tree Grows 40 Kinds of Fruit

Sam Van Aken, an artist and professor at Syracuse University, uses "chip grafting" to create trees that each bear 40 different varieties of stone fruits, or fruits with pits. The grafting process involves slicing a bit of a branch with a bud from a tree of one of the varieties and inserting it into a slit in a branch on the "working tree," then wrapping the wound with tape until it heals and the bud starts to grow into a new branch. Over several years he adds slices of branches from other varieties to the working tree. In the spring the "Tree of 40 Fruit" has blossoms in many hues of pink and purple, and in the summer it begins to bear the fruits in sequence—Van Aken says it's both a work of art and a time line of the varieties' blossoming and fruiting. He's created more than a dozen of the trees that have been planted at sites such as museums around the U.S., which he sees as a way to spread diversity on a small scale.

• SamVanAken.com
• TreeOf40Fruit.com