Any houseplant enthusiasts?

[Alaska]

I used to have an indeterminate cherry tomato that bore year round. It lived 5 years. Really good tomatoes. It grew up to my ceiling. I used paintbrush taped to dowel to pollenate her.

 

[Gracey]

I used to have an indeterminate cherry tomato that bore year round. It lived 5 years. Really good tomatoes. It grew up to my ceiling. I used paintbrush taped to dowel to pollenate her.

I'm enjoying the first of this years tomatoes at the moment. I left them outside to do their thing (south facing garden) The packet of seeds stated this type were self supporting, I thought great, no canes and staking...I've used lots of canes and jute twine so far, they're monster plants !
The fresh produce is great on a B.L.T first thing in the morning. Well worth the work involved

 

[Alaska]

I'm enjoying the first of this years tomatoes at the moment. I left them outside to do their thing (south facing garden) The packet of seeds stated this type were self supporting, I thought great, no canes and staking...I've used lots of canes and jute twine so far, they're monster plants !
The fresh produce is great on a B.L.T first thing in the morning. Well worth the work involved

I attached wire plant support cages together to get support for mine at the height needed. It is easier than having to keep adding more canes etc. It is much easier when you need to move the pot without breaking off lots of branches.

 

[Katleya]

I had an African violet for almost 2 years that did really well, but I'm afraid it's dead now because I kept it at work and suspect no one took care of it when I got ill. I'm pretty upset when I think about it, this was the first plant that survived my lack of a green thumb, and also it had been a present.

Now I only grow grass for my cat. That's it. And I'm not even good at that. Don't even get me started on the brief and sad life of the orchid my boyfriend gifted me.

Regarding cat invasion, I found that mine hated any pot that had aluminum foil on it (he hates the noise as much as I do), and another thing that kept him away from the plants was putting a few drops of orange essential oil on the side of the pot: he hates the smell of citrus fruit and stays away. Might be just him, but maybe those of you who are cat and plant lovers can give it a try.

 

[Mia]

he hates the smell of citrus fruit and stays away. Might be just him, but maybe those of you who are cat and plant lovers can give it a try.

All I have to do is cut or peel an orange and my cats run out of the room. Similar to when I cut a piece of aluminum foil or paper, the sound seems to make them uncomfortable. I've placed orange peel in areas of my garden, to prevent the cats from digging there.

 

[Katleya]

All I have to do is cut or peel an orange and my cats run out of the room. Similar to when I cut a piece of aluminum foil or paper, the sound seems to make them uncomfortable. I've placed orange peel in areas of my garden, to prevent the cats from digging there.

And the beauty of it is that it's not toxic to them or the plants. Hadn't thought of the peels.
I hate the sound of foil being cut, about as much as my cat hates it. He'll run away, I'll cover my ears and run away.

 

[SusanLR]

Safe, organic orange cleaners and citrus spray are a great way to keep things clean and keep the insects and little critters away without harming anything.
Vinegar mixed with a little dish detergent is also good for cleaning and safe and easy,cheap to make yourself. It really cleans glass and any place soap, hard water build up or mold could be a problem. Like showers and bathrooms.

 

[Starfire]

Here are a few of mine, these are my bonsais. I'm a very keen gardener too. This photo was taken last year I've modified the bench since then so I'll try to upload a picture later on.

Great thread by the way, I love seeing everyone's photos, thanks.

 

[Starfire]

These photos were taken today and as you can see they look much happier since the addition of the shade screen. To be fair the first picture was taken last autum so they were beginning to go dormant and there's been another seasons growth since then.

 

[Kyn]

Here's some of my plant babies!

 

[Starfire]

This is the latest member of my collection. I bought her from a bonsai nursery yesterday. She's a dwarf rhododendron and is budding up nicely.

 

[Gracey]

Camphor Oil is supposed to irritate the mucus lining of a cats nose. I should imagine eucalyptus would work in the same way?
Tall lavender species, the more pungent the better. Curry plant too? (Cat deterrents)
(I know this is a houseplant thread)

 

[Gracey]

Here are a few of mine, these are my bonsais. I'm a very keen gardener too. This photo was taken last year I've modified the bench since then so I'll try to upload a picture later on.

Great thread by the way, I love seeing everyone's photos, thanks.View attachment 37112

Is that a Forrest Flame in Bonsai form? In your photos? Sorry, unsure of the Latin off the top of my head.

 

[Starfire]

@Gracey Well spotted, it is indeed a Pieris Forrest Flame! The above picture is when I first got it and potted it up. I don't count it as a bonsai though. I rescued it from a wooden planter that had completely rotted through. The owner wanted to bin it so I took it, trimmed the roots a little and potted it in the biggest bonsai pot I had. I've been feeding it and looking after it for around 6 months to a year and it seems quite happy. It's too big to bonsai now and I don't think it would survive a hard prune, so I leave it be. Also I don't think it would make a good bonsai because of the branch structure and how it would respond to pruning or wiring, so I'll leave it as a shrub. I can't abide seeing healthy plants thrown out so I always take them. Even if I'm not keen on the species I would always nurse it to good health then give it away, but never just kill them or throw them in the bin. I often find rescue plants are like rescue animals, they pay you back in much more than just what you put into them, if that makes sense?

 

[Annieoh]

What kind of plants do you have? Got some pictures to show off your plants? What type of plants are you hoping to have in future? Anything unusual, like a bonsai or orchid? Do you have a really interesting or unusual indoor plant specimen? Plants are awesome! This is a thread for anyone who loves indoor plants to share ideas, solutions, show off their plants or collections.

I collect succulents.

 

[Annabel Lee]

I think I am up to about 40 houseplants. Succulents, cacti, philodendrons, pothos, a few mystery plants, rubber plant. Some are repetitive that I grew from cuttings. I just put a piece of my mom's begonia in a vase hoping for roots. My two varieties of peace lilies are blooming. This isn't a hobby I'm good at, I kill one or two a year. I have even killed jade plants and they come with a label that says easy to grow.

I love succulents! The philodendrons and rubber plants are incredibly good at filtering toxins in a house, but I can't get the philodendron because they can be poisonous to housecats and the rubber plant grows too big for my tiny living place.

 

[Mia]

I love plants, they are my quiet friends, (my only friends)

Not your only friends. ಠ_ಠ

 

[Bolletje]

Wanted to revive this topic to say that because of this topic, my plant collecting habit has fully taken off once more. I've gotten plant cuttings from quite a few friends, bought some new succulents at a local plant fair and started showing my old plants some love.
I am afraid to say I may have developed a serious addiction to succulents. I've actually made a wishlist of succulents I want to have in the future, and I am planning to buy a lithops seed mix and a succulent seed mix to grow in my windowsill greenhouse next spring. And even better, I got my boyfriend to agree to me slowly turning the living room into a jungle
So thanks, you guys, for reviving my old hobby!

 

[Warmheart]

Woohoo! That is great, Bolletje! Are you Dutch? I lived in Maastricht for a year, and was so very impressed by the skills and talents of the Dutch people with their amazingly beautiful front gardens! Wow! So creative! Each garden was more gorgeous than the one before. Beautiful!

 

[Bolletje]

Woohoo! That is great, Bolletje! Are you Dutch? I lived in Maastricht for a year, and was so very impressed by the skills and talents of the Dutch people with their amazingly beautiful front gardens! Wow! So creative! Each garden was more gorgeous than the one before. Beautiful!

Yeah I'm Dutch And true, there's a very proud gardening culture around here though. I think it has to do with the fact that we don't have a lot of space around here. People want to make the most of their little outdoor spaces.
Since I lack a garden at the moment, I'm just focusing on junglifying my living room. Next stop: swingable vines