Hello Spring!

Time to dust off the garden tools and take our plants outside! But first, let’s add a few more to your collection.

It’s our airplant month and this month’s plant does NOT disappoint. I found these massive ionanth rubra hybrids just busting out with plants and knew I had to have them. Air plants do well being suspended if possible on floral safe wire, it will let the plant fill in and can actually turn into an orb of plants. Your air plant needs just three things to be happy; water, bright light and airflow. Since the are without roots , they will get their water from getting their leaves wet. Misting your plant 2-3 times a week, especially if it’s hot, will keep it happy. Water your plants in the morning so they have time to dry during the warmth of the day. Most air plant do well in dappled filtered light, full sun conditions can burn them. Finally, airflow, choose a place that they won’t be sitting stagnant, that means put down that cute glass ornament you were going to display them in they need air circulation to dry their leaves!

Our cactus this month is thelocactus hexaedrophorus. This variety is native to the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico where it grows on cliff sides. It is a small growing, but easily flowering species. I specifically picked out plants that had flower buds so you can enjoy the first blooms of the season. It offsets from the base and can fill a 25 cm pot in just a few years given the best conditions. It likes very porous standard cactus mix soil with little organic matter.

Our succulent this month is a robust kalenchoe tome Rosa “chocolate soldier” A fuzzy soft  brown cultivar of the well-loved panda plant from Madagascar. "Tomentose" refers to the fuzzy soft hairs that covers the whole plant and helps it survive dry, sunny conditions. This is a spring bloomer and a wonderful filler plant in arrangements. For a fuller plant don’t hesitate to prune it to encourage denser growth.

Finally, y’all go a piece of my garden in this box, a cutting of my heartiest aeoniums. That little cutting can turn int a bush in just a few seasons!!!

Happy Planting!

Sonja