Potted Bulbs From Last Fall. 19 March 24.

 I potted these last fall and kept them in the vegetable garden.  The did pretty well.

I either dropped the hyacinths or an animal got into 5em.  Still very colorful.

Frugal Living. New Pot Handles. 19 March 2024.

 Not about gardening at all, but about the gardener.

In the mode of reduce / reuse / repair.  I dropped the crock pot lid.  This gets used almost every week, for at least the past six years.  I precook the chicken thighs for Rufus's dog food in it, overnight, before adding the rest of the ingredients the next day.  The crock pot itself came from a thrift store for $15 or so.  A new one can cost $90 on Amazon although I'm sure bargains are out there.  It's been used hundreds of times.

The knob on the lid broke, not repairable.  I had a car trunk load of stuff to take to Good Will, so I went inside and found a small pan lid for $2.  They are fairly universal, just unscrew the knob and install it on the crock pot lid.

That should last a few years.  I didn't think to look, but since then I found knobs for a few dollars on Amazon and elsewhere, even very similar to the original Crock Pot lid.

Why buy a new one for $90 when you get a perfectly functional one for $2?  And it's 100% reduce / reuse / repair?

This is plastic (maybe Bakelite).  By re-using one, that's one tiny piece less plastic made to pollute later.

I also needed to replace the side handles on this Stainless Steel pot.  It must be 40 years old.  The only thing wrong with it was the badly damaged handles.  Plus, they were solid, no finger space to reduce dropping risk.

There were lots of choices on Amazon for minimal cost.  I took off the old ones, measured - they are ALMOST universal or standardized (I can't find to fit another pot however).  

Ordered, here in a day, and installed.

These are better than the originals.  The finger holes mean less dropping likelihood.  Stainless steel lasts a lifetime, is easy to clean.  If something chars on too much, I use a scrubbing attachment on my electric drill, with some Bar Keepers friend.  It's clean in one or two minutes.   Nothing like those cheap, teflon or other toxic chemical coated cookware that becomes impossible to clean anyway, emits toxic fumes, and doesn't last.

The one negative about this pot (also true for all of those light weight, garbage teflon coated aluminum pots and skillets) is the stainless steel bottom is actually a thin layer of stainless steel on a thicker aluminum base.  That's fine for standard electric or gas stove, but does not work on induction.

That's my extremely rare Frugal / Environmental post for now.

Chili Pepper Seedlings Outside Today. 16 Mar 24

 Today was the first day outside for the chili pepper seedlings.  I think they are looking good.

I'm glad I planted most in 4" pots.  I think they will fill in quickly.

Today's 72 F is just about perfect.  They's go inside tonight, too chilly at 39 or so for such tropical plants.

Alstroemeria Seedlings Outside Today. 16 Mar 2024

 I took the Alstroemeria seedlings outside today for the weather.  It's their first day, so briefly in full sun and mostly in partial sun.

Also the lemon bush Eucalyptus and Rudbeckias.

Schlumbergera Update. Seedlings and Up-potting One. 16 Mar 2024.

 Sclumbergeras tend to become top heavy with age, and fall over.  I don't think they need as large a pot as some plants the same size, but they eventually need up potting.  This one was grown from cuttings maybe three years ago.  Nice, unusual color.  I grew the original plant from cuttings many years ago, and took these when it became scraggly.

For the falling over problem, I think a heavy pot is needed.  I had one extra, so I used it.

The root mass looks pretty good.  No winding roots, but pretty dense.  I roughed it up just a little before potting.

As for the Schlubergera seedlings, they seem to be on a bit of a growth spurt.  They are making new pads at the apex and and the sides of the old pads.  Interesting.

I sat them all outside today, not in full sun except briefly.  Temp 72F.  To night they will come back inside for the expected low40s F.

Bare-root Repotting A Blooming Mini Rose. 16 Mar 2024

Today I repotted the second mini rose.  This was the one I bought partially crispy and wilted at Bi-Mart.  Clean-up, consistent watering, good light, trips outside, and dilute houseplant food brought it back.

Even the new flower colors  were better, dark red instead of mauve.

With the producer's peat & perlite medium still in the pot, it dried out and wilted too quickly.  That's my thought about all of these.  Warmer sunnier weather, and more growth, will make the problem more challenging to keep up with.  So I turned it out of the pot, to repot it.

The roots look very good.  Not really over-crowded, and not root bound.   I knocked off as much soil as I could without causing too much root damage, pulled the three plants here apart, and washed off the medium by swirling in a basin of water.

Not letting them dry out, I immediately potted them in my usual good quality potting soil that manages water very well and lasts for a number of years.  Then watered it in.  This was a somewhat larger container, maybe 100% more soil holding capacity.

I will leave the flowers on.  I think the root damage was very minimal, and the effect of improved soil is almost immediate.  They'll get pampered for a week.  Probably more.

The leaf edges have a slight sunburn, from leaving them out earlier this week.  I'm impressed that they held their dark red color.

Planting Dahlia Seeds. 15 March 2024

 Here are the dahlia seeds that I planted today.  Size and appearance reminds me of zinnia seeds.  I used regular potting soil, and re-usable eight-packs from last year.

Those are dwarf sized dahlia varieties, although possibly not as dwarf as the two that I bought at Winco last year.  Also, I stored those dry in their containers over the winter.  I'll wait a month to see if they have viable-looking tubers.

The portulaca is for later.  Maybe tomorrow.

Daffmobile. Daffodils in Containers. 15 Mar 2024.

 Here are some of the bulbs I planted last fall in containers.

They grew a bit uneven.  There appear to be lots more bulbs to bloom.

There is some slug damage.  I gave them all slug bait today.

Planting a Few Lily Bulbs. 12 Mar 2024

 I planted a few lily bulbs in a somewhat derelict half wine barrel.

I bought these in January, thinking the bulbs would keep better in my chilly garage than in the dry warmer store.  

I think I was right.  Even though growth was about an inch, it looked plump and healthy.

In my garden, lilies don't survive being planted in the earth.  They disappear.  They do fine in containers.  I think it's the underground fauna eating them.

Up-Potting Chili Pepper Seedlings. 12 Mar 24.

 I've been up-potting more of the chili pepper seedlings.  Now the Serranos, Cayennes, and Jalafeugos have their own containers.

They will not dry out so fast now.  This leaves the Thai peppers.

Mini Rose (Kordana) Rescue Update. 12 March 2024.

 It's soon for an update, but they are thriving.  I set them outside in sunny / overcast weather for abput half the day now.

I think I wont prune back any more until after the bloom again.  I don't know when that will be.  Maybe June.

This is the Bi-Mart one that I rescued.  Now I can see the new blossom buds are scarlet.  I had a little buyers remorse, seeing the sort of mauve color of mature blossoms.  The red buds are better.  

That one needs a new container and new soil.  I need to free up a container for that.

Here is the dark red one I bought at Safeway.  It's ideal so far.  Also needs larger container and better soil soon.

Complete. Container Planted David Austin Roses. 12 March 2024.

 Here are the container David Austin Roses now.  Yesterday I bought more potting soil so I could pot up Boscobel too.  They are on wheeled dollies so I can move them as needed for shade, light, and turn them around etc.

I also pruned the Vanessa Bell Rose that overwintered, to one foot tall.  I think that will give stronger stems and more compact shape.  I didn't want to prune off stems that were already growing, but I don't think that will really hurt anything.

Current weather is mid-50s F, intermittent showers, rain, sun, cloudy.  I think that's a good start and tender shoots get a chance to acclimate before potential sunburn weather.

Planting Some David Austin Roses in Containers. 10 March 2024.

 The David Austin roses that I ordered in January came today.  They were shipped from Tyler Texas.  I don't know if they were grown there.

They were packaged wet, so I just had them in water while planting.  I pruned long or girdling roots and crossing stems, not much.  There are some pale, one inch long shoots on multiple stems on all of them.  The current chilly, rainy, overcast weather will give them a chance to acclimate.

Silas Marner went into a container that I had placed and prepared during the winter.  For all of the roses, I mixed into the soil about 1/4 cup crushed eggshells, 2 tablespoons crushed chicken bone meal, and about 1/4 cup coffee grounds.

Silas is near Vanessa Bell that I planted about one year ago.

I'm debating removing the sedum and muscari from that container.  I don't think they hurt anything, just messy.

Darcy Bussell and Bring Me Sunshine each went into planters that hold about 2 cubic feet of potting soil.  I drilled a lot of holes in the bottoms, first.

These will be on dollys so they can be moved around easily.

I ran out of potting soil, so Boscobel will wait until tomorrow.  It's in a temporary pot of potting soil for now.

Rose and Blackberry Cuttings Status Report. 10 March 2024.

 These are the rose and blackberry cuttings that I stuck into the ground in December.   Mostly it's been a chilly winter with lots of rain, as usual, some snow, and a few good freezes into the teens.  Other than a leaf mulch, I did not protect them.

Here's how they look now.

Climbing red rose.

Old heirloom  rose, unknown variety.  Fragrant old rose scent, highly double pink flowers, very thorny green stems.

And a thornless blackberry.

I can't promise that all of these will grow, but they usually do.  It's a good sign that the buds are plump and green or greenish-red.  And the stems look good.

I think this method might work especially will in Pacific Northwest mild wet winters.

Long before there was rooting hormone, greenhouse sprinkler misting systems, etc, gardeners propagated lots of plants this way, including roses.  My great aunts, Rose and Alice propagated stem cuttings in southwestern Illinois, with mason jars to keep them from drying out.  They were probably taught by their mother in the early 1900s.

Rudbeckia, Eucalyptus, and Schlumbergera Seedlings. 8 March 2024

 Here are the Rudbeckia seedlings.  I planted these after stratifying in the refrigerator, using the moist paper towel in sandwich bag method, six weeks in fridge.  It was a challenge getting the seeds off the damp paper towel, because they are tiny and they stick, but it was doable. I just patted the seeds onto the already dampened seed starting medium, watered them in, and placed onto a warming mat.  They germinated in a few days.

I can't see wanting more than a half dozen, so they will need thinning.  Maybe a few more.

The Lemon Bush Eucalyptus have weird things on their leaves.  I up-potted them, maybe two weeks ago.  I'll see if they grow out of whatever is happening.

The Silver Dollar Eucalyptus seedling all look good so far.

The Schlumbergeras grow slowly, and with a lot of variation.  I imagine they will need a couple of years before blooming.  It's fun, taking them through blooming stage, pollinating, growing a berry, letting that mature, harvesting the seeds, and now growing plants.  I will continue giving them the best growth conditions I can, and maybe transplant when they are a little bigger to give them more room.

Some More Geranium (Pelargonium) Cuttings. 8 March 2024.

 The parent plant in overwintering in the garage, not quite but almost dormant.  No water, cool, not much light.  There are some sturdy looking stems, and I will wan to cut it back this Spring.  I chose these for cuttings.

Then I selected some from these, and trimmed some more.

Then I stuck them all into some potting soil  in a four inch pot.  That was last week.  Today, no silting and starting to show just a little variegation. This is the variegated, heirloom variety "Mrs Pollack".

This is really pushing it, as to whether these marginal cuttings from a stressed, overwintering, nearly dormant plant will take root and grow.  But geraniums are rugged.  They just might.

Up-potting Pepper Seedlings. 8 March 2024.

 I up-potted the first 6 pack.  Half Anaheims and half Fresnos.

The rest need up - potting too.  They dry out too fast in those tiny six-packs and also become root-bound.

Alstroemeria Seedlings. 8 March 2024.

 In the end, they all sprouted without stratification.  Maybe the seed seller stratified them.  I up-potted them to give some root room.

The First Daffodils. 8 March 2024.

 A few blooming now.  Signs of spring.

Around a Linden tree.  These are Jetfire, descended from bulbs I planted 22 years ago.

A few by a gingko tree.  I don't know the variety.

Bathroom Remodel. 7 March 2024

 Not about gardening, but about the gardener.    With age and medical stuff, it was a worsening challenge soaking in the old bathtub.  It was hard to get into, and out of, and a fall risk.  The bathroom was crowded, dark, difficult to clean, too many corners to bump into.  The counter was too low.

I wanted a bathtub with a door, on a platform so the user would already be in a sitting position when getting out. A window, for full spectrum daylight.  Wall color that wouldn't make it dingy and eye strain, like the old beige was.  A better height, more functional sink.  Better and brighter light flooring.  A bidet toilet.  

It didn't have to be "update" per se, but it kind of works out that way.  The old bathroom was 50 years old, dark, not so safe or easy to use or clean.

Here's the result.

This is a world better.  I still have to touch up the painting.  I'm not good at edges.  It needs towel racks, and better grab bars.  Those suction cup type really don't work that well.  I want to add a nice medicine cabinet over the toilet.  The tub is not as easy to get out of as I could wish for - a wider door would help more.  But it is still a big improvement, and I think instantly makes life a bit more pleasant.  I like this new bathroom, a lot.

Most things are white, for a brighter room.   The flooring is non-slip, waterproof vinyl plank.  The vanity has storage space for towels, underneath, and foot room at the bottom.  It's similar to a buffet.  The counter is white for brightness.  

For  contrast, here's the 50 year old bathroom.

I had a contractor do most of it.  I bought the vanity and toilet at Lowes.  The bathtub was a special order, shipped across the country.  Most of the rest was via Amazon, returned items to reduce the cost.

Taking out that wall really opened up the space, got rid of corners to bump into, made cleaning easier, and brightened up the entire room.  The old vanity might have been for kids - way too low for adults.    Also, now the door opens completely, so no bumping into that.

Mini Rose Update. 7 March 2024

 Here an update on the mini rose plant (Kordana roses) that I repotted and separated last month.  On nice days, I move these outside, otherwise they are in sunroom under LEDs.  I've pruned most of the tops back a little more, once I saw them growing with some vigor.  That's to give lower branching and more bushiness.  I water with a Schultz liquid houseplant food designed to give a tiny amount of plant food with each watering.

Individual plants.  Almost all of the leaves on this one are new.

And another, more of a mix between old and new.  It got a little pruning of the top before this photo, so lost a little new growth.

They are thriving.  All of the red-ish tinge and dark green growth is new.  Most of the original leaves died off and I removed most of them.  These plants are sold to be a decoration for a while, or a gift, not for the home plant person or gardener to grow.  Their growth conditions are very different from the home.  They are grown in vast greenhouses, under LED lights at special wavelengths, in soil and fertilizer designed for their irrigation systems and shipping.  They are meant to be enjoyed for a bit, then discarded.   I'm sure they are even bred to excel and thrive in those special conditions, not the home or garden.  Still, sometimes we can adapt plants to our conditions and sometimes they do very will, so why not play?

One thing I think is absolutely key, is to get them out of their original growth medium quickly.  That's designed for greenhouse irrigations conditions, misting, travel.  Not for a home set-up.  It dries out very quickly, so the line between damp and desert - dry is very narrow.  Removing the old medium and planting them into a good quality potting soil helps even out the moisture holding capacity and better buffered against extremes.

While I was at Bi-Mart, I saw a rack of micro roses outside, full sun, marked down for sale or to be disposed of.  Most were at a crispy stage.  I found this one, wilted but not crispy.  It wasn't too bad, and had some buds.   I cut off dead flowers, soaked it, removed dead leaves.  In a week, the remaining buds began to open.

These are sold without names, so that's a wild guess.  Comparing with others on line, I think this one might be Daniela but I really don't know.  It was just a couple of dollars, something to experiment with.

Then I saw this one at Safeway.  Much richer red and more classic flower shape.  I bought it too.

I'm actually downsizing my garden. Not planning to start a new collection.  Still, it's fun to play a little and see what happens.  They may go into a patio pot, a larger container, or the garden.  Or all of the above.