I have been on a planting rumpus lately. A couple of new friends include hen and chicks succulents and a bright pink and green coleus. Then this past weekend, I was obsessed with finding a jasmine plant. After much research online, I was determined. We walked down Mount Pleasant and checked every store that sold flowers and plants, but no luck. I was worried it is too late in the summer to find one. Then as a last resort, we checked our dedicated plant store at Yonge & Davisville and behold, they had 4 little potted jasmines for $3.99! I was expecting to pay at least $10 from what I've read online. I was so filled with joy that I bought two. Yesterday, the adbundant flower buds have started to bloom and the smell is just heavenly! I think I much prefer it to roses, except tuberoses (if it's even an actual rose specie). I love the scent of tuberose, probably as much as jasmine.
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| hen and chicks |
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| coleus |
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| jasmine bloom |
On other garden news, I realized that our meyer lemon tree named Mike did not have any drainage hole whatsoever. Poor thing! I've had it in a deceivingly good looking yellow bucket decorative container it came in when we bought it for more than a month now. At first, it looked like it had 1 drainage hole on its bottom, but yesterday after closer observation, there was a black plastic lining restricting poor Mike to breathe. Immediately, I pulled him outta there and left him out in the balcony to get some fresh air. His temporary pot has 5 holes on its bottom, and the very same afternoon one of his buds opened up! I also gave him a cold refreshing mist of water on his leaves.
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| new meyer lemon bud |
Do you know it's serious when you start referring to your plant as a male person?
No matter, his previous 5 buds that I manually pollinated indoors by a q-tip look like they're growing into green little fruitlings! I don't want to jinx it though because his other 1 fruit he came with is still the same size until now and never showed any development. Another little fruitling I have accidentally nipped off before.
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| meyer lemon fruitlings |
About Tommy the roma tomato, he has 2 little fruits growing out! So happy. All these good news have motivated me to propagate everything I can, even a white lilac branch I brought in from the street. Another heavenly fragrance that's been intoxicating the air these days! I snipped the flowers and rubber banded them upside to dry in our bedroom. Now and then I get a nice waft when the breeze blows. I will update on any progress later, but I am not hoping too much. I have also propagated geraniums and money trees. And planted more basil and cilantro seeds. This time I will withhold from using Miracle-Gro on them as I am scared to eat the ones I used some on without knowing any better.
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| roma tomato fruitlings |
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| dried white lilac |
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| propagating money tree in a recycled sapporo beer can |
Lastly, I ordered several one too many seeds from eBay. I couldn't help myself, I never knew gardening is this amazing! It is such a joy to watch a living thing grow, to take care of it and is teaching me a lot about patience. For now, I am anticipating the arrival of the seeds including two types of jasmine, two types of peppers, three types of cactus (including lithops!), strawberry tomato, Indian ginseng and key lime!!! I am probably taking on too much on my plate, but I just want to get my feet wet and for $20 including shipping I'll take the chance.
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| Our window sill is full of pots filled with greens |
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| ...and pink! |
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| I wasn't kidding about my planting fever! |
Everything seems to be blooming right now! Geranium, green chili and even cilantro.
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