Puttering with Plants

 

Wednesday is plant watering day around here.

I find a weekly visit with the watering can seems to do the trick with my houseplants.  I chose Wednesday as it starts with W ... just like water.  Makes it easy to remember which day I did this task last week.  Kind of like how I give Peanut her heartworm pill on the 10th of the month because that is the day of the month that my sons and grandson were born on.  At this stage of life, it helps to do these little association tricks.  At least for me it does.  How about you?

Normally by this time of year my one and only geranium would be taking up residence in the garage or be relegated to the compost heap.  This year it was so mild right through Christmastime, that I left it on the front porch where it continued to put out smallish red blooms.   Now that we are getting some colder weather I decided to bring it in and since it was loaded with buds it bypassed the garage and is being moved into my bedroom where we can enjoy watching those buds open.

It should feel right at home in there near my Meyer Lemon Tree which is also hanging out indoors next to the window.  This is the second year I've moved the lemon tree inside.  It dropped about half of it's leaves last month, which is normal.  Now it seems to have leveled off and is doing quite well.  I try to remember to mist it with water periodically too.

 

I noticed today that it is putting out some buds.

I look forward to seeing whether they will eventually turn into lemons.

I have yet to grow a lemon on this tree and I'm not quite sure why.

In the spring I move it back to the patio where I make sure it receives adequate water and fertilizer throughout the spring and summer.  Last spring it was covered in blossoms and I was envisioning a large lemon crop.  Before the lemons formed a storm blew all the blossoms off and that was the end of that.  My next plan is to look for fertilizer specifically for citrus trees.

Have any of you had any success with the potted lemon trees? 

The sun shines nicely in our bedroom which makes me and the plants happy.

The amaryllis bulb my sister sent for Christmas has doubled in size since I moved it from the mantle to the bedroom table.

 The plump bud is just popping out of the "earth".

The landscape outside may be a bit dormant, but in here signs of life are popping out all over.  A hopeful sign as I sit here in my sweater sipping a warming cup of tea.