Gettin' stoney with lithops and goin' green with Ecoforms

I have finally mastered the art of growing living stones, after a few false starts.

Here are my lithops, and a couple other weird succulents, on a hot august day 

Lithops are bizarre little succulents that hail from the deserts of Africa. They have evolved to mimic rocks, which prevents them from being eaten by animals.

In cultivation, Lithops need lots of direct sunlight and warmth. There is a period during their growth cycle where a new set of leaves slowly emerge from the middle of the plant and "digest" the set of old leaves by drawing their water and nutrients. They shouldn't be watered during this period. When the old leaves are completely shriveled and gone the plants can be given water sparingly. Care must be taken not to overwater these plants. Its safer to let the plant shrivel a little bit from dryness, then give a few drops of water-- you'll see the fleshy leaves plump in a few hours.

My collection, pictured above, is on my windowsill on a tray by Ecoforms, in their beautiful new turquoise. Ecoforms is a California based company that offers biodegradable pots and trays made from rice hulls.

Tray purchased from Sprout Home, Brooklyn, NY. Plants purchased in my many travels to different plant shops.

Thanks for reading!

www.ecoforms.com
www.lithops.info
www.sprouthome.com

Sinningia "Serra da Vista" .. A personal best

I want to share my experience growing an amazing gesneriad. I received Sinningia speciosa  "Serra da Vista" from Black Jungle in the spring. Within a few months, the plant grew furiously and flowered. It has fuzzy leaves with silver veins and purple flowers that look like the are coming out of a star. The plant is native to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Here is the seed grown plant,  about 3 inches across, in a bonsai pot with some other plants

The plant grew extremely quickly and I placed it in its own pot in a well draining mix that retains some moisture.
In this photo, the plant is very happy near my bright living room windows.
If you look closely at the center of the plant you can see flower buds! 

And it flowered! 

As with most sinningia species, the plant forms a potato-like tuber as it grows, and requires a brief dormancy period to mimic the seasonal changes of its native Brazil.  I have yet to master the "rest phase" of the cycle. However, I have learned that during the growth period, the plant must be fertilized and the soil kept moist (but not too wet) with frequent waterings. The plant doesn't seem to mind a little bit of direct morning sunlight, but I try to protect it from the hot summer sun by growing it on a table below the windowsill, away from the potentially scorching rays. 

I'll be sharing more of my experiences growing Sinningia in future posts, as I am currently working with about 10 varietals.

Thanks for visiting!

Monkey see, monkey get pricked by sharp leaves

Check out these Monkey Puzzle trees on the patio at the new visitor center at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The matching of the bold, monolithic planters with the architectural tree shapes is very impressive. But don't touch! The little leaves are like sharp spines.

These prehistoric conifers originate from the southernmost regions of Chile and Argentina. They can live for several hundred years. A horticulturalist once mentioned how difficult it would be for a monkey to climb these trees due to their sharp spines, hence the name Monkey Puzzle Tree.

The hard spines have evolved to survive forest fires. The trees have this graceful, christmas-tree appearance in their youth and then grow into irregular shapes with a flattened top. I wonder how old these guys at the BBG are, and I salute whoever created this wonderful pairing of modern design with ancient foliage.

12 Gallon Terrarium

I thought I would share my most recent endeavor, a 12 gallon terrarium. It's an acrylic enclosure, designed by Lorex Plastics, which is based out of my hometown of Norwalk, CT. It is a clean, simple design that incorporates four small, circular screen vents-- two on top and one on each side. It has a hinged top with a latch that reminds me of a jewelry box. The tank sits up off its surface about 1/2 inch because the side panels are slightly longer, which gives a nice effect.

This tank was an impulse buy at my recent visit to the New York Reptile Expo in White Plains, NY. I couldn't pass up the $45 dollar price for such a good looking piece. Not knowing what to do with it, I took it home. Here are some photos of the project as it progressed.

First, I created a background out of cork bark tiles that I had left over from a previous project. I also had some manzanita branches lying around that I decided to use as a focal point and to add structure and definition to the layout.

 It's fun and easy to work with a smaller container like this. The acrylic is very light, so it's easy to move the tank around as you work. 

Here I have added some plants that are still in pots, in order to give myself an idea what the finished product will end up looking like. Most of these plants were purchased from Black Jungle at the reptile expo.

This is version one of the terrarium, freshly planted. The top substrate is a mixture of chopped long fiber sphagnum and tree fern fiber. On the bottom there is fine grade feather-lite, an ultra lightweight drainage material made from recycled glass. I did not separate the layers with mesh as some would suggest, and I hope I don't regret that in the future!

Here is the most current state of the terrarium. I have added some tropical moss to the front of the scape, in the lowest parts. It's not as green as it was at first, which I attribute to transplantation as well as being a little too wet (I overwatered a bit). I also added another piece of manzanita wood. This is particularly good for terrariums as it is a very hard wood that can stay wet without breaking down or rotting.

I'm thinking about using this terrarium to house some type of small reptile or amphibian. Doesn't it look like a perfect home? Other future plans include the possibility of adding an automated mister system as well as dried leaves to give the scape a more natural "rainforest floor" look. I'm definitely not going to add plants; instead, I will let the ones that I already have in place "grow in." Any more plants and the layout would start to look busy.

Plant list and layout (pictured in photo above):

The plant with the strappy leaves on the top left is Seemania sylvatica. Below it are three jewel orchids: Ludisia discolor "alba," Goodyera pusilla, and Anoectichilus albolineatus, which is barely seen. The clump of smaller leaves to the right, below the wood are cuttings of Alsobia dianthflora, taken from a larger plant that I have in my grow area. To the right of that is Ludisia discolor "nigrescens." The bromeliad is a neorigelia sp. The light green plant in the middle is Nautilocalyx gotenburg. I believe the moss is "java moss," Black Jungle tells me its brought in from Hawaii. There is also a tillandsia (air plant) at the very top left. Lest I forget the tiny leaves to the far left that aren't looking great yet; cuttings of a plant that was labeled "dwarf baby tears." Oh, and right in the middle, the pointy, silvery leaves are on a cutting of Cissus amazonicus, which is like, totally my favorite vine.

Here is a close up of the right side of the scape, with the three jewel orchids being featured. I was after that one with the orange veins in the middle for a long time! Here you can see the moss looks a little greener. On the right is the clipping of the cutest little vine, Cissus amazonica, which I will try to grow around the wood.

Please stay tuned for further updates as this terrarium grows!

Patrick Blanc at the annual NYBG Orchid Show

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing the Orchid Show at the New York Botanic garden in the Bronx. This year the garden featured the work of Patrick Blanc, a renowned artist and botanist known for his vertical gardens. This frenchman has become a sort of personal hero for me. He has championed his own style that merges art and botany, and has even discovered a species: Begonia blancii. Here are some photos from the show. http://www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com/

Close up of the giant wall
Use of phal. orchids, alocasia, ferns
Yellow flowers are Chirita sp.

A giant, tapestry-style creation by Blanc
at the entrance of the Haupt Conservatory

I love the use of blooming Medinilla magnifica in this archway.