Air Plants and Mini Orchids

I might admit that I have become a little cocky when it comes to my Orchid. It's been alive and thriving for nearly two months and I am ready to step up my game in the indoor house plants arena, it's really making me look forward to spring!

So today I've done a little research and here's what I'm lovin'...

Air Plants

Air plants are described as "An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant (such as a tree) non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object deriving its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it.

Caring for them seems fairly easy: They grow differently than most other house plants, and it may be confusing to the beginner. They are really very hardy, and require much less attention than other house plants.

Protect them from frosts.
Most prefer cool night temperatures - below 60 degrees if it can be provided.
Give them bright, filtered light.
Provided the atmosphere is not too dry (as in an air-conditioned home) they require relatively little watering.
If you are growing them indoors and the air is dry, you will need to submerge the plant in water for 2-3 hours about every two weeks. Otherwise, in a shade-house or unheated home, you can use a soaking mist once or twice a week in summer, once a month in cooler weather.

Not too bad, and they are super neat little plants.

Obviously, I love orchids too. They are so beautiful and dainty, just begging for extra special care; and mini orchids have caught my eye!

Orchids

(You can watch the video of how this wall hanging was made here.)

I really want to try and make an orchid wall hanging...gonna follow through with some research and pricing first! It may be a pretty intense undertaking.

Succulents

Succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems and also in roots.

So...I have some plants picked out and some ideas on where to put them...I'll update you more soon on the outcome. I just hit "order" on some cork bark and the necessary tools needed for the Orchid wall hanging!

What's making you look forward to spring?!

Window Greenhouse

So you see the little beauty below...? Husby is on his way to pick up about 25+ of them for FREE! Thank you Craigslist!

 

I have been wanting some old windows for a while now...for some crafty ideas, for some decor ideas and most of all...to build a window pane greenhouse!

Oh yeah...seriously! I am stoked. So pumped. Ecstatic! You gettin' my drift?

Here are just some of the best ideas I have found for designs so far, even though I pretty much have mine all planned out already...this one is probably the closest to my design as I could find online...

Here are some more...these have a little more design to them, but I still love them!!!

 

 

So there ya have it! How amazing are these? I am hoping that they will really boost my green-thumb this year...seeing as how last year I got one green pepper to grow. Out of 5 vegetable plants. Grrrr.

So watch the blog, because I will share my personal tutorial on how mine was made!!

the wonderous Pergola...

This...is a must-have!

I totally want a Pergola in my yard; I know exactly where too...!

I know I won't get it for a while...but what a GREAT idea!!

She took a regular ol' Pergola...

*cute pup!!

Added a little drop cloth...

Did a little swoopy over-under action...

Threw in some lights for good measure...and WAAHHH LAAA!!!

See the beauty at night?!
Gorg!!!

Me = jealous.

Garden goodies...

Just wanted to share some of my goodies, growing so big and beautiful!

(this post is heavy on the pictures...you'll either love it or hate it...)

Here are my green bell peppers...with a sweet little flower on it!

Here is one of my free Arbor Day Foundation trees...I have no clue which one it is yet!! ha!

Some of my Hen'sNChicks. Love these!

My Marigolds...which are currently looking a little dry...I should water them! :P

These are some fun little leftovers from my Clematis!

My pretty orangey-yellow Stella De'Oryo's! (sp?)

My Raspeberry Parfait Hydrangea...I may be getting some blooms this year! Fingers crossed!

Some of my planter perennials...they remind me of Pansy's.

A close up view of one of my Verbasum mix flowers. Cory thinks they look like weeds, well the bottom half at least...

Sweet Columbine flowers...this one is almost done blooming.

These Lillie's are about to POP!!!

A view of the front of the house...All my pretty plants in bloom. It makes all the hard work from last year totally WORTH it!

You see my sweet Hollyhocks there on the left...

How about a close up? I am just so proud to have grown these beauties from seeds. They are so pretty!! Although QUITE tall! :P They will be finding a new home after blooming season.

How's your garden looking? Excited about any new plants??

Our Poisonous Garden?

My friend TT, got me a beautiful Foxglove plant for me, for my birthday. I love foxgloves, but had never purchased one for myself.

These are the above mentioned Foxgloves... :)

I had always heard that they were poisonous to animals, i.e. Cats, Dogs, Rabbits, etc. I can't say I am not too worried about cats, as they don't usually enter my backyard (we have a 6 foot tall privacy fence and two cat-hating dogs, so they don't take their chances.) The neighborhood cats DO like to poop randomly in our front gardens, ick...but they haven't been as bad this year. As far as rabbits are concerned, they are everywhere around our neighborhood, but like the cats, they don't cross into dog territory.

However...I worry about the DOG factor. I have two dogs...that love, LOVE, LOVE their backyard. They love to munch on the grass, but I have never seen them show any attention to any of the other plants in the backyard.

So I didn't think I wanted to take my chances with the planting the Foxgloves in the backyard. So I decided to do a little research today. I was surprised to find that 7 of the 13 plants we currently have growing in our backyard are considered poisonous to dogs:

Morning Glory - Clinical Signs: Gastrointestinal upset, agitation, tremors, disorientation, ataxia, anorexia. Seeds may cause hallucination, may cause diarrhea.

Peony - Clinical Signs: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression

Wisteria - Clinical Signs: Vomiting (sometimes with blood), diarrhea, depression

English Ivy - Clinical Signs: Vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, diarrhea. Foliage is more toxic than berries

Hydrangea - Clinical Signs: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea. Cyanide intoxication is rare – usually produces more of a gastrointestinal disturbance.

Hosta - Clinical Signs: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression.

Foxglove - Clinical Signs: Cardiac arrhythmias, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, cardiac failure, death.

So my thoughts? It's really on the Foxgloves that scare me a little...seeing as how they are the only ones mentioned to possibly lead to DEATH; also seeing as how the other 6 plants have been in the backyard now for 1+ years with no issue...I think I am safe with just planting the Foxgloves out front and proceeding with new backyard plants with caution.

Who knew a pretty garden could impact my furry little friends so much.

I feel pretty...

My pretty rose bush is doing so well this year...I have been able to get so many blooms to share indoors too!!

Here are some sweet blooms in the bathroom. I think it looks so pretty!! :) Here are more blooms...

Got blooms?

In a designing mood...

What?! I haven't been here since Saturday?? (even more technically specific...since FRIDAY...after all if you notice the time stamp on the Saturday posts it is before my weekend wake-up call...those puppies are scheduled in advance!)

Well...
*looking down, hands in my pocket...shuffling my right foot out to the front from side to side tracing a line on the ground...*

My bad.

I'm here now...and with some GOODIES to boot! So most of the bigger basement projects are on hold for the Spring and Summer months because we are headed outside!! The weather is nice, so I will have lots of Husby-help to get some much needed work done to our backyard!! Remember last Spring/Summer we spent most of our time creating our front planters!! Well it's time to head behind the gates this year...

So when you head into the backyard and past the house (on your right) you will see the right side of our yard...here:

Totally boring I know...but here are some initial ideas....

We will make a planter about 2 1/2 feet deep and take it all the way along the fence and around the big tree to the right. We will fill with colorful plants and hostas...there it will connect with the next space of the yard.

The shaded corner...the perfect spot for a nice relaxing retreat area (on a budget of course...can't go as grand as I would like to with this one!)

Again...pretty boring. And the white fence is there to keep Pickle from jumping over and annoying or having an untimely meeting with the neighbors dog; as well we will be putting our rain barrel back there...out of site; but here are our ideas...

We found this super cool swing at Lowe's last night...that is a seat AND can fold down to be a bed/hammock swing! LOVE IT! Here I will also put my ladder/trellis idea!

Now here, if you keep going around to the right you will be facing our house...and there is the gate you just walked through...

More snores...I heard them...don't worry, I am so not offended! So our ideas...

We are thinking maybe a DIY fountain here? Or something else? Who knows...we have space to fill in with plants as needed. We are thinking relatively low maintenance plants and just color!!

This is the whole Right side...

(click for larger image)

I am also really wanting to add a living wall (or two) around the yard!

So what do you think so far?? Ideas? Suggestions? Offering help?? heehee :P