New Houseplants!

I just got back from a trip to one-of-the-states-in-the-middle to visit The Husband's family for Christmas. I don't fit in with his family very well and the bed they put me in is a twin bed with a mattress that hasn't been replaced since sometime in the early 80s so I don't sleep well, either.

My mother in law has ONE houseplant. ONE.

BUT. About half an hour from my in-laws lies the land of PATSP, Kingdom of Mr. Subjunctive himself. He and I have been Internet Friends for years and on this trip I finally got to meet him for the first time IRL.

Fortunately he didn't turn out to be a very patient serial killer who lures unsuspecting plant aficionados to their dooms with offers of houseplants. [And neither did I]

I thought I was houseplant obsessed but I've got nothin' on Mr. S. Wow. I could tell we had the right house when I drove up and couldn't see inside for the wall of green. Very cool.

Mr. Subjunctive lives in a cute little house with his significant other and Sheba, a sweet dog who decided The Husband and I were great because whenever I feel fur under my hand I automatically start petting. 

He has has plants everywhere. Where there isn't enough natural light there are artificial lights to support the plants. I wonder about his power bill.

Best of all I have some new ideas for my place. I don't think I'll ever get as many plants as he has but I could use some more space for a few more plants [and so it begins...].

AND he very kindly sent me home with a few, small, plants. Meet the newest additions to my jungle [sorry for the poor quality of the images, the plants are all in my shower after getting a post-flight watering and the lighting isn't great]:

Aeschaynanthus longicolis

Bilbergia borracho [the only one with any noticeable damage from going through TSA screening and then being stuffed under an airline seat - two badly bent leaves. It should recover]

Bilbergia nutans

Columnia orientsomethinga [I con't really translate my handwriting and couldn't find this one on the interweb with a quick, pre-coffee search this morning. I'm sure I'll get a comment with the correct spelling soon, right, Mr. Subjunctive?]

Euphorbia leuconeura

Also known as the Madagascar jewel

Leuchtenbergia principis

Syngonium wendlandii

And, not from Mr. Subjunctive but found in a hardware store in The Husband's hometown, a nice variegated Hoya. They also had a variegated Peace Lily [Spathophyllum] that was just too big to try and carry on a plane. I'm not a big fan of most Spathophyllum but this would have been nice for the leaves. I do like the jumbo sized Spathophyllum but I just don't have room for one.

It was nice to meet an Internet Friend in person. Mr. Subjunctive is a genuinely nice guy with a nice dog, good taste in plants, movies, and music. As I was leaving I commented on how nice it was to meet someone like me, most people aren't like me and sometime that makes me feel like an outsider. He suggested it was in part because I am intelligent. I think that's part of it but it's also that I am willing to be myself, no matter what anyone else thinks. Thanks, Mr. Subjunctive, for the hospitality, for the plants, and for just being a nice guy.

Now to send The Husband to the hardware store to pick up some supplies...

Winter Slow Down

It's time for the annual Winter Slow Down here on The Edge. With me back to school (for those who don't know I'm a lecturing professor in biology) and the garden soon to be covered with snow I don't have as much time or information to post. 

I even missed Garden Bloggers Bloom Day This month! So no pictures of my houseplants currently in bloom.

I will try to post periodically over the winter but don't expect frequent updates. You'll have to make do with a cat pictures to tide you over.

This is Mango. He's new here. We adopted Mango and a younger kitten, Wren, just before Thanksgiving. Mango had been living as a feral kitten at a Putt Putt Golf Course. The people there fed him (and his sister) all summer and then, when the weather started to turn, called a rescue group. Mango is a little shy but is rapidly warming up.

This is Wren. He and his family were found living in an abandoned house. He clearly didn't have a lot of human contact and is still very, very shy and skittish around us. He does love his "big brother" Mango, though, and is starting to recognize that if Mango likes attention and playing with people that maybe people aren't so bad. I think that with enough work he'll come around. He's only a few month old, after all.

Welcome to the family Boys.