The night blooming cereus is perhaps one of my favorite plants. I discovered it while visiting the Philadelphia area potter Bill Daley. He gave me a plant and all of the night blooming plants I have around are descendants of that original plant from the Elkins Park visit circa 1982.
Anyone that know me realizes that anyplace I go, plants are not safe. I like to take cuttings, seeds, spores or even entire plants if my host is so generous.
Last year, I had the great idea to grow hot peppers from Indonesia. Well, the plants have been growing on the right corner of my desk since August of 2009. I have lots of flowers and even one fiery red pepper, which I assume will land me in an intensive care unit, once I taste it's peppery oils.
I have spores from Staghorn Ferns, taken from the Gaylord Hotel's Atrium in November. I haven't gotten around to getting them into soil yet. But in the true style of procrastination, I will get to it.
I do have a Staghorn Fern that I named Dixie. Dixie was given to me by the head gardener at the Gaylord Resort. Dixie however is hanging on to life dearly. Living up North of the Mason-Dixon Line has not been easy for her this winter. Hopefully, the Yankee spring will bring Dixie back to her Southern Magnolia Beauty.
Speaking of magnolias. I have quite a few seeds from my Nashville, TN visit in November. When I have the time...I'll get them into pots and try to grow my own piece of Nashville, just for fun.
The most memorable seeds in my life were the ones I always took from my Grandmother Dick just prior to her making bean soup. Always, I saved a few Navy Beans and put them on moistened paper towels, rooted them, and grew them until they were ungainly things hanging out in my bedroom window. I often think of those great times with my maternal grandparents. They always let us grandchildren do what we wanted for fun. Always lots of food, candy, sodas ... dying Easter eggs, making candy apples and anything else fun in the kitchen will always be part of my horticultural, gastronomical and family memories of my grandparents.
Back to the plants...I am going to try to post photos of whatever I am up to with my spores, cuttings or plantlets this summer. Keep looking....
