The start of summer is turning undeniably gentle. We had the first rain in a while just a few days into the week, sending my watering schedule out the window. Most of the plants seem to be taking it in stride, except for the old paperwhites. Soon enough, they’ll probably fade completely and I’ll think about what to do with the bulbs. Not many new flowers, but plenty of life throughout the garden.
If you’ve got a garden you want to show off, don’t hesitate to write your own Six on Saturday post! They’re easy to make and I’d certainly enjoy taking a look at more gardens. If you want to learn how they work, check out where it all started!
1
The ceramic pig is full of life and death. The old paperwhites and daffodils are starting to fade, the flowers long since gone. The recent rain seems to have sent them into a death spiral, finally falling over and starting to brown. They’re getting tangled in the Billy Buttons, which are really starting to come into strength. It’s got more than a dozen new leaves, and the stalk is turning thick with even more new tips. It’s not quite as bushy as I’d imagined it to be, but it’s just as green and hearty. Still no signs of a flower. It’s supposed to bloom year round in warm climates – maybe ours isn’t considered all that warm at the moment. Days have dropped back down to around 65F, from their 80s just a while back. June gloom!
2
The previous crop of succulent pups are really starting to take off. The brief burst of warm weather seems to have woken them up, and the present coolness won’t stop them! I’m amazed by the color of this particular pup. It isn’t at all like the cutting that started it, showing vastly more purple than any of the main plant. I’m not sure what the cause is – maybe the pup is in the shadow of the cutting, and this is its response? Maybe the soil isn’t the same acidity level as the soil of the parent plant, even if the composition is the same? It’s confusing in a lovely sort of way. I can’t wait to see what it does as it grows larger!
3
I’m finally figured out why the Ginkgo is growing like a manicured poodle. The growth tips at the end of each branch seem to be taking all the energy at the moment. Now that they’ve stopped lengthening as quickly, the leaves closer towards the trunk are starting to wake up. They don’t seem to be getting as large as the leaves farther out, but it’s still a little early to make that call. Each of the branches seems to have grown around 5 or 6 inches. It’s such an impressive little plant! I should draw lines on the wall like height markers for each of its growth spurts. I wonder how long until it start making seeds!
4
The Marimo Moss Ball is thriving like a little green stone. Nothing fazes it, and it grows too slowly to perceive. It’s only supposed to grow five millimeters a year. This one is around 8 years old. I’m not sure how much larger it can get, but for now it seems to be enjoying the size it’s at. I make sure to change the water every week and roll the moss ball around. It’s such a strangely squishy firm ball. Not at all the texture that it first appears, but now I can’t imagine it any other way. It’s got a hefty sort of weight to it.
5
The wonderfully even, organic lines on the Calathea Beauty Star leaves always catch my attention when I’m watering it. The leaves start growing like little spiraling tubes, eventually spreading out into broad pads around five inches long. They’re somewhat thick, but still translucent. The pink lines are different on every leaf, like a fingerprint. Some are remarkably similar, some have almost no pink at all. Some leaves are dark, some a mottled lightness. I’m looking forward to moving this plant up to a larger pot and letting it get completely out of hand.
6
The Corkscrew Rush (spiralis) has such independent shades of color in its… hair? I’m not sure what to call them. They’re not leaves, and they grow far too wild to get a staid name like stalks. I’ll call them hair. Soon enough, it’s going to need a haircut to keep those sun-dried hairs from overtaking it! It seems to need a trim every month and a half or so, though I let it go all winter before I really started trimming it. I wonder what will happen if I move this plant to a larger home too. It seems to be very happy in its current place, but I can’t get over the thought at how it would (pun incoming) branch out with a bit more leg room. Guess we’ll find out next time I go to the gardening store!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you had a pleasant time checking out the plants. If you’re in the mood for more nature, please stay in touch!
Mindful Foliage 