New Year and New Growth

Are you ready for 2020?  I am!  I have high hopes for this next year.  Do you make a New Years Resolution?  I do and it's usually the same.  A healthier diet with more fresh vegetables and fruits and more exercise.  What is yours?

My big pot of 3 different varieties of Christmas Cactus has a few bright blooms on it.  Red as this one, a white and a brilliant pink one.  

These flowers are fleeting but so lush and exuberant!

I've been a houseplant aficionado since I was a young married woman.  We lived in Louisiana and I visited a nursery in the countryside and bought my first plant, I think it was a "Corn" plant.. aka Dracaena.  It got quite large!  When I went to leave they gave me a free gift plant, the Cajun lady told me it was "Lagniappe" - something given as a bonus or extra gift.  

The Snake Plant, aka "Mother-in-law's Tongue" in our bay window behind our easy chairs in our den, has surprised me with a spike of flowers!  They haven't opened yet but I'm excited when that happens.  

When they open they are frilly white blossoms.  I've had them flower only a few times.

Right now they have little droplets of water at the base of the buds.

My ZZ plant's newest stem is growing each day.  I guess that is one of the draws for plant ownership is the changes and growth of them.  The oxygen the plants exude are also very good for the people living in homes that don't get much fresh air in the winter.

My greenhouse window in the kitchen is a source of joy for me, too.  The xmas cactus in front is from my friend Sally's window, her granddaughter gave it to me after Sally passed away.  The window where she had it had too much shade and it never bloomed in all the years she had it, so you can understand how happy I am that her plant started putting on buds.  It's a red one!

A close-up of the flower as it opens.

I have a Jade Plant and an Aloe in the window.  The Jade I grew from one leaf years ago.. I'd put a failing plant out on the deck during the winter, thinking I was sending it to plant heaven.  The next Spring I saw a tiny leaf growing in the soil, pulled it out gently and repotted it and it's been growing ever since.  Now that's a survivor!

The whole menagerie of plants in our bay window.  The little unusual variety of xmas cactus in the middle also has a story.  We were at the beach for my birthday and had lunch at the Wildflower Cafe, where we were seated by a xmas cactus with very unusual and lovely blooms.  I asked the owner if I could pinch off a small sprig and he said sure.  We brought it back to the trailer, I got a little plastic container and asked Dayle to get some dirt from the ground to put it in.. and watered it and brought it home.  This is the result.. but still no flowers!  LOL!

This plant lives in front of the window in the den along with it's shamrock friends.  It has big leaves with pink stripes and I'm not sure what it is!  Do you know?  OK.. thanks to google.. 

Calathea ornata 'Pinstripe' has dark green leaves with thin, pink stripes, making a beautiful plant with a striking contrast. Their oblong shaped leaves have deep purple colored undersides.

My red Hibiscus plant is doing well but has stopped blooming ever since I repotted it in this big pot.  That's the thanks I get.  :-)

This is the very common Heart leaf Philodendron - I adopted this plant from my daughter when she moved to Ohio 9 years ago.  It was not doing well at all in it's original plastic pot.. so I re-potted it in one of my favorite pots and it's as happy as can be now.

I ordered a new plaid collar for Mocha to honor her Scottish ancestry.  I think it looks very cute on her.  

Tomorrow is New Years Eve - we are going to try a special recipe and toast the new year in with some sparkling apple cider.  What are your NYE plans?  Do share!!

((hugs)), Teresa :-)

*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*:._.:*

  *H*A*P*P*Y* *N*E*W* *Y*E*A*R*!*

*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*:._.:*