Beat.

This semester is bringing me down! Too much to do, not enough time to do it in. Understandably, blogging isn't always at the top of the priority list when I am just trying to recoupe after a long day. More likely to drink tea and watch Doctor Who while browsing Pinterest.

This weekend, I am forced to relax, as I am on my way to Winnipeg to celebrate Carol and Neil's wedding!

Currently, I am sitting in EIA, admiring the awesome living wall. I haven't been through YEG since coming back from Australia, so this is the first time I have seen it. Too cool!

Herbs.

I was gifted a glorious herb bouquet for my birthday from my dear friend Lindsey. Unfortunately, this week has been hella busy, and to my great regret they have been sitting in the fridge, doing nothing. Since I am going out of town until next week (wedding time! Cupcakes are done!) I decided to turn them into a herb butter to make them a bit easier to use and save...

Best. Idea. Ever.

So tasty and so easy! Simply chop, mash into the butter, roll the butter into a log in plastic wrap and chill. Voila!

Trust me. It tastes better than it looks.

Plant Movements.

I love plants. This is nothing new. But this weekend I acquired some new ones that are really neat.

In my Science 10 class, we are currently discussing plants, and how they adapt to different situations by moving. A plants response to a non-directional stimulus is known as a nastic response. Most of the time, plants move on a slow enough time scale that we do not notice they are moving at all. Over the course of a few days, a rotated plant will shift its leaves so they are facing the sun. Sunflowers will rotate their heads to allow the sun to warm the nectar in their florets. Pea plants and creepers will twine around their supports.

Some plants move at a much quicker pace, in response to a touch stimulus (known generally as nastic response or thigmonasty) or daylight hours (known as sleep movements or photonasty).

The venus flytrap is the most famous of all moving plants, using the response to touch to allow it to "eat" insects that touch sensitive hairs on its traps.

Smaller than you'd think. The traps are about the size of a fingernail.

Mimosa plants (colloquially "sensitive plants") will fold up suddenly when the leaves are touched. Another touch will cause the entire stem to droop quickly.

Before.

Mimosa plants also exhibit sleep movements, closing up and drooping at night only to perk up again in the morning. Shamrock plants also display this kind of behavior.

After I touched the left leaves.

Both of these responses are achieved by controlling the amount of water in specialized cells within the plants. When tiny hairs on the plant are touched (by wandering insects usually) an electrical signal is sent through the plant, and it will rapidly decrease the turgor (water) pressure in the specialized cells. Plants maintain their rigid bodies using water pressure, so the rapid loss of turgor pressure causes the plant to wilt in very specific locations, leading to the quick change in shape.

Spring.

 Is it too much to hope that Spring has finally sprung?

Christmas Cactus.

I have recently acquired a Christmas Cactus (really, I'm plant-sitting, but it's taking up enough of my kitchen.. this thing is huge!) and it seems to be happy. Over the past week, it's started churning out buds, and some of them have opened into gorgeous orange blossoms.

Like this one.

The flowers of a Christmas Cactus are specially adapted for specific pollinators. Nectar is produced and stored in a chamber at the base of the bloom, which is very long. A hummingbird must stick it's long beak down the flower to get at the nectar, and while doing so will brush it's head against the pollen covered stamens sticking out of the flower. Pollen from another plant will be deposited on the bright pink stigma from the top of the bird's head.

Side view.

Orchids.

I love having plants around the house. They make the air seem fresher, and bring a little bit of nature inside during these long winter days (even though we are experiencing much higher than normal temperatures, and it could pretty much be April now...).

However much I love plants, I adore flowering plants even more. It is very tempting to view flowers as nothing more than beautiful adornments that the plant puts on for our enjoyment. Of course, this is not true; flowers are the advertisement to get pollinators to come and sample the plants wares (usually nectar) in exchange for carrying a little bit of pollen to another plant in hopes of acheiving fertilization.

(Aside: while discussing Brownian motion with my 15 year old students, I asked if any one remembered what pollen actually was. Just as soon as I finished asking, one boy shouts "TREE SPERM!". A funny reminder that no matter how much I love flowers, the point is for the plant to have a bit of sexy times.)

Plants are often very particular about when they will decide to flower; just like an animal will come into heat at a particular time. It's all about increasing the chances of successfully being fertilized. There's not much point in putting out flowers if you are the only one... who will you exchange gametes with?

As such, getting certain houseplants to flower can be tricky. Some plants are triggered by a change in temperature or daylight hours (which would correspond to a particular season in their native habitat) which often is not met in climate-controlled homes.

Phalaenopsis.

Orchids are a particularly fussy plant to get to bloom. When you buy an orchid from the store, it comes with beautiful blossoms, which can last for a fairly long time. But eventually they will fall off, leaving you with a sad looking little plant. Most people decide it's not worth the hassle of encouraging their orchids to re-flower and will just chuck the old one out and buy a new one.

By sheer accident, I discovered a pretty easy way to encourage my orchids to re-flower. (When I'm not busy killing them that is...  orchids are a non-parasitic plant, or ephiphyte, that will live on the branches of trees in the rainforests, and are evolved to soak up the tiniest bit of moisture from their surroundings. This makes them prone to root rot when you are a little too vigorous with the watering can, like I can be...)




Dendrobium.



 Anyways, I was gifted a bunch of non-flowering orchids in June by a colleague who retired and moved out to the coast. The Phalaenopsis orchids (what you usually buy in the store) were almost blooming, so I  left them in my kitchen, but there was a Dendrobium orchid that I had  no idea what to do with. Dendrobium orchids are quite different  looking than Phalaenopsis orchids; they have a cane like structure, with leaves growing out the top, almost like a palm tree. I thought it would look quite nice in my bedroom, and left it on top of my filing cabinet for about 5 months.

In order to encourage orchids to flower, they are often put in a cool, dark place for several weeks, and brought back into the light when they form buds. I had no idea that I had put my Dendrobuim orchid into these exact conditions until I went to water it one day and discovered that it had a bud! I was so excited.

The Dendrobium has since been moved to my kitchen, where it's delicate blooms can be better enjoyed, (see picture above!) and I've relocated some Phalaenopsis orchids to my filing cabinet to try again!

House Plants II.

About a month ago, I posted about the easiest plants that I know of that can be grown around the house. The kind that, even if you live in a basement suite and only have artifical light, will grow quite happily. This time around, I give you "Advanced Plants (for Modern Living)".  These require a bit more complicated care (like more regular waterings and feedings) and specific light conditions.

Growing up, my mother always had African violets - and they always seemed to be blooming. African violets have velvety, fuzzy leaves that don't like to get wet, meaning you need to water them from below, which takes a bit of care. They also don't like too much moisture, so you should put the bottom of the pot in water, let it stand for 20 minutes or so, then drain the water away so the roots don't rot. To be their happiest, they like indirect sunlight/shade and regular feedings. They can flower year round, but mine don't... (my mothers are always blooming! ... not that I'm jealous or anything...)

Another free and awesome plant I received was this Dieffenbachia. The attractive dappled leaves unfurl from the main stalk, and new shoots seem to be popping out the bottom. This one lives next to my north facing living room window... it tolerates shade/low light, but prefers partial shade. (When it was on the other side of the room it wasn't very happy... I switched it with a Sansevieria and they are both happier now.)

At St Patrick's Day, my mother bought me this Shamrock plant. The three lobed leaves grow on stalks coming out of a main "root" under the soil. This one has flowered almost since the day I got it! Occiasonally a stalk will fade and die, but new ones are always shooting up from below. One of the neat things about shamrocks is that they have very sensitive leaves! This one folds up at night and appears to go to sleep (early evening the leaves start to droop like it's tired.. poor baby!). Prefers bright but indirect sunlight and very regular waterings.

Who doesn't know Aloe? Mine is the strangest looking plant (I received it as-is... it was a "donation" to my home when I moved...). Without a woody stem, aloe can't grow too tall without falling over, giving this one a limp appearance (it desperately needs repotting). New shoots are also sprouting out the bottom... Being a succulent (a fat plant that retains water) it can go long periods between waterings, and can handle being ignored!
The leaves can be cut off and opened to reveal a soothing gel, great for burns and cuts. Anyone want some aloe?

This pretty hardy, tolerant and attractive plant is a Croton of some sort. I really have no idea what kind (I got it for free....). They prefer bright locations, but it doesn't have to be direct sun. The leaves can be yellow and green or red and green, giving it a very different look. (And when it flowers it gets the cutest little poofy-looking blooms on the end of a long stalk!)

Nasturtiums

I consider myself to be a fairly normal person. On the whole, (at least when I am out in public..) I try to avoid doing strange things. Occaisonally though, one forgets that what one considers "normal" others may consider "strange".

One of the things I've discovered is not considered normal is eating flowers. I don't eat all flowers (something I would never advocate since some can be poisonous!), in fact I really only eat one flower... Tropaeolum majus. Nasturtiums.

I have very few memories of my maternal grandfather; he died when I was very young. He always had a very large garden, and always grew and ate nasturtuims. I remember picking the flowers as a little girl, eating the peppery petals and sucking the nectar out of the bell at the back. Not only can you eat the flowers straight out of the garden (though I do recommend checking for bugs first), they make a delightful addition to salads, and I'm told they can be used in soups and dressings as well.

Ever since I was old enough to garden on my own, I have grown nasturtiums. In our cold climate, they are considered an annual, but if the weather is mild enough they will self-seed. Typically I will buy a little seedling 6-pak from the greenhouse, and that will supply my nasturtium needs for the summer. Last year, however, I attempted to let my leftover flowers self-seed, and I collected the remaining seed pods to try to plant this year.

In the spring (before the crazy onslaught of mosquitos and rain) I planted some seeds, since there was no sign of the self-seeded germinating. When that also showed no promise, I resigned myself to purchasing another batch, and planted away.

Apparently I should have waited, as both the newly planted seeds and the self-seeded ones shot out of the ground after the crazy amount of rain we got in July! Patience in gardening has never been my strong suit. In addition, I accidentally bought trailing nasturtiums rather than the normal variety... and now that we've had a few weeks of nice sunshine-y weather my garden has exploded with nasturtiums! They are everywhere! The trailing ones are growing stems about 3 feet long and taking over other areas of the garden!

Note to self: jumping the gun when it comes to planting means more work down the road.

Anyone in need of some lovely edible flowers or seeds to grow their own? I seem to have a lot...

House Plants.

Not long after I moved out of my parents house, my mother gave me some books. She had been doing some house cleaning and discovered she had multiple books on plant care (you'd be surprised how handy they are). Deciding no home was complete without one (or two) she gave me this...

Foliage Plants for Modern Living. Copyright 1974. A classic. (I also have a copy of Hanging Plants for Modern Living)

Apparently, it was Ben Franklin who said "Opposable thumbs, running shoes, and cookies for breakfast are the only things separating us from the animals." It would seem that foliage plants are the only things separating us modern humans from savages.



I have a lot of friends who have trouble with plants... they can be quite tricky to grow in certain spaces (most apartments and condos are relatively low light) and we tend to get suckered in at greenhouses by all the lovely blooming flowers they have, without knowing whether or not it will successfully grow in our own homes.
Enter Foliage Plants for Modern Living. It outlines certain rules of general plant care, defines the terms you are likely to see on the little plastic tabs that give you "instructions", and helps you identify why a plant might not be thriving. It also has descriptions of common household plants, complete with illustrations and specific care instructions. (Common meaning "plants that were common in households in the 70's". While certain plants like the Ficus are classics (think rubber tree plant), it is much less common now to keep an Asparagus Fern in a macramé hanging basket.)

While I have already talked about my love for my plants, here is a list of a few that are the easiest to grow; they require very little maintenance, aren't picky about lighting and could be a good addition to any space that needs a bit of "greening up".


Birdsnest Sansevieria. Typically, dark leaved plants do better in low light than ones with lighter leaves. These can get by with relatively little water, and pretty low light. Bright, indirect light is best (articfical is okay) but I have this one about 10 feet away from a north facing window. Sansevieria's spread by rhizomes (undergroud shoots) so you can start off with one little rosette, and eventually more will come up until they are growing in a clump.

Another type of Sansevieria that grows well indoors is the Snake Plant. Pretty much the difference is the height (mine are about a metre tall) and the shoots produce single leaves, rather than the rosettes. Earlier this summer one of mine flowered with greeny-white blossoms on a long stalk.

One of the most famous easy to grow plants is the spider plant... they do very well in partial shade/north light. Spider plants can also handle bright artifical light - they grow quite happily in classrooms with no windows. They produce baby plants by little "spiders" growing off cascading stems - these spiders can be cut off and placed in dirt to start new plants.

 Devil's Ivy. Grows perfectly well in total artifical light. This one is happy as can be in a glass of water in my bathroom. A climbing ivy, it will actually cling to walls with the little sucker-like pads it has on  the stems it puts out. I have actually had more luck growing this ivy in water than I have in soil... (a word on hydroponic growing... most plants like tap water! Distilled...  not so much. Tap water will leave deposits on the glass, so don't use anything you are too attached to. I find mason jars work well...)

The easiest of them all.  Swedish Ivy. Likes any light... indirect... shade... artifical... Also grows very well in water. So well, that it will put out roots wherever its stems encounter water or soil (so don't place next to any other plants or they will become attached!). Makes excellent cuttings to start new plants. Typically, swedish ivy would prefer to hang, but mine is doing okay getting bushy on a side table.

Stay tuned in the future for the "slightly advanced" group of easy to grow house plants!

Botanical Gardens.

I loved how dainty these blossoms were.
No clue what they are.

I love gardens. When I travel, I try to hit up the botanical gardens in as many places as possible... in addition to the usual rose gardens, they often showcase local plant species as well.







Japanese Gardens.



Typical of most people, I do not go to "tourist" places in my own area. Unsurprisingly, this past week was my first trip to the Devonian Botanical Gardens.



Like zoos, I try to make trips to botanical gardens a solo adventure. Usually people don't like to spend nearly as much time there as I do... (I once spent 6 hours in Taronga Zoo in Sydney- definetly worth it).




 

Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk... yes?

I am still trying to figure out the best way to use my SLR camera. (I have a Nikon D3000) While I haven't really perfected portraits (I'm still more reliable with my Sony point-and-shoot) I have really gotten the hang of flowers and insects. Macro remains my specialty.



Pollination, at it's finest.

I have said it before and I'll say it again... I love bees. My father jokingly called me "The Bee Whisperer" once when I stood in a patch of delphiniums for 10 minutes to let them get accustomed to me so that I could get a good picture.

 

Arched-wing Cattleheart...
I think.

One of the highlights of the Devonian Botanical Gardens is the Butterfly House. These are not local species, as they live in the tropical plant greenhouse. (I also once spent an hour in a butterfly aviary in Sydney... surprised?)

 It was a glorious day (one of the hottest we've had all summer... although that's not saying much). Aside from a few "rambunctious" visitors, (yes, I'm looking at you Mr. 30-year-old-using-the-Japanese-garden's-waterfall-as-a-sprinkler!) the gardens are very calm and quiet. Perfect way to spend a hot, lazy, summer afternoon.



That sums it up quite nicely,

I think.





Plant Parenthood.

I love plants. Okay, maybe that is an understatement... I LOVE plants. My friends make fun of me, because I treat some of them like my children.

Some people have pets... I have plants.

When I say "I have plants", what I mean is "I have a lot of plants." At last count I had 20 potted plants in the condo. ("Sandi... I think you have a problem..." says my friend Stef)

Recently, a friend commented on the fact that my plants seem really happy and healthy. As if it was something really exceptional. Why do they do so well? Do I have a green thumb?

Unfortunately,  it's nothing like that. I'll let you in on the secret...

If they don't thrive, I chuck them out.

That might sound like something really harsh from a self-proclaimed plant lover, but it's true. I've tried to select plants that will do well in my low-light living space, so if they start to shrivel, they're gone. (It's not like I don't try...)

This is especially true for the ones that other people gift me (they tell you you have a plant problem, but does that stop them from giving you more?). For my birthday, I received a lovely sunflower. It was happy and perky for about 2 weeks, then started to droop and turn yellow-y. After a while, I chucked it. Ditto the mini-rosebush... and the creeping jew. .... and one of the cacti.

Oddly, one of the things that does grow well in my kitchen is orchids. I was given a few from a co-worker who is moving, and was really happy when this one started to bloom...

It has had it's 6 blooms for almost a month now...  Does the fact that I took some pictures on my phone to show people (as though it were one of my children or my pets) make me a creepy plant parent?