Some privacy, please?!

Finding a good-looking curtain for our 3x1' bathroom window has been a tough decision. It seems like every color except a transparent white makes the room look drab. Of course, the white affords us no privacy. I finally realized that I could use a plant to shade us from the public's eye.

After much research, I decided on "Thunbergia Alata," which is also called "Black-Eyed Susan Vine." I already purchased the seeds a couple of months ago, it's an evergreen vine, it has cheerful, orange flowers, and it's a hardy grower. I found a pot big enough to fit a three-foot tall trellis, and I planted a seed. Right now all we have is a pot of soil. I'm just hoping it will sprout in fall weather.

Reusable Leeks

Michael loves leeks. Maybe it's a newlywed thing, but I find this adorable. When we got some at the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago, I decided to plant the root-filled base. It was a whim, and I forgot about them, but they sprouted! I love self-sustaining plants. I guess we'll see what happens.

The Poor Man's Garden...

...or woman's, in this case.

Recently I was on the phone with my mother, lamenting the fact that Michael and I are renting. Thus, we'll be moved out by the time the garden is thriving. "And I've spent so much money on the garden!" My mother replied, "Why are you spending money? You don't have an income!" Touche, mom.

It's kind of a relief to not be able to spend money on the garden. I have unimaginably big dreams for the garden, but we're probably moving in a year or two. If I were to realize my gardening dreams within this time frame, it would be nearly impossible, financially and physically.

This means I'm going to have to use tried and true propagation methods- mainly seeds and cuttings. I don't have to feel so bad about my sparse and fledgling garden. As they say, "First year it sleeps, second it creeps, third it leaps." Well, I'm going to have to be okay with a sleeping, creeping garden for now.

A couple of days ago I blogged about planning to buy a couple of hydrangea bushes and a climbing hydrangea. I later learned that climbing hydrangea takes three years to even bloom. And hydrangea bushes cost about $30 a piece. Maybe in our next house... when we have an income. In the meantime, I've put hydrangea, lavender, and african violet cuttings in dixie cups (see above pics).

There's something wonderful about asceticism... and making do with what you have.

Ground Cover Obsession

For the record, I have a weird obsession with ground cover of any kind. I love the idea of plants creeping along the ground, smothering out weeds, keeping in moisture, generally acting as a mulch, and being beautiful. Why doesn't everyone use it?

Midway through the summer I began spotting a scrumptious vine in my neighbors' window boxes. It had neon green, crumpled leaves, which made it look something like curly hair. After a little research, I found it was called "Creeping Jenny" or "Moneywort." Some use it as a vine, but it's found as a ground cover in the wild. In fact, I spotted some growing on the banks of the Potomac River.

Well, I finally decided to do what any self-respecting gardener does: I stole some. Well, steal is a bit of an exaggeration. Actually, I snipped off an unnoticeable under-piece of my neighbor's that they'll never miss (hopefully). Then I ran home and put it's snipped-off end in dirt. It showed promising signs of growth, but in an overzealous attempt to speed its development, I fertilized it. I've never seen a plant wilt and die with such speed. Needless to say, I stole some more.

The second cutting did quite well, so I put it in the yard to spread to its heart's content. I read that it's invasive and a nuisance to some, but since I can't get enough of it, bring it on.

Strawberry Suckers?

In most cases, the name "sucker" has some pretty negative connotations. Well, not with strawberries! Somehow, through no effort of mine, my not-so-productive-but-quite-beautiful strawberry bush became a mother! I potted the baby yesterday, and I'm hoping it will live through the winter in the safety and warmth of our kitchen.

The other picture is of another baby bush that apparently self-produced via compost. Kind of a miracle, no? I'll keep it there to see what happens.

All this excitement aside, the fruit it produces are incredibly small and they taste like fruit snacks.

Baby African Violets

We finally have baby african violets sprouting, and it has been a long time coming! They are the most adorable little guys, I'll have to work on refraining from hugging them.

It's the most simple propagation I've seen: cut a leaf and stick it in soil. The less I pampered it, the happier it looked. Now it's made babies!

Air Layering of a Fiddle-Leaved Fig (Ficus Lyrata)

This hot mama was successfully air layered about a month ago. I haven't seen any growth, but I also haven't seen death. Let's count that a success. I assume it's working on establishing its roots apart from its mother plant. I'll keep you posted.

If you're interested, air layering is a fascinating propagation technique. It is taken from one of nature's means of propagation, which is simply called "layering." A tree is layered when its branch is 'injured' and stuck in the dirt. Roots then grow from the injury. Air layering simulates this natural process; you wound a branch and gather damp sphagnum moss around the wound (securing it there with cellophane and twistie ties). Eventually, roots grow! You cut just below the roots and put the new plant into soil. The one pictured here is exactly what it looked like when I cut it from its mother plant. Don't worry, they see each other regularly.

The 26th Birthday Sweetheart Rose

This is a rose bush with history. My generous mother sent me a bouquet of 42 sweetheart roses for my 26th birthday. As they were wilting away, I noticed several neon green baby leaves shooting out of leaf nodes. "Life!" I thought. Out of the 10 I tried to root, one successfully (somehow) did! It is currently bushier than I've ever seen it, and still going strong. In this picture it has three roses past their prime, but still gorgeous (if I do say so myself).