Thursday, February 21, 2013

My New Acquantances

Succulents are beautiful plants, but i haven't grown a cactus at all. However, when i transferred to a condominium unit at the 5th floor, my access to the land or soil or earth gets so difficult. But of course many of you know that i have some pots on the airconditioner ledge, and I have to be contented with that. I have been forcing myself to be contented with the smallest garden patch in the world. I have a few kinds of vegies there and the birds even share with me by getting some of the leaves. I have kangkong, ampalaya, green onion, tomato. Furthermore, there are three Rhenanthera orchid seedlings, 3 Hoya seedlings, 1 Epiphyllum oxypetalum, 1 zigzag plant and 1 very very tiny Adenium, that is only 3in tall in a 1in ceramic pot! Can you beat that!

My smallest window is only 1.5ft wide. This is not a busy window, so it inspired my planting of cactus. The window sill accomodates 3 small cactus. Eventually, i put stacks of cartons on the side, where i put some more succulents. At least they don't need full sun from sunrise to sunset, the afternoon sun passed through the glass window and keep them alive.

My 1.5ft window where i keep my indoor cactus. Haworthia attenuata decided to flower now, after 6 months in this compact space it learned to adapt. I just used the soft plastic as container so they can be contained in a very thin elongated tray, longitudinally placed at the window sill.

 Newly acquired in January, it already toppled 3 times, ejected from the pot and replanted. This doesn't fit in the window sill anymore so have to be placed on an extra platform behind the Haworthia.

The very very tiny Adenium obesum at 3 inches tall, on a 1 in ceramic container. Can you see the companion succulent which volunteered to grow at the side! It is already there when i bought it. I guess this is already 3 years old in that torturing situation.

Another Haworthia species bought in the garden show last January, probably it is Haworthia reinwardtii. It is said that producing a tall columnar plant without any dead leaf at the middle is a real challenge.

This ricrac, zigzag, or fishbone orchid cactus,  Cryptocereus anthocyanus, started as a 2 inch cutting i picked at the garden show ground, already stepped on by some feet. You might say i have a green thumb as the almost dead piece is brought back to life. It is actually that base at the left side where 3 branches are already growing.


They look like this now!  That rectangular plastic tray is a recycled tofu container, while the Haworthia at the back is placed in another transparent recycled plastic to maintain the water drippings at the bottom. This way a humid root area is maintained.




14 comments:

  1. Nice to see you growing succulents Andrea! :)

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  2. You make excellent use of the small space. The plants appear to like the space and the care that you are giving them.

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    1. Yes Linda, that is the only thing i can do with them. I turn them too so as the other side will be lighted too. By the way, i still can't open your blogpost.

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  3. i wonder if you ever talk to these succulents while looking out the window.:p
    i wanted to get some cactus but my mother is a bit superstitious about thorny plants. i tried to smuggle a cactus to my bedroom but it was gone when i came back from a trip. *lol* i have 'mother of thousands', at least, it's not thorny and my mother likes it.:p

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    1. Haha, there's no need to talk to them, they hear my thoughts! We have that plant too, and i want to totally eradicate them, invasive as the thousands all want to live, and make thousands too. I've heard about the thorny superstition too, but I am not like them.

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  4. What a neat tiny garden you have... I know it's hard not having garden space... I wouldn't like it either. BUT--you have made the best of all worlds. Your plants are all so healthy and beautiful... Congrats.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. Yes Betsy, at least I have a few plants outside the window and some more inside it. They seem happy inside too, but i always turn them once a day to give the other side the needed light.

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  5. Andrea, as a true gardener I'm sure you will always have a garden wherever you live and whether it is tine ot large. I love your little adenium. I wonder whether it will ever flower.

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    1. That is really true, a gardener is always a gardener. If i am an astronaut, i will still be a gardener in space. I probably change my adenium container to a bigger one, so it will eventually flower. I hate to see it really tortured there.

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  6. I'm very impressed with your garden. You certainly get a lot of beauty in a small area. I would definitely say you have a green thumb. I especially like the cactus in your second photo.

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  7. You have a lovely indoor garden, nice houseplants. Thanks for sharing, have a happy weekend!

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  8. You certainly are very good at setting up growing conditions...

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    1. Thanks Donna, but i am expecting myself to be like that! haha

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Your comments inspire me to post more, and our conversations make life and gardening more meaningful.

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