Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Potted Elephant inspiration, and purchases

We return to the Potted Elephant for a handful of photos meant to remind myself (and maybe you too?) to be creative with how I grow my plants. I first saw this tillandsia encrusted plant in Dicks greenhouse (that is Richard Van Ingen, we'll revisit that name throughout this post). It's still just as inspiring as the first time I saw it.

Plants on a large hunk of driftwood.

And mounted on slabs of wood, evidently even begonias don't mind this treatment.

Or jewel orchids, since this Ludisia discolor appears to be happy.

I should have asked about buying this orchid in a pot made by Richard Van Ingen, the color has always put me off a bit, but I love the shape and texture—I've photographed it a few times and I really should just do it.

The orchids I've grown on a stick (purchased as such) have done very well, I should try growing more plants like this.

Even "Christmas cactus" can be mounted.

The possibilities are endless.





Ha! This gingerbread man is another Richard Van Ingen creation, Cory pulled it out knowing I'd appreciate it.

One last planting from the Potted Elephant collection.

This one I'm determined to "recreate" here at home. My jungle cactus that were so happily nested in Clifford's branches last year need to find a new place to live, I'm finally giving into Andrew's desire to prune up the lower branches of our Magnolia macrophylla.

My plan is to somehow mount them behind this large piece of driftwood. Yes that's snow—I took this photo last week, it's gone now...

...and then somehow mount that on our fence.

Like that! (ish) Wish me luck!

So what did I buy? This pair of Lepismium cruciforme spiralis came home with me, they have a little growing to do!

I also bought a small Kalanchoe beauverdii, because I was absolutely smitten with this plant growing in one of their greenhouses. Look at those flowers! 


Their plant was growing on an epiphyllum, it's a look I really liked and may try to recreate.

The best description of Kalanchoe beauverdii is one I found on World of Succulents: "Kalanchoe beauverdii is a climber with branching, gray, wiry stems that clamber and twine and hold green to dark purple, succulent leaves with numerous easily caducous bulbils on the teeth.  The leaves are very variable in shape and size, linear, narrowly spatulate, hastate, ovate to oblong, sometimes triobate-hastate, up to 2 inches long and held in widely opposite pairs alternating 90 degrees form the last pair. The reed-purple tinged, gray-green flowers hang downwards in terminal clusters in winter and spring."


Here's my little plant.

My final purchase was a hanging planter, or rather pieces that will become a hanging planter, from Richard Van Ingen.

I think they look vaguely leaf (lily pad?) shaped and will go nicely with my other two Richard Van Ingen hanging leaves.

This one, top...

Bottom...

And this one, top...

And bottom.


Weather Diary, Feb 22: Hi 53, Low 43/ Precip .18 

All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

11 comments:

  1. This post on the PE is very timely for me! Lots of great ideas. I remember having that K. beauverdii winding through a pipe rack a few years ago -- such a cool plant.

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    1. Hmm, sounds like maybe it's gone now—what happened?

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  2. I love the idea of epiphytic mounting. I wonder how often they need to be watered though?

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    1. As you might recall I have a ton of bromeliads mounted and hung on the fence behind the shade pavilion (a fern too!) and last year my jungle cactus collection perched in Clifford's lower branches. When we were in the 90's I tried to water once a day, in the morning. Otherwise every couple of days seemed to be quite adequate.

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  3. The hanging planters you selected have much more agreeable pigment.
    The mounting and hanging options in the greenhouse are inspiring. The only thing that stumps me is watering. My Tillandsia sometimes get sprayed, (water goes everywhere...) and other times soaked for a while, but if mounted on the log it can become challenging. I'd love to hear you solution for that.

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    1. During their outdoor months I simply spray them with the hose, set to the shower setting. During their indoor months it's a combination of misting and taking them over to the sink and soaking. So far everything except the trash can lid planting I put together last summer fits in the sink. Something large like the driftwood piece might have to be carried outside to be watered really well. Where there is the will, I will find a way.

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  4. The mounting technique is great, but it is tough here because it's so dry. The gingerbread cookie hanger and the other similar are fun! A super creative take on planters.

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    1. I understand. During our intense fire storm late last summer, with the drying winds and almost 0% humidity things dried out here very quickly and with the air quality so poor that we were warned to stay indoors watering just didn't happen. Thankfully that was only a week or so. But still, while these plants are outside we aren't getting any moisture either (no summer rain). Anything they get is supplied by me.

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  5. I love these mounted plants, although I don't trust myself to give them the regular attention (water) they need, especially during our long dry periods. I love the Kalanchoe, which I don't think I've ever seen before.

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    1. I don't remember ever seeing it either, but evidently Denise was ahead of us both!

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  6. I was just rereading my blog from last March to see when it was that I first figured out just how big a change life was about to take.

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