Peruvian Lilies (alstroemeria)

I find the Peruvian Lilly to be a bit finicky in the beginning. It's not as hardy as my other plants and does require some pampering until it starts to take off. I do have to bring it indoors in the winter, and it's a spidermite magnet. It did look like it produced extra rhizomes (tubers, whatever they are called), but I don't know if they'll sprout - will have to wait and see.

The leaves of this type of Peruvian Lily is really pretty with that white border all around it. When plucking the flower, you grab the stem and pull hard - it should snap and pop from the very bottom. If the plant doesn't get enough sunlight, the leaves will look a little yellowish. The sap of the plant might irritate the skin; I haven't had any reactions to it, though.

Calla lilies

Calla Lilies
I had them as part of my wedding bouquet and enjoyed them very much. So, I ordered 2 different types: mini bridal bliss and peach chiffon. They last such a long time after I cut the flowers. It's a bit of a pain for me to dig them up and store them (umm... apartment living), but it's well worth it.

Calla lily mini bridal bliss - these grew really well, I didn't have to do much except after heavy rains, I'd just drain the tray so the pot wouldn't sit in water.

Calla lily peach chiffon - these grew a little slower than the bridal bliss, but the wait was well worth it, the pink border is just gorgeous. Both callas produced seed pods which I don't have pics of because I broke the screen on my digital camera :P

I ordered these from Easy to Grow Bulbs, and I was very satisfied. When I dug them up for winter, they made babies! I overwintered them in pizza boxes with shredded paper and left them on a windowsill with a draft. I'm crossing my fingers that it worked - we shall see after I plant them!

Oops, it's been awhile

It's been quite some time since my last post - oopsie! I've decided to be better about this, but let me explain what has happened during my hiatus.

First of, I got into gardening as an outlet -- at the time I started this blog, I was taking some time off from work to be home with my then future hubbie who underwent a liver transplant in January 2008. As a caretaker for someone, you cannot neglect yourself or you'll go insane, so in order to keep my mind busy, I decided to play with dirt and plants! I am now hooked, and my hubbie makes fun of me every time I'm checking out plant websites.

Well, much of 2008 we were in and out of the hospital, and in January 2009, hubbie underwent another surgery: bile duct reconstruction. We also tied the knot in March '09 and have been out of the hospital (knock on wood) for most of the year. Here and there for follow up and routine exams, but thankfully, no admissions. Yay!

2010, we celebrated our 1-year anniversary and hubbie is doing great! He'll need another surgery to correct the giant hernia that formed from the operations but hey, as long as we're not removing and/or replacing organs, it's all good.

I have neglected my plants a bit, and sadly, some did die:
adenium obesum
echinacea
sweet potato
all the orchids
money tree
bamboo shoot
unknown bulb

But I have also got more plants along the way, some were gifts, some I bought on a whim:
african violet
peruvian lilies (alstroemeria)
calla lilies
aloe vera
jade plant

And my 2010 newly purchased plants (yet to arrive!):
dwarf blueberry
bearded iris
some type of lily

I'll try to be more consistent with updating the blog - i got lots of catching up to do! :)