My greenhouse assortment of rare and interesting potted plants now includes several more beautiful Begonias, Anthuriums, Staghorn Ferns and other specimens from the Amazon Horticulture Plant Collection.
The 25 plants arrived earlier this week - all meticulously wrapped in paper and packed in several large boxes. I opened each plant very carefully and they were all in excellent condition, but it was important to get them potted up as soon as possible. My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, selected the appropriate containers and got to work.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Once all the plants are unpacked, they are laid out onto the large table in my greenhouse head house, so they can be repotted, fed, and watered. Ryan starts by looking for the appropriate sized pots.
I am fortunate to have such a large assortment of pots. These were left over from a recent shoot and will come in very handy. I like to use clay pots because they allow proper aeration and moisture to penetrate through the sides and to the plant.
At the bottom of each container is a drainage hole. A clay shard is placed on top of the hole to help with drainage and to prevent soil from blocking the hole or from falling out.
I also save any clay pot shards – it’s a great way to repurpose those broken pieces.
Ryan is using Miracle-Gro Tropical Potting Mix. This formula is fast-draining and includes sand and perlite to help create an optimal growing environment. The mix is also fortified with iron and plant food.
Ryan uses a knife to scarify the roots of this deer fern, Blechnum. He slices through the roots in several areas to encourage root growth. It may seem harsh, but the plant will send out new feeder roots and will soon recover.
Also called a hard fern, Blechnum is an upright evergreen fern that displays finely textured, arching fronds. New growth emerges reddish-bronze and then turns green. After Ryan pots up the plant, he adds more potting mix and pats it down, so there is good contact between the plant and the soil.
Ryan sprinkles fertilizer over the soil after planting each one. We use the all-purpose fertilizer Shake ‘N Feed from Miracle-Gro.
Next, Ryan tends to this Begonia subacida and trims any broken leaves. He saves all the trimmed stem cuttings, so he can propagate them later.
Then Ryan places the Begonia in the center of the pot and backfills to just under the rim.
Though different types of plants have varying preferences in terms of pot size and needed root space, most grow well when pots are at least two-inches larger in diameter than the plant’s original pot.
This Begonia subacida has kidney-shaped, fluffy hairy leaves with a striking, bluish green color and light, yellow-green leaf veins. The leaves are also slightly thickened and velvety to the touch.
For this Begonia, Ryan scarifies the root ball with his hands, teasing the roots at the bottom to stimulate fresh growth.
And then he gently places it into the new pot – planting it slightly deeper than it was before. If needed, a little more potting mix is added around the plant and patted down.
Begonia phuthoensis is a rhizomatous species from Vietnam with unique round leaves in light green.
Among the other plants just potted up – Geogenanthus poeppigii, a rare plant from South America. The glossy leaves are ribbed and show a pattern of dark and lighter colored stripes. This plant prefers low light conditions, high humidity, and frequent watering.
Monstera Burle Marx Flame is a very rare and uncommon species that produces extremely unique foliage that resembles the flame of a torch. Look closely at the leaves – they have narrow evenly spaced fenestrations, or leaf openings.
Anguloa clowesii is a large terrestrial sometimes epiphytic plant with large, waxy, highly fragrant chocolate, mint, coconut and citrus scented, solitary flowers.
Here is a newly potted Begonia pustulata – a rhizomatous species from Mexico with a distinctively textured leaf and silver markings.
Now these plants are ready to go out into the greenhouse, where the temperature and humidity levels can be properly controlled and these gorgeous specimens can thrive.
If you're as passionate a gardener as I am, you'll love the gorgeous specimens I received from The Spheres Horticulture Plant Collection.
Not long ago, during a trip to the Pacific Northwest, I visited The Spheres in Seattle where Amazon holds thousands of amazing cloud forest plants from around the world. This week, I received a gift of more than two dozen different plants from the collection - from tiny Staghorn ferns to giant leaf Anthuriums and striking begonias. For me, it was like Christmas in October.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I was so happy to see all these plants looking so beautiful and healthy after traveling all the way from The Spheres. All these specimens are from their Horticulture Plant Collection.
There were plants of all sizes, and every single one so interesting and pretty.
Everything was packed perfectly in paper and tape – most of them in this huge box.
Here is the leaf of a large Anthurium. Anthurium is a genus of about 1,000 species of flowering plants, the largest genus of the arum family, Araceae. General common names include anthurium, tailflower, flamingo flower, pigtail plant, and laceleaf. The leaves look similar to a knight’s shield, and hang down on the end of long stems.
Rare anthuriums are grown for their foliage. The leaves are oval-heart shaped and vary in size and shape.
Hatiora salicornioides, the bottle cactus, dancing-bones, drunkard’s-dream, or spice cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family. It often grows as an epiphyte, natively in eastern Brazil and ornamentally elsewhere. The name Dancing Bones comes from its slender stems’ distinctive, skeleton-like structure. Dancing Bones Cactus grows rather slowly, with the stems reaching about six to 12 inches.
This is Platycerium ridleyi or Ridley’s Staghorn Fern. I love Staghorn ferns and have several giant ones in my collection. This one is still small, but will be mounted on a block as it develops.
Pyrrosia longifolia is a species of fern growing in Southeast Asia, the Pacific region, and Australia. It has stiff strap-shaped fronds, and rigid rhizomes. It is a slow grower and prefers semi-shade and moist, humid conditions.
I am also very fond of begonias. Begonia is a genus in the family Begoniaceae. It contains at least 1500 different plant species and numerous hybrids. They are native to Mexico, Central and South America, Asia and South Africa – regions with tropical and subtropical climates.
Rhizomatous begonias are grown for their interesting and spectacular leaves. They come in an array of sizes, colors and textures, and can be small or large, smooth or veiny, decorated in bold accents of red, copper and silver or subtle shades of green.
And here is the back of the same leaf with beautifully pronounced red veining.
Begonia pustulata is a rhizomatous species from Mexico with a distinctively textured leaf. The silvery variegation is thought to prevent insects from laying their eggs on the foliage, therefore preventing the leaves from getting eaten.
Begonia phuthoensis is a rhizomatous species from Vietnam with unique round leaves in light green.
Philodendron melanochrysum is a spectacular vining philodendron that when mature produces two-foot long leaves of iridescent black-green with pale green veins.
These are the leaves of Vriesea gigantea. The Vriesea gigantea is also known as the giant Vriesea and is a stunning bromeliad species prized for its impressive size and vibrant spineless foliage when mature.
Lepismium houlletianum, also known as Houllet’s Lepismium, is a cactus native to the tropical rainforests of Brazil. It has long, slender notched green stems that can grow up to six feet in length.
I am so excited to have all these plants in my greenhouse. Thanks Amazon! I’ll share how I select the proper pots for these specimens and how to plant them in an upcoming blog!
Creating a perennial garden takes time, patience, and thoughtful planning.
The perennial hydrangea border across from my chicken coops has long been home to a selection of colorful hydrangeas. In more recent years, I expanded it and added other plantings, such as irises, ligularia, phlox, Aruncus, Euonymus, and catnip. Yesterday, my gardeners planted more hydrangeas to fill in bare spots, including Berry White, Strawberry Sundae, and Vanilla Strawberry. They also added a few more varieties of phlox, including Bubblegum Pink, and Coral Crème Drop. The plants are part of our recent delivery from First Editions Shrubs and Trees.
Enjoy these photos.
I’m always expanding and improving my gardens. Most of the time when plants arrive, I already have in mind where they will go. Many of these hydrangeas will fill in my perennial border across from my chicken coops.
I also plan to add some phlox to the same garden – both plants in shades of pink.
I began expanding this bed In 2020. I planted more hydrangeas and perennials I knew would do well in this location with sunny mornings and shady afternoons.
It’s developed nicely over the years, but my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, and I keep an eye on it and supplement it with other plantings to fill in any voids.
This year we’re adding some of the First Editions hydrangeas. Now that it is fall, these hydrangeas are beginning to fade, but they’re all in excellent condition and ready to be planted.
This is a Berry White Panicle Hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Renba.’ It has strong, upright stems and large cone-shaped flower panicles. The flower color starts white in July then progresses to dark pink, beginning at the bottom and developing up to the top of the panicle.
Strawberry Sundae is also a panicle hydrangea. This one is perfect in small hedges or as part of mass plantings. The flowers emerge creamy white in midsummer and change to pink as night temperatures cool down.
The Vanilla Strawberry™ Panicle Hydrangea features enormous flower heads that are held upright – first white, then pink, then red in later fall.
Ryan also places some of the new phlox in the garden. It’s always a good idea to position the potted plants first before planting in order to visualize best locations and experiment with design layouts.
Phlox is a hardy, long-lived perennial that blooms from mid-summer to early fall. I grow a lot of phlox in my flower garden. This Bubblegum Pink Phlox is fragrant with bright blossoms accentuated with dark pink eyes.
Josh digs all the holes before planting, which is faster and more efficient when planting in numbers.
As always, holes should be at least twice the size of the plant’s root ball.
Once dug, Josh sprinkles fertilizer in the hole and in the surrounding soil. For these, we use an all-purpose formula with a good balance of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium from Miracle-Gro.
The plant should sit at the same depth it was in the pot. Josh backfills, tamping the soil lightly at the end to ensure good contact.
In gardening, the “rule of odds” dictates it’s best to plant in odd numbers such as three or five because it creates a more natural and visually appealing look compared to even numbered groupings.
Josh scarifies the next plant. I have the crew scarify all root balls, meaning make beneficial cuts, before planting to encourage new growth and make the plant more stable.
This hydrangea will fill in this void nicely. Remember, perennials grow slowly the first year, faster the second year, and then usually reach full size in the third year.
Josh digs a hole for this Endless Summer Collection hydrangea.
Depending on the variety, some hydrangeas can bloom all the way through fall.
These are macrophylla hydrangeas, commonly called big leaf hydrangeas – deciduous shrubs with a more rounded habit.
All these hydrangeas and phlox will flourish in this garden and make nice additions to the already established plants. Develop gardens thoughtfully and they will provide many years of enjoyment.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
