Since then, I have killed the unkillable by over- or under-watering, planting or replanting incorrectly, or maybe just looking at it wrong. My stare is deadly to all plants. That's why we have the whole rainforest problem.
At the risk of jinxing myself, I will now brag about my recent plant success! It's very exciting.
Exhibit A: I bought these orchids in May, with four blossoms. Now there are eight, but the main accomplishment is just that it's still alive! It's pretty amazing. But you know what's not amazing? My dirty window, so don't look at it.
Skip ahead to my newest plant addition. I bought these lilies and they have all bloomed. Again, the important thing here is that they are actually still living. The open blossoms are just a bonus. I'm supposed to put mulch on top of the soil, but one problem: I don't know what that is, and I'm not in the mood to google it. Okay, two problems.. whatever.
This is the most exciting of the bunch. My friend sent me this Topsy Turvy hummingbird planter that I set up in late May. The orange flowers began as a seedling with just the one yellow flower seen on the left (I don't know why they are orange now), but look at it now! As for the hummingbirds, I'd love to get a photo of one near a flower, but they don't stay there long. I guess they enjoy the fast food of my feeder over home cooking.
Beauty.
Finally, I have adopted an aloe vera plant from my friend, K. It's still alive! I need to work out something better than a paper towel under it, though... classy.
Have a good week and happy summer! Oh and I forgot to say happy Father's Day on my last post.
Mulch: Something to cover the soil which usually acts as a barrier to slow down evaporation of water, and which usually also prevents weeds from sprouting up around the wanted plants.
ReplyDeleteYou are familiar with wood chips used as mulch around landscaping. In the garden, quite often straw, grass clippings, dry leaves, or similar chopped vegetation is used as mulch. Newspaper can also be used as mulch. Mulch is most often biodegradable, though there are some non-biodegradable schemes, particularly in longer-term landscaping plantings.
I'm not sure the mulch is necessary for your indoor orchids, but you could just pull some overgrown grass somewhere (cut off any seeds) and arrange it to cover the soil around your plant. Or pick some tree leaves, and after they dry, crumble them a little and use these. This green mulch will leach some nitrogen and other nutrients into your soil over time. I am not familiar with orchids and their fertilization needs, but since your instructions didn't specify the type of mulch, I presume this is okay. Maybe someone else knows more. . . .
Great pictures! Though I think I enjoy your descriptions even more than I do the pictures. lol. :-)
ReplyDeleteGood job. You're greener than I am! -R
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteMattie - I was actually talking about the lilies needing the mulch, and they are outdoor. Thanks for the info. I wonder if I could gather something up at work? I just figured I'd buy some form of it, but didn't happen to see any at the store when I checked.