Cold Wet Magic

 
I put a few of the houseplants out on the porch for the summer. Told Om to bring them in if it was going to freeze while I was gone. But I sort of forgot that a couple of them really wouldn't like to be cold even if it wasn't freezing.

One of the ones I put outside was this unidentified member of the spiderwort family. It has reluctantly bloomed for me twice.



It was given to me as a succulent, but I learned this summer that it really prefers to be nice and moist. It flourished outside, getting watered every other day. The leaves were greenish-white and furry and happy looking.

When I got home Friday, not only were the leaves happy and huge, but even though it has been quite cold, the silly thing was blooming like crazy! Every stalk had two blossoms/buds on the end.



In other news: I chilled out and worked hard on the Midland to Mackinac Trail Guide today. I'm closing in on having it ready.

	See Other Spiderworts
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Dow Gardens - Color

 
There are so many beautiful individual plants I could show you! Dow Gardens is like a big flower show... the good stuff just keeps coming.

But I can't move away from it just yet. Today I'll show you some of my favorite pictures that exemplify COLOR. It's no surprise that several of them are coleus (now broken into two genera, so I didn't capitalize it). We probably all know coleus... it's that great planter specimen that features beautifully variegated leaves. They are a relative of mint, but without the minty smell. They are great for showy gardens because if you pinch off the blossoms, the gorgeous leaves just keep their beauty all season long.

Here are two varieties side by side in a planter. Everything from bright and splotchy to dark and geometric



How about the 'stripe-me-pink' oyster plant? This is a variety of my Moses-in-a-boat with colored leaves. Technically Rhoeo discolor or Tradescantia discolor (names are changing faster than one can keep up).



Back to coleus for an interesting salmon color variety.



I debated whether to show you this one under "color" or hold it for "design," but you get it today. This is some variety of Clematis.



Finally, we're back to another display of coleus. This one is in the colors I was trying to pair in my own flower garden, maroon and yellow. So I particularly like this.



In other news: My writing workshop ended today. Great stuff! I'll be doing a post about it on the other blog.

	See Philadelphia Flower Show 2011 Coleus See Oyster Plant
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Moses Makes Another Appearance

 
My houseplants are pretty much abused, but this one has agreed to bloom again. Just ignore the dust and spider webs.



It's the one called Moses-in-the-Boat, Tradescantia discolor. When it bloomed before I gave a lot of explanation, so I won't repeat that.



Instead, I'll show you some previously featured relatives, other Tradescantia.

Wandering Jew, maybe T. pallida



Unknown, but in the same family.



Common spiderwort, a wildflower, Tradescantia virginiana

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Moses-in-the-Boat

 
This plant was given to me by Shelly last summer. It has pretty leaves, and it just bloomed! I set off on an internet quest to learn more about it.



For starters, it's a Tradescantia, Tradescantia discolor to be exact (also now called Rhoeo discolor). That means it's related to the common garden plant, spiderwort. However, I didn't previously realize it, because I think of Tradescantia as having a rather off-balance growth pattern. I guess that's not typical of all the species.



It has several common names. The Moses-in-the-Boat comes from the white blossoms in the boat-shaped cradle of bracts, looking like baby Moses set adrift in the Nile. It's also called Boatlily. I think that's obvious after the previous explanation. I have no idea why it's called Oyster Plant. Of course there is a very different plant with that common name.



The three bold parts to the blossom should have been a clue to the genus, but I didn't catch on before looking it up.

In fact, this is a common garden plant in tropical areas, including south California and Florida. It's actually considered invasive in Florida. I also learned that the sap is extremely irritating to the skin. I think I'll be very careful when I move or repot it, since I'm so allergic to poison ivy. I read that it's very problematic to dogs where it grows outdoors. It causes rashes and sores that don't heal without trips to the vet.

I'll happily keep mine as a houseplant, and in the north there is no danger of putting it outside. It shouldn't be overwatered... not a danger for any of my houseplants!

I have another Tradescantia houseplant, and you can see it at Spring in the Kitchen. It's never bloomed since that post.

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Spring in the Kitchen - Second Installment

 

Remember that I hinted at two more events to come in my kitchen? Here is the next one!



This plant has had little tiny, tight buds for a month. I was beginning to think that they would never open. Let's talk about this plant for a minute. It is in the family Commelinaceae, which means that it's a spiderwort of some kind. There are large garden varieties for outside. An easy-to-spot feature of these is their 3-petaled flowers and leaves (on most of the species) that seem to grow out of the leaf axils above them.

There are a couple of semi-succulent species that are house plants. One common one is Cyanotis somaliensis, often called Pussy Ears or Furry Kittens. That sounds like it could be this plant. But the growth habit isn't quite right, and the flower stamens aren't quite right either. Neither is it Cyanotis kewensis, Teddy Bear Vine, for all the same reasons. So this is some related, but different species. I got this plant for free from a commercial greenhouse. The owner was sick and tired of the way it trailed all over and said I could have it! That was four years ago, and it has never bloomed before now, so this is totally cool.

Did the bud open? Yes!



I gave a talk today on spring wildflowers in Michigan to the local garden club. They seemed to like it, but I came home very tired. Well, tomorrow is another day!

	See Springtime In and Near My Kitchen for the first installment of the kitchen plants
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