Aquariums and gardening.

[Fishman Dave]

Well my bamboo is loving all the rain we’re getting.

The (false) bannana doesn’t grow tall but throws off pups for fun, keep potting them up and moving them into the fish house.


The Cyprus is still surviving the Yorkshire winter although the lack of sun this summer has meant it’s no where near as vigourous.

The indoor plants like the pony tail palm are putting up with life outdoors until I can persuade her indoors to let them back in!
The tomatoes are doing well although the cucumbers not so!
And one of my most recent favourites for the garden, Leycesteria formosum with its hanging flowers/berries/fruit, but although from the Himalayas it may or may not fair well our winter.

 

[esoxlucius]

I thought I'd revisit this thread with a bit of an update as to where I'm currently at houseplants wise. A few months ago I spotted a beautiful little plant at the garden centre. It was labelled as a Calathea, which I'd never heard of, but I loved its leaves, so I bought it (I've since found out it's not a Calathea, but a closely related Maranta)

I did more research on Calatheas and discovered they are a huge species of plant. They are renowned for their leaves. Different shapes, sizes, markings and colours. A breathtaking plant, and boy have I fell for them big time.

Their common name is the "prayer plant" and there's not only Calatheas in this group. Stromanthes, Ctenenths and Marantas are also known as prayer plants. Their leaves move like crazy as the day goes by, you don't really appreciate just how much until you see footage speeded up.

They hail from the jungles of Central and South America. They are notoriously difficult to keep due to their humidity and temp requirements. They are very very quick to let you know if you are stressing them. Weeping, curling leaves and brown edges are just a few signs they are struggling. But boy, when you give them what they want they reward you big time, and like I said, I'm hooked on these things now.

The temperature and humidity in my fish room are ideal for these plants. I also had to stop watering with tap water. They don't like flouride, chlorine and chloramine, told you they were fussy, lol. So I collect rainwater now and water them with that.

Below are a few pictures of my growing collection. Like I said, they are very fussy but this is what you can achieve if you give them what they want.

 

[Ulu]

That Calathea’s quite lovely, and it looks like something my wife has planted outdoors.

She does all the gardening and I couldn’t begin to name all thse things for you. I can spot the redwood trees and the ornamental eucalyptus and that’s about it.

There’s the outdoor system, all wrapped up for winter.


It needs some more plants for camo.

Here I am irrigating in the pet cemetery.

I transplanted those bulbs along the fence. No idea what they are.

My wife had some plan for the shrubs in buckets. Then came her shoulder surgery. She surely will expect me to dig holes somewhere. Sometime. I’m not exactly asking at this point.

 

[tlindsey]

I thought I'd revisit this thread with a bit of an update as to where I'm currently at houseplants wise. A few months ago I spotted a beautiful little plant at the garden centre. It was labelled as a Calathea, which I'd never heard of, but I loved its leaves, so I bought it (I've since found out it's not a Calathea, but a closely related Maranta)

I did more research on Calatheas and discovered they are a huge species of plant. They are renowned for their leaves. Different shapes, sizes, markings and colours. A breathtaking plant, and boy have I fell for them big time.

Their common name is the "prayer plant" and there's not only Calatheas in this group. Stromanthes, Ctenenths and Marantas are also known as prayer plants. Their leaves move like crazy as the day goes by, you don't really appreciate just how much until you see footage speeded up.

They hail from the jungles of Central and South America. They are notoriously difficult to keep due to their humidity and temp requirements. They are very very quick to let you know if you are stressing them. Weeping, curling leaves and brown edges are just a few signs they are struggling. But boy, when you give them what they want they reward you big time, and like I said, I'm hooked on these things now.

The temperature and humidity in my fish room are ideal for these plants. I also had to stop watering with tap water. They don't like flouride, chlorine and chloramine, told you they were fussy, lol. So I collect rainwater now and water them with that.

Below are a few pictures of my growing collection. Like I said, they are very fussy but this is what you can achieve if you give them what they want.

View attachment 1531076View attachment 1531077View attachment 1531078View attachment 1531079View attachment 1531080View attachment 1531081View attachment 1531082View attachment 1531083

You Sir have a green thumb!

 

[esoxlucius]

You Sir have a green thumb!

Thank you Tom, I am immensely proud of myself, given that prayer plants are so demanding and extremely fickle. I was struggling at one point with them. I nailed the humidity and temperature but they still weren't fully happy. As soon as I stopped watering them with tap water though....BINGO!

Those beautiful pictures are the end result of many months of research and tinkering.

 

[tlindsey]

Thank you Tom, I am immensely proud of myself, given that prayer plants are so demanding and extremely fickle. I was struggling at one point with them. I nailed the humidity and temperature but they still weren't fully happy. As soon as I stopped watering them with tap water though....BINGO!

Those beautiful pictures are the end result of many months of research and tinkering.

When I look at your plants they remind me of my mother who could grow plants like nobody's business.

 

[Friller2009]

Thank you Tom, I am immensely proud of myself, given that prayer plants are so demanding and extremely fickle. I was struggling at one point with them. I nailed the humidity and temperature but they still weren't fully happy. As soon as I stopped watering them with tap water though....BINGO!

Those beautiful pictures are the end result of many months of research and tinkering.

I water calatheas and the like with pond water. They grow pretty good, but they're all outside so who knows

 

[esoxlucius]

I water calatheas and the like with pond water. They grow pretty good, but they're all outside so who knows

That's classed as gardening then, not houseplant care! Lol. I suppose a bit like freshwater and marine in our hobby. They're sort of the same, but have completely different approaches.