Solanum Pyracanthum

I picked up these little gems from my nursery 2 1/2 years ago. Here in Washington they're usually grown as "annuals" (Plants that won't return next year.) They didn't seem to be very popular with the usual gardening crowd, so there were a few left at the nursery that were just calling my name. Here's a photo from a nursery in Maine for now, as my camera is without memory at the moment...

Their bizarre orange spikes were, of course, what caught my eye. I imagined them planted happily amongst the chenille plant (Acalypha Repens) we were also selling there. (This plant is quite close to Chenille Plant, and is described as the dwarf variety.) 

So I made it happen. I overwintered the poor dears under the grow light for the last two winters, and they really opened up and flourished in the summer heat. They preferred dappled shade and plenty of water in the summer months.

There was a major drought in my house this winter (AKA, we forgot to water for three weeks) and the Solanum Pyracanthum lost every leaf it had. The great thing about these little buggers is that they will always spring back. I took the stressful opportunity to trim their extended branches to a pretty size and started the short road to recovery. At the moment the same plants are in full bloom with large leaves and bright, scary spines, though they are looking a bit spindly after the great Drought.

Whenever the plants drop leaves, I can't help but trim the spikes off and save them. I suppose I feel there is a purpose for them, whether it be on jewelry or to make some sort of cruel cat repellant, I can't say for sure. But here they are, lined up in a bag and ready for use. Any ideas from the peanut gallery?

Trimmed Spikes from Solanum Pyracanthemum

And just for fun, here are some pictures from last year (Winter of 2010-2011) when a similar drought incident affected them.

Solanum Pyracanthum in a sorry state

The mighty thorns of Solanum Pyracanthum

I told you they were tough! These plants have some will to live! Great little soldiers to move outside in the warm months. I'm sure if you are handy with tomatoes, you will have no problems growing these from seeds.

Aloe Vera in the House

Good evening World, today I'll be showing one of the easiest, friendliest, and most useful plants to grow in the house, Medicinal Aloe Vera.


Why it's Awesome
Everyone's seen Aloe Vera added into all sorts of hair, skin, and household products from sunburn lotion to potting soil. The plant has amazing healing effects and tastes pretty great as well. I'd recommend this plant to someone who is just starting out in gardening as it can take a lot of abuse-- from lack of light, to lack of water, to overwatering. If you have just one plant, this should be the one!

My Aloe Vera plants both need to be harvested.  Notice the tired bottom leaves. These plants have a far reach in every direction, so lots of moving has caused them to bend and break at times. I harvest the bent-up leaves first. Full size image here.

I also love this plant because it grows slowly and nicely. It doesn't get out of control, it's like a constant decoration that I can keep in almost any window (as long as it fits!) If you'd like a perfect Aloe plant, take care not to bump or fold any of the leaves, as this rarely heals right and can cause them to wither.


General Care
With Aloe, I noticed that it prefers to be in a somewhat small pot, and to be slightly rootbound. It may have to do with its natural growing conditions in the wild, growing in hard ground that gives a lot of support and good drainage. I simply potted two up together so they can compete for some space. These two have been doing wonderfully with each other. Plant Aloe in potting soil mixed with washed sand, as it will provide the best drainage for its roots. You'll want it to dry out between waterings, to the point where the dirt is light as a feather, especially during colder months (about November through late March/early April in Seattle) when the plant enters a period of dormancy. It stores tons of moisture up in its leaves so it can take a little drought during these months.


When I water my plants I make sure to soak them to the bone, and then leave them to dry for a period. I usually repeat 2-7 days later depending on the plant. Aloe, in particular, loves to get water in the middle of its floret of leaves, so water from the top. If you have a clean, unused spray bottle on hand, then fill that with water and spray the plant daily to weekly. It will thank you for it with thick, juicy leaves.


This is another one of my plants which I drag outside for the summer. It really enjoys the direct sunshine.


To be perfectly honest, all this care is not really needed to have a thriving Aloe. Some people neglect their plant altogether save a couple waterings a month, and they thrive just fine. Personally, I like to baby my plants, and I am thankful Aloe can handle my overly fussy nature as well.


Harvest
Ah, the gruesome day of harvest. There are many ways to use the flesh inside the leaves. It's a powerful medicinal aid that has been used throughout human history, in almost every culture. To harvest, using a clean knife simply cut off one of the lowermost (I usually choose the ugliest) leaves about 1/4" from the base and squeeze out the pulp. There are also directions online for filleting the leaf to get the most out of it. Apply directly to skin for topical use. Be careful though to make sure you have the correct variety for medicinal use! There are thousands of types of Aloe out there and some are VERY TOXIC. The variety I have here is Aloe Vera var. Chinensis, a totally non-toxic variety.


As it needs a small pot and has incredible reach, be extremely careful when handling Aloe around your other plants. I have known it to decapitate my favorite stems with a turn of the plant and its many small white teeth!


These specimens will be starring in the next post, regarding Mealybugs, in which you can see closeup shots of the middle and the leaves.

Cuban Oregano

It's my First Post!

The wind is blowing, December's gotten everything all damp, cold and darkish outside. But the sun never stops shining here. I'm Ashley, and I'm pretty excited to let people in on the benefits of gardening. Even as a true beginner, you can get immense joy out of growing even just one plant in your house.

It's so fulfilling to watch things in your care thrive and prosper. Human beings were given this mighty power to raise life out of the earth for necessity and for happiness. Now I want humankind to find this power and use it in the ways that suits society in the present. This is the best way I know how.

In my college design class we were directed to research the psychological effects of colors on the human mind and emotions. In this research I discovered that the color green is naturally soothing and calming to the brain. That's when it dawned on me -- That's why plants make us happy! Since then I've completely surrounded myself in leaves, stems, flowers, catkins and just enough soil to hold them all.

I'd like to start this great journey by talking about one of my favorite plants of all time, both indoor and out. 

Cuban Oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus)

This is the Cuban Oregano I grew for two years starting in 2009. The picture was taken while I was bringing it back outside during the spring. When you have a plant that you love and can spend a little extra time on, it can be worth it to drag it inside for the winter and outside when the weather gets warm. Cuban Oregano seemed to enjoy its winter inside, but I noticed that it was very sensitive to the cold, wet springs here in Seattle and wilted from cold damage a couple months later.

The colors in this image weren't edited. It's really that bright. The leaves can also be variegated (two-toned) and also can be shaped differently. The most attractive feature about this plant is definitely the smell, which will permeate the entire room if you rub a leaf, or will linger on your person if you come in contact. The smell is spicy and kind of mystical, and only slightly reminiscent of common oregano.

I also learned that Cuban Oregano has a long history of health benefits, and the flavor adds a real kick to beans and rice, so it's an all around great plant. For a novice gardener I would recommend this, certainly. If you want to do it the easy way (My favorite!) just wait until the weather warms up in your area and head off to your local nursery. Sometimes it's hard for the nurseries to track down due to availability (Especially up here in cold wet Seattle) so you might have to try it from seed. I'll be considering the variegated one for spring!