now winter relief

In a message dated 1/11/03 12:04:45 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
mygarden@easystreet.com writes:


>     I don't know if Begonia sutherlandii would be good for your indoor 
> garden
> or not.  I have always grown mine outside and it does go dormant there.  It
> is a pretty little thing tho and would be worth the try.  I grow lots of
> Begonias & Gesneriads in my house in a small light garden.  It is 3 shelves
> that hold 6 trays of small plants.  There are many mini species & cultivars
> of both genera.  If they get too big, they must go out to the GH.>>>>>>>


Marilyn, you have covered all bases.  Plants everywhere.  I have been 
fascinated by Gesneriads for years keeping only a Streptocarpella which 
blooms all year though having found it to be shrub ( a surprise), it must be 
cut back hard once in a while.  It will take a cold plant room.  I think that 
if I would install some stacked light shelves, that would also grow into a 
full wall with little effort though it must be the best way to grow them as 
the growers all use lights.  There is a Society Show here now in the fall 
with all the New England plant societies participating and selling.  The 
Gesneriads shown were a whole world of little (and some not so little) plants 
that bloom most of the time.  You could easily love them all.

> 
> <<<<> Since am not heating my GH this winter, the large Begonias and hanging 
> type
> Gesneriads out there are looking pretty sad.  They would much rather be at
> 50 F minimum instead of the 30s and 40s (at night) they are getting.  But
> the rooted perennials cuttings and seedlings (once they appear) like it 
> just
> fine.  I keep Bougainvilla, Epi-cactus and tender Agave out there also.  If
> we get a very cold spell, I will plug in the electric heaters.>>>>


We are growing indoors or what is almost indoors at around 50 degrees though 
it get colder in there at times.  I have found that there are three 
temperatures.  One at or on the floor is storage of nearly dormant plants, 
hung in the all white light reflecting eaves on poles stretched across the 
slanted shed type roof are plants needing more warmth.  Just this distance 
will bloom some orchids, abutilon, fuchsias, oxalis, other bulbs in hangers, 
rosemary.  The abutilons are lateral growing plants or made that way by using 
weights on the branches to incline them in that direction.  Around the rest 
of this conservatory space are other bulbs, jasmines and dwarf and species 
pelargoniums.  The little geraniums bloom all year around and do best in a 
cold space.  One has been blooming indoors and out for more than two years 
now, non-stop.  It came from a friend who picked it from a discard pile at a 
nursery in late fall.  We also have Bougainvillea that I am trying to 
convince to be a standard.  The Bougainvillea under glass is a vigorous 
grower even at 45 - 50 degrees.  I have not added the large flowered cactuses 
for lack of space.  They are spectacular in bloom. There are ivies planted 
five kinds to one pot and other things.  There were chairs in there once and 
now there are only plants and a path.

<<<<<> I also have a skylight and a  "garden window" in my kitchen that is 
> stuffed
> full of Christmas Cacti, and a few other assorted house plants.  Really
> large plants are on top of the refrigerator under the skylight.  Let's just
> say, there are way too many plants in here......but that doesn't even count
> the grow light set up in basement where I start seeds and all the dormant
> potted (summer) bulbs that are spending the winter down there.>>>>>>

I am much impressed with all the life in your house.  I am printing out this 
message for the benefit of my next plantspace brainstorm.  It will be good 
support.  I, too, have cuttings, seeds and experiments all over.  Ed built 
one then several more Wardian cases.  He used plexi-glass and painted them 
grey-green so they look good anywhere.  It is amazing what this environment 
will do for cuttings and picky seeds.  They are over heat pipes and affixed 
to windows in the winter.  

Do you remember to water or care for all the plants as the winter goes by?  I 
never lose any of them though I see one wilted and sad once in a while and 
have to run for some water.  They take different fertilization schedules also 
but I seem to remember who gets what indoors while I sometimes forget in the 
garden outdoors.

> <<<<<We don't have the cold here, but we certainly have a lack of light from
> November - March.  When it is sunny in winter (very good), it is windy (not
> good).  But unless it is raining hard, I can usually get at least an hour 
> or
> two of exercise out in the garden.  I am still deadheading and
> pruning....preparing for the 7 yards of mushroom compost that will be 
> spread
> next month.>>>>


On another list, a man north of Phoenix sent me pictures of his indoor 
arrangement.  The difference in clear skies and light allows many more plants 
to do really well under glass.  The lights here make one side of the house 
glow in the snow on grey days but is very effective for the plants.  

> <<<<When visiting Saskatoon Saskatchewan a few years ago, I was very 
> impressed
> with the glassed south facing rooms on the homes of every garden we 
> visited.
> Prized plants that we take for granted here in zone 8 are dug, potted and
> brought inside to winter in these rooms.  Such beautiful gardens and glass
> rooms in a very cold climate.  I don't know the zone, but it is a few
> hundred miles north of Montana/North Dakota/Minn.  I remember they said it
> is often -40F in winter.  Some of our Canadian writers could tell us the
> zone.>>>>>>


South, east and southeast are the best if you can manage it.  Occasionally a 
plant becomes so large, it has to move on.  Some won't respond at all but 
there is so much to choose from new plants are tried each year.  I don't dig 
and store anymore.  Those intended to return indoors stay in pots 
permanently.  I like clay pots but am changing the ones where the pots are 
out front to plastic that looks like clay because the weight difference is 
very considerable.  Cold space and plastic pots need more monitoring.  If you 
have a watering relative when you leave for a week, you have dead plants on 
return.  The clay pots are safer.  Once, Ed's brother, willing and helpful 
watered nearly all of them to death.  The worse they looked, the more water 
he added.  He was truly morose when I came home and saw the results of his 
care.

> 
> <<<<There is nothing that cheers the heart more than the sight of a favored
> plant in bloom during winter.>>>>>

True, true, true.  Maybe I will work on some lights and shelving.  Henry 
Mitchell is quoted as saying that in order to get from winter to summer, you 
have to pass through March.  That justified keeping a water-lily in the 
bathtub.

Claire Peplowski
NYS z4

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index