WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

PLANT PORTRAIT : BEGONIA MUDDY WATERS

Begonia MUDDY WATERS is a so called leaf begonia because leaf begonia’s are loved for their beautiful leafs, not for their flowers as they are usualy tiny. This one is a strong plant with almost black leafs, the back of the leafs is dark red and the edges have soft hairs. I have this plant in my collection for many years now and it is so easy to care for, always happy  weather it is dry or wet. It prefers half sun or shade but light, it prefers regular watering but I often forget to water it as most of my plants are cacti and succulents….it can survive weeks without water !! I always use all purpose soil for all my plants, for the cacti and succulents I mix it with sand and grit, for those who love it wet, I mix it with water retaining granules but for most of my plants I just use it as it is. The leafs can be used in a flower arrangement, they can be dried very well and don’t lose their pretty dark colour, the flowers are pink, pretty but tiny. They can be easily reproduced, just break off a branch and put it in soil, there are always tiny roots on the branches, really very easy. They grow medium fast and if they are too big for the space they get I remove some  stems and then I remove the biggest leafs on what is left and you ‘ll get a new small plant. I love this plant !

If you give it some plantfood it will grow faster and bigger and it will give you more flowers but as I said, it is an easy plant and always happy. A plant for the not so green fingered.

Here are a few more pictures of it.

Thanks for stopping by, keep warm or cool !

PORTRAIT OF A PLANT : BLUE FERN

I have a few very easy houseplants in my collection I want to show you and tell you about, it might give you a few ideas ? The first one is the blue fern or phlebodium pseudoaureum.

The plant has a nice blue-silver leaf colour and it is easy and tough as old boots ! It purifies the air in the room, it is cheap, you can use it for flower arrangements and in bouquets. Home is  tropical South America.

How do you care for it : don’t be scared it is easier then this !

-it likes a light place but very little sun

-use soil that retains water (you can add a few waterretaining granules)

-it doesn’t like too wet but you can’t let it dry completely (you can use a pot with a water reservoir if you are not good in watering plants)

-let it drink water with its roots, put it once a week in a pot with water and let it suck up the water, let it drain and then you can put it back

-give it cooked water( cold please !)

-give it fresh soil and a bigger pot every year as it grows fast

– do not let temperature drop under 13 C°/55,4 F

This plant is ideal for a hall, a bedroom or a bathroom, you can put it in the livingroom of course but not too close to the heating

Now this may seem hard work but these are the ideal circumstances for this plant but….I bought my plant, put it in an overpot, give it water once in a while, never had food so far and it is still growing like mad and beautiful as the day I bought it only bigger, so I think I can tell from experience that it is easy and tough and not to forget :BEAUTIFUL !!!

TIPS for the not so greentumbed-and-easily-forget-to-water-plants ; water retaining granules are the max, they suck up a lot of water and the plants takes the water when it needs it, pots with water reservoirs are easy to use, you fill the reservoir with water and your plant can go a long time without watering and you can see when you need to refill the reservoir, then there are gadgets on the market that whistles as soon as the soil in your pot it too dry.

Have a great weekend all and start filling your home with beautiful and easy to look after plants, it is good for your health ! 

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

A NEW INDOOR PLANT FOR MY COLLECTION

A while ago I found a plant I have been looking for for a long time, it is called Nolina or Beaucarnea in latin, but people here call it “elephants paw”, it is a relative of the agave family so it is sort of a succulent and doesn’t need a lot of water.

What do you think, isn’t he a beauty ?

 

Take care and thanks for your visit !