INDOOR GARDENING

Since it's turned bitter cold outside (4o feels positively frigid after 63 on Thanksgiving), I've turned to gardening indoors.  I've been a bit under the weather and lacking enough energy to dig out the Christmas decorations, but I did drag myself out to pick up a poinsettia on Friday.

Note the nifty silver container -- a freebie from the company that supplies the plants for my office as a thank you for signing up with them.  I killed the orchid that came in it just in time to use it for a poinsettia in my living room:

I am not enjoying trying to take photos indoors with the flash on my camera.  This is the only one that turned out even half true to life:

The amaryllis has really sprouted this last week.  I can't wait to see it bloom.  I'm enjoying forcing it so much that I picked up some paperwhite bulbs on Friday when I got the poinsettia and as soon as I feel up to braving getting off the couch, I'm going to get them started. 

My last purchase on Friday at the garden center was a rosemary tree:

Ignore the dirty dishes in the sink, VPH will kill me when he sees this photo.

So the entire herb garden in the kitchen is now basil, dill, cilantro, and rosemary:

Too bad we don't have scratch and sniff internet, the rosemary tree smells amazing. 

What are you growing inside this winter?

Comments

[gina]

heather - for me it's more like "what are you trying to keep alive inside this winter?" I just have the one tropical plant that my friend rescued and gave to me. It is not looking good! My house is just too dark inside.

Love the rosemary tree! I've never seen one of those before.

[Heather]

Gina -- your house may be too dark for tropicals, mine is, but forcing bulbs may work well for you. From what I've read, you don't need a lot of light, just fairly warm temperatures. I can't remember where I first saw a rosemary tree, but it was a fairly recent discovery. It was a little pricey, but worth it.

[Kim]

I love that silver pot! If the orchid had to die, it's nice of it to time its death in order to be quickly replaced by a poinsettia, no? *grin*

I am more like Gina, trying to see what I can keep alive, but my list is pretty long.

Regular "houseplants": spider plant, various draceana, sanseveria, a HUGE (inherited from a friend) jade plant, plain old philodendron, one crown of thorns, "purple passion" plant, christmas cactus, lucky bamboo, a purple-leaf rubber plant and a few random cacti and succulents.

Things I am trying to overwinter: 4 types of coleus, 3 types of plectranthus, 2 rhizomatous begonias, licorice plant, 3 types of rosemary, 2 pots of bay laurel, a "red sensation" cordyline, and a big pot of black bamboo.

Wow, that's more than I thought I had. YIKES!

[Dee/reddirtramblings]

I'm growing two Christmas cactus, several poinsettias and an amaryllis, so it looks like we have similar tastes. Happy Green Thumb Sunday.

[layanee]

Heather: So good to see this post! I've missed them! I, like Carol at May Dreams, had to move all the plants out of the living room to make room for Thanksgiving dinner. Now I have to move them back! Streptocarpus aka Cape Primrose are among the choices and there are many! Will post a picture when they start looking a bit better! Love your poinsettia and amaryllis. I need to get a rosemary plant! I do have some scented geraniums which are just great and a bit easier than the rosemary.

[Heather]

Kim -- good God that's a lot of plants. It must be a jungle in your house!

Dee -- I think you're my first visitor from Oklahoma. I'm going to have to carefully take a look at your blog when I have some time, anyone with good taste like me...

Layanee -- I wish I had more to post about. I think weekly would be the best case scenario for me over winter and less frequently is quite possible! Is rosemary harder to grow than I think it is? Should I be really careful?

[Genie]

Oh, man, now I want a rosemary tree. Totally. I might have to go buy one. I have such terrible light in my house, though!

Worst thing that can happen? I'd kill it. Yikes.

[Heather]

Genie -- that is my one southern facing window. We'll see how it does. I'm a little worried that the coffee maker is too hot next to it, so I'm asking VPH to pull the machine away whenever he makes coffee (I don't drink the stuff myself). One of my friends saw a rosemary tree in her local supermarket, so you could probably find one cheaper than the very expensive one I bought at full price at my local garden center.

[layanee]

Heather: I'm sure you will be fine with the rosemary tree. They don't like to be wet but never let them totally dry out either! I have let a few die but then I am better at outdoor gardening! I can almost smell it! What day will you be posting?

[Mummer]

Layanee is totally correct - do not let your
rosemary dry out! It will never recover.
Your instincts are good - rosemary is an outdoor tree so is very happy in full sun in a cool location. Just continue to trim it into its 'tree' shape, and use the clippings for pasta sauce. Enjoy!