Snake plant blooms

I've already confessed that I do not have much success with house plants, mainly because I forget to water them.  This winter I have been doing better because I have made a deliberate effort to water them weekly, every Sunday morning.  My house plants are rewarding me; some of them look nice and a few of them are actually blooming!

One Sunday morning, while checking on the snake plant that I keep in my husband's office, I noticed a strange stalk-like growth on the outside edge of the plant.  Initially, I thought it might be a weed; the house plants sometimes acquire "friends" during the summer months they spend outdoors.  A closer inspection revealed buds!  I've owned this snake plant for 10 years and it has never bloomed.  I didn't know that snake plants bloomed at all.

In a few days, my snake plant bloomed with lovely, white flowers that were not only beautifully framed against the dark green of the plant, but incredibly fragrant. 

This experience called for research.  What I learned is that snake plants will bloom occasionally.   Conditions required for blooming include a tightly planted container and consistent moisture (not drowning).   My snake plant was thanking me for watering every week! 

Why I love Alabama

Tuesday through Thursday of this week, we were enduring the effects of a snowstorm that devolved into a slushy ice mixture, keeping us housebound (assuming we made it home) and trying desperately to stay warm as temperatures plummeted to 10 degrees.

Today, the sun is shining and we are enjoying a balmy 65 degrees! 

Snow really does insulate

While snowed in this week, I had the opportunity to watch the temperatures inside the cold frame compared to the outside air temperatures.  I knew that snow is a good insulator, but was truly amazed at how well it does the job.

Without any additional blanketing, my cold frame temperature is generally about 8-10 degrees above the outdoor temperature.  With a couple of thick blankets, the differences increases to 10-12 degrees.  Two inches of snow increased the temperature difference to a whopping 20 degrees!  I could have left my plants in the cold frame during this cold snap.  Next time, I will!

Let it snow!

The flurries predicted by Alabama's weather forecasters turned into 2 inches, causing a great deal of difficulties for many of us.  I hope that you are safe and warm this evening.  

In spite of all the challenges is presents, I love snow.  Here is what my Alabama backyard looks like this afternoon.

Snow helps

In the ten winters that I have used my cold frame, I have only had to bring the plants indoors twice because the outdoor temperatures became too cold for it to maintain the interior temperature--both times have been within the last month!  I surrendered to the freezing cold once again this morning and have brought all the plants from the cold frame into the house. 

As I write, it has been snowing for 1 1/2 hours and we have approximately an inch of snow on the ground.  The snow helps insulate the outdoor plants so this round of cold air will not be as hard on my gardens as the "Polar Vortex" was a few weeks ago.

The cold "beat me" to my pipes--my outdoor faucets were both already frozen when I tried to open them.  

I'll take "snow" pictures for the blog later.

Stay warm, summer is coming.

Moss, moss everywhere

Sidewalk moss

My husband and I recently returned from a visit to the Seattle area, where his extended family has lived for many years.  It was my first opportunity to see this beautiful section of our country.

Rooftop moss

The Pacific Northwest is safely nestled between the Olympia and Cascade Mountain ranges with the massive Puget Sound running through the center of the valley.  This unique topography not only shelters it from the storms we think of as typical in the southeast, it creates a moderate climate with many cloudy, foggy, or misty days. 

I was fascinated by the seemingly endless variety of evergreen trees and the postcard-worthy vistas that appeared around nearly every bend in the highway. 

But what made me truly smile, was the moss.  It literally grows everywhere.  I saw trees with their entire structures

Moss lawn

covered in bright green moss.   It grows in flowerbeds and lawns, on sidewalks, parking lots, and rooftops.   Part of normal home and garden maintenance is the removal of moss.  My in-laws tell me it is not difficult, but definitely a nuisance. 

My brother-in-law, Bryan has finally decided to stop trying to remove the moss from his lawn.  He now maintains a moss lawn--it is soft, bright green all year round, and only need occasional mowing.  I thought it was awesome.

We survived the polar vortex

If you don't like the weather in Alabama today,  don't stress out, it will be different tomorrow.  In less than a week, our temperatures went from single digits into the low 60s.  

I took a stroll through my yard yesterday (after the monsoon-like rainfall) to see how my backyard looked after the dreaded polar vortex.  I am happy to report some relatively minor foliage damage, but overall, the gardens appear to survived just fine.  Of course, it will be spring before I will know if some of the tender perennials will return but I am generally pleased with how well everything did. 

Winter is not over.