Silver bells and cockle shells (grow-aloe-grow filter)
Today we did some rooftop gardening. Pics to follow. We transplanted the black bamboo to a large "trough" shaped planter to make a living screen at the back of the terrace. It is a little ratty looking now, but hopefully it will recover. Black bamboo is just gorgeous - jet black stalks and bright green leaves. Amazing contrast.
We also had to tend to Amy and her many offspring. As you may know, my is our grandmother aloe, which has grown and flowered and reproduced many times over the years. Now her oldest daughter, Amanda, is as big as she is, and also flowers. There are three other younger sisters in pots as well. Each plants has a whole gaggle of little aloe-lings under their wings, and today we separated them all out and potted each one separately. Now we have 53 aloes on our terrace, ranging in size from two little fronds to larger than Amy was when she first came to live with us (and Amy and Amanda, of course). The girls have started to put names on the pots with black magic marker, and Amy is now known as "Amy: Mother of All".
We also have to deal with the basil, which is starting to sprout, and M repotted some flowers we were given a while back. Two of the apple trees have leaves now, but the other two seem to be frozen in the bud stage. I hope they haven't died - it would be a shame. The mint is unstoppable, as mint always is, we have yummy strawberries in two pots, and the flowers are doing well. The roses (red, pink and yellow) are flowering, but they are just loaded with little white aphids (as are several of the other plants, including the ivy). i gave them a good dose of water mixed with vinegar and dishwashing liquid, but I expect they will be back, as usual. Hopefully the basil will help when it is a little larger and we replant it all over. It is supposed to help with mosquitoes, it might help with aphids. We do have small logs in the pots with the apple trees, because ladybugs are supposed to nest in them. We may end up having to go buy some ladybugs, but if we can make the place pleasant for them, a few more might stick around.
We also had to tend to Amy and her many offspring. As you may know, my is our grandmother aloe, which has grown and flowered and reproduced many times over the years. Now her oldest daughter, Amanda, is as big as she is, and also flowers. There are three other younger sisters in pots as well. Each plants has a whole gaggle of little aloe-lings under their wings, and today we separated them all out and potted each one separately. Now we have 53 aloes on our terrace, ranging in size from two little fronds to larger than Amy was when she first came to live with us (and Amy and Amanda, of course). The girls have started to put names on the pots with black magic marker, and Amy is now known as "Amy: Mother of All".
We also have to deal with the basil, which is starting to sprout, and M repotted some flowers we were given a while back. Two of the apple trees have leaves now, but the other two seem to be frozen in the bud stage. I hope they haven't died - it would be a shame. The mint is unstoppable, as mint always is, we have yummy strawberries in two pots, and the flowers are doing well. The roses (red, pink and yellow) are flowering, but they are just loaded with little white aphids (as are several of the other plants, including the ivy). i gave them a good dose of water mixed with vinegar and dishwashing liquid, but I expect they will be back, as usual. Hopefully the basil will help when it is a little larger and we replant it all over. It is supposed to help with mosquitoes, it might help with aphids. We do have small logs in the pots with the apple trees, because ladybugs are supposed to nest in them. We may end up having to go buy some ladybugs, but if we can make the place pleasant for them, a few more might stick around.