༺ Beautiful Flower ༻

This week I was pleased to see that my Christmas Cactus has decided to bloom again. It feels like a good preview of the summer flowers coming in a few months. Here is how the bud looked just as it started to open. There were originally two buds, but for some reason one fell to the table.

Now the flower is in full splendor. It looks so lush and tropical. I just did a bit of research online and found out that these plants originated from the forests of Brazil. This last shot is my favorite. That flower is so amazing, with all the layers of petals !!In time, I hope this plant continues to grow and produce more beautful flowers !

☂ Maple Tree Update ☂

Today my little sprouted maple tree was planted outside. It is a fine looking tree ! Here is how it looked about a week ago.

I picked a spot on the north side of the house for the sprout to grow. That way it won't shade the garden, which is on the south.

Given that I live in grasslands, trees need lots of attention to make sure they grow. Over many acres we only have one wild tree, an elm. So this little maple will need lots of water and care if we want it to survive.




I'm up for the challenge !

☂ Maple Tree Sprout ☂

Yup, I have sprouted a maple tree from a seed !! Isn't it cute !!

I soaked the seed in water for 2 days, then laid it under a thin layer of potting soil. I kept the pot in warmest window each day, moving it around the house like a mad scientist. Well, it paid off as you can see. The little sprout looks full of life.

I plan to move it outdoors after it gets a bit larger. Hopefully with some attention I will have another shade tree in a few years. Life is all about patience, right?

The little lemon tree sprout continues to grow too. Here is how it looks today:

Besides my indoor experiments, I have been planting flowers and vegetables outside. Colorado has had a windy, wet and cool spring (not complaining) so the season is about two weeks behind schedule though. Yesterday I put out some annuals on my south patio. The tall bed is new, and hopefully will keep out local rabbits from nibbling down my blooms.

What's growing at your place?

✈ Lemon Sprout Thriving ✈

In just a few short weeks, my little lemon tree sprout has really gained some growth. I transplanted it into a larger pot, am keeping the soil moist, and move it around the house so the sprout gets as much sun as possible throughout the day.

The leaves are a great light green color, and look very thick and healthy. The other seed that sprouted never made any leaves, but this one seems to be enjoying the conditions on my windowsill.

I guess I have more spring fever than I realized, going on about this little plant. There are a few things coming up in the garden, so in the future I'll take my plant updates outside.

♫ Lemon Tree Sprout ♫

Look what I have started to grow this spring !! Does it look like a lemon tree?

Hopefully it will in a few months. I got seeds from a relative's actual lemon tree, so the seeds never saw refrigeration. I enjoyed some lemon water, then decided to see what I could do with the seeds. After the seeds soaked in water for a few days, I put them in some soil and kept it very moist. It has taken a few weeks, but look what has come up ! There is a second sprout coming up too.

Last year I experimented with growing a sweet potato. This year I'll share my adventures with a little lemon tree.

♪ Fascinating Plant ♪

Check out this interesting plant !!

There are a bunch of long green arms, which end in a geometric shape that I just had to try to get a picture of. The brown dots are seeds I think. I wonder if it will get little flowers in the spring? If anyone knows what the name of this plant is, please leave a comment and let me know!

Violets & Gnats

My pretty violet plant is thriving on the windowsill. Unfortunately, so is the gnat population.

The pesky little flying bugs seem to like the damp soil and standing water in the violet pot. After some Googling for suggestions to help control the bugs, I implemented these two changes.

1. I am trying to capture and remove the larvae by placing a potato slice on the soil and keeping it wet. The gnats are supposed to like putting their next generation in the potato. So then when I pick it out and toss it, the kids are supposed to go along.
2. I place a small amount of Mosquito Dunks into the watering can I use to keep the plant wet. The bacillus ingredient is natural and non-poisonous, so it seemed like a good thing to try.

After using these treatments for about 3 weeks, I don't see much of a difference in the gnat population. I'll keep trying though !!

Do any of my readers have suggestions that have worked for them? Please leave a comment with the information if you can help. Thanks !!!

༺ The Violet Mystery is Solved ༻

Well, it wasn't much of a mystery, but now I know what color flowers my new violet plant will create.

!! PURPLE !!

Why the fuss? Those bloggers who have been following the story will remember that my violet plant was a gift from a friend. Last June I posted a picture of what the plant looked like - just a sprout with about 5 leaves. Since that time, I have given updates as the violet grew larger. Finally, at the start of September, I was pleased to discover that I will have the treat of seeing lovely purple flowers on my houseplant from now on.

༺ Violet Update ༻

Another month has passed, and the violet plant has certainly grown!! I just put it in a larger pot, so now there is nothing to stop the little fella from developing flowers. I have a feeling they will be dark purple, but the true color is still a mystery !!

I first blogged about this violet in June, then gave an update in July. Click here to read those articles. I had no idea this plant would grow so many leaves this quickly !! When I finally see a flower, I will update an let you know the color.

༻ Violet Update ༺

After a month growing on my window sill, the little violet has certainly grown !

I have watered it regularly from the bottom, and as you can see there are many new leaves.

My last update was about a month ago. Click here to see what it looked like then.

I will probably need to put it in a larger pot before much longer. The mystery continues however, on what color the flowers will be. Personally I am hoping for a light or dark purple flower. Stay tuned for the answer once a flower pops out.

༺ Violet Update ༻

Isn't this little African Violet plant adorable? Recently a friend gave me this little cutie. I'm going to see how it likes living at my house. Most plants like me, so hopefully we will have a long time together.

It will be fun to watch it grown, and find out what color flowers it will produce. They might be light purple, dark purple, or pink. Maybe white? I have only had one similar plant in the past and it had dark purple flowers. 

Check back over time, I'll post updates as this lovely plant develops on my windowsill.