grow, marvel, eat, laugh, persevere

Saturday, March 22, 2008

New Plants: Trees and Succulents

I've seen varying reviews of buying plants on Ebay but as of today I'd like to say I'm all for it. I've ordered other stuff from E and all of my buying experiences have been positive but I've only browsed plants for auction, never having the nerve to actually buy one. These 2 pictured below were bought way back in December of 2007. What I loved was the fact that these 2 sellers offered to hold the plants until whatever date that I wanted them shipped. I picked March 15th. In hindsight, I should have waited longer. So, ever since December, I've been sitting around wondering if I just gave away money. I mean of course they wanted their money right away. But just as they promised, these 2 sellers shipped right on time and the plants arrived looking pretty healthy. The one on the left is Purple Smoke Tree and the one on the right is Tamarisk. I fell in love with both these last summer on the garden walk. I ordered one each for GB and myself. I know they are tiny and lord knows how long it will take for them to grow to anything that looks like an actual tree, but they were very affordable and I'm hoping to be able to show them off one day bragging that "these were only a few inches when I planted them."

You may remember me saying I don't like succulents. Well, I changed my mind. These little darlings came from the Chicagoland Flower and Garden show and I think they are just adorable. The one above is Echeveria peocockii. I have no idea what to do with these things so for now they are just hanging out in the kitchen window trying not to die.

Is this the cutest thing you've ever seen? It's called Haworthia reinwartii and I love it.

Echeveria gibbiflora is not happy at my house. I loved the way it looked at the show but it seems to be deteriorating pretty quickly. See how the leaf on the right is sorta shriveling up? I don't know what I did to it but now I'm scared to go near these things. Maybe I'm watering them too much? Maybe I'm not watering them enough?

This is a Jade Tree and I admit I only got one because GB did and I'm a copycat. (good grief my kitchen window is disgusting)

10 comments:

  1. Hi. Your new succulents are very nice. Just wanted to say they like full sun, air movement, soil that drains very well, and water only about once a month. Good luck with them. They cannot take water staying around their roots of bottom of the plant...they will rot. You might try moving the one that is not doing well, into full sun and don't water at all for a month at least. I have to experiment with mine...hopefully you will find the right conditions.

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  2. Ditto what Julie posted. Most indoor plants seem to die from overwatering, not underwatering. Be a bit stingy with the water for those succulents.

    I hear it snowed in Chicago today. My Pacers had to go up there in all that snow to play your Bulls tonight. No trash talk from me, however, since we aren't so good right now.

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  3. oh my goodness, julie...i've watered these a couple of times already this week. Thanks for the information - i'll cut back and see how it goes.

    carol - thanks for the info. it snowed alllllll day yesterday and all night last night but it was very sunny today and some of that snowed melted - thank goodness. we are headed to the bulls game in a few minutes and im so disgusted with them lately that I've taken to bringing books to the game. and do you know they had the nerve to send us a bill for the playoffs last week?

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  4. I also have some of those succulents .. my trick was to pot them in porus clay pots , so if I get heavy handed with the water .. it wicks away faster.
    I have Royal Purple Smoke .. and "Golden Spirit" .. close together so they can be foils to each other ..
    I'm sure you will love it ! .. maybe look for Golden Spirit too ?
    Joy

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  5. Ah, like orchids, Gina, a love for succulents starts with one...or two...you've been given excellent advice here, though, so I'll just say have fun and prepare to get many more little pots...

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  6. Hi, Gina. Sorry about your Bulls. How was that book?

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  7. I hope the tamarisk you bought isn't the invasive plant that has taken over the Western US. Some states still sell it legally. If it is, I hope it doesn't spread through the Midwest.

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  8. joy - that's a great idea bout the clay pots - thanks.

    jodi - i think you are probably right as I've noticed myself sneaking around the blogs that focus on succulents now. just what i nee, another obsession...

    carol - the book im currently reading is called "the memory keepers daughter" - it's really good. It was far more entertaining that the bulls and much cheaper. congrats on that pacer victory.

    IHF - i hope so,too! how can I tell?

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  9. Gina - If the tag calls it 'salt cedar' or 'Tamarix', that would be it. Ten to Twenty foot high shrub with narrow deciduous leaves with airy pink flowers? Here is a recent story on it: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/mar/23/beetle-can-save-our-water/#/Tamarisk_takes_over/ .
    Here is another on the general problem: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2007-06-02-invasiveplants_N.htm. If you want to be sure about your local situation, a quick call to your local farm extension agency may be in order.

    I have a bunch of the succulents you show, and reay like them too. Good luck.

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  10. Eh, it's a city window with city grime... nothing you can do until the weather outside warms up enough to wash it! (At least, that's my excuse! lol.)

    I love those succulents... and I hope that the pretty echeveria rebounds for you.

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