Monday, October 21, 2024

The Great Migration, a time to appreciate the details

The Great Migration is underway, tender plants moving from outside to inside. Looking at my work deadlines, and the forecast, I decided I needed to take advantage of any sunny dry afternoon and attack the plant moves in small bite sized chunks. Working in front of my computer for a few hours, then getting up, out, and moving plants. It's surprising how much I can get done (both versions) in just two or three hours. This photo was taken on October 4th...

Before any of the plants come into the house I look them over for small critters (slugs, spiders, mealy bugs) and clean up any dead leaves and debris. It's a great time to really appreciate the details and how much things have grown over the summer. This Aglaomorpha coronans threw out so many new fronds.

I hadn't noticed the stripes on this NoID nepenthes before. 

Any experts that can make an ID? (I bought it without one)

The top of the pitchers have a little alfalfa cowlick.

Quesnelia arvensis, a gift from Steve at The Rainforest Garden way back in 2010! Easily the oldest bromeliad in my collection.

The Tillandsia xerographica at it's base came from another friend, the center was showing signs of rot back when he gave it to me, but look... it's sending out a pup!

October 16th now and more plants are inside. After reading a post on Martha's annual migration the day before I was feeling pretty stoked about what I accomplish on my own, with no staff, equipment, or pricy greenhouse facilities.

My spiral cactus (Cereus forbesii) reflects the strange life it's had going from living with Gerhard in Davis, CA, to traveling up to Portland and living a split life between the basement garden and the outdoors. I love it's odd form.


My golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) started growing pups off the top of it's head (looking like a spiky man-bun) a couple of years ago. When I went to bring the pot indoors it was obvious the big barrel was dying so I carefully removed the babies and planted them up. We'll see how long it takes them to outgrow this pot.

Kumara plicatilis, Aloe erinacea, and Euphorbia platyclada.

Deuterocohnia lorentziana

Deuterocohnia brevifolia

Side by side

Agave pelona in the front.

Agave stricta

Echeveria 'Trumpet Pinky' and friends.

Echeveria setosa got quite wet before I brought it in, I hope it doesn't mind.

My Mexican fencepost cactus (Lophocereus marginatus) made a baby this summer.

I brought the three mama plants (it was a group effort I'm sure) back from Truth or Consequences, NM, in 2013 they were so small then!

These Pachypodium lamerei are even older.

Buds on the schlumbergera.

Ditto for the Lockhartia hercodonta, an orchid.

One of it's tiny buds opened, it's a minute orchid flower.

Right on queue this epiphyllum came in budded up.

The flowers are already opening.

The pots of bromeliad and rhipsalis that live on top of the tall metal cylinders in the SW corner of the garden grew tremendously this summer. That necessitated a rethinking of the bromeliad storage area.

I caught a flash of color one day and managed to appreciate this small bromeliad flower.

So many nepenthes pitchers on the Nepenthes 'Miranda' and N. lowii x ventricosa (in the same container).


The garbage can lid bromeliad plantings are spending the winter on top of large terracotta planters. It's kind of amazing how many bromeliads I've accumulated.

The basement garden as it is today...




And a new area for hanging tilladsia, over the washing machine. Trust me, all of that space will be full soon...

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27 comments:

  1. You really got a lot done, this has lit a fire under me. I've spent the past few days not focused on any one thing - and it has gotten me nowhere! I like your basement garden, do you spray everything down with water every now & again?

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    1. I do, unfortunately with a spray mister not a hose. I also try to be generous watering and every once and awhile (not as often as I should) I take some things to the sink for a good soak.

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  2. Great post in that it showcases individual plants that are usually just part of the ensemble cast. Like every year, I'm in awe of your dedication!

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    1. I keep wondering how much longer this can go on!

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  3. When I originally heard about your annual plant migration, my first thoughts were that I was glad I didn't have to deal with that but my viewpoint's changed dramatically over the years. Not only does the process give you an opportunity to check and primp each individual plant but I see the exercise overall as a sort of art installation in your basement. It looks different every year!

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    1. Someone on Instagram likened the basement garden to how museums store art that's not on display. I liked that!

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  4. Oh my Goodness! You Migrated Already! I have to Muck Out the Greenhouse First. But Today Paperwork. So Many Beautiful Babies You Have!

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    1. Gotta start sometime! Plus there is still the outdoor greenhouse to build and those containers to move...

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  5. I'm getting there, too, but we've had a respite of mild weather...so, it will happen on Thursday. You have quite the system there, and lots of plants that you bring in. :)

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    1. The weather here has been pretty mild as well, I am really enjoying it. It's always a little difficult to begin the process but once it's underway it's not so bad.

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  6. Jeanne DeBenedetti KeyesOctober 21, 2024

    Your basement garden is gorgeous, Loree! It is almost like christmas, when you bring the plants back in and see a new leaf, flower, etc.

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    1. Oh I'd reserve the Christmas comparison for Spring, when everything gets to go back outside again!

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  7. Do you have grow lights in the basement?

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    1. There are a couple of spotlights that were sold as grow lights. The rest are a mix of florescent tubes, LEDs and just random lights.

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  8. I spent my weekend working on this too! I wanted everything to get one nice rain before I moved it in so I've been waiting and watching overnight temps and rain. Just realized I have reached my storage limit, so now I'm reworking things to reduce how many things to store. Not my favorite thing! Still watching the temps closely, I think I have two more days to finish up or I'll be filling up the (already full) garage too! I found a couple of stealthy baby slugs after I brought one in, and one escaped. I don't think being warned about a potential kitchen slug really made husband too happy. As yet, no sightings or screams of slug contact. I'm hoping it just crawled away and dried out

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    1. Ya, before I started I took a walk around and asked myself what I didn't really LOVE anymore. Quite a few things were given away. I don't know about you, but there's a time in the process where I think "oh hey, I have plenty of space!"... then by the time I'm almost done I realize that was crazy talk and I have NO space. Good luck with the slugs.

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  9. One plus for Phoenix is I don't have to do a migration. Thank goodness because I have nowhere to put them in my house. No basement and wood shutters on all my windows. The first time I ever saw nepenthes was here on your blog. How I love them! Just fascinating! Your plants are safe and I bet that feels good!

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    1. It does feel good to know they're inside, out of the weather. I've stopped thinking of them as safe though, after last winter when so many friends lost power for days and the temperature inside their homes plummeted.

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  10. I want to know more about the large metal(?) picture frame! What type of metal is it? What plants are growing inside? How did you make it? I love it.

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    1. All will be revealed here: http://www.thedangergarden.com/2024/07/fern-frame.html

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  11. I always admire your commitment to this migration process: I couldn't do it.
    Do you have a favorite between the two Deuterocohnia?
    And a silly question: are there enough fruit flies for the pitcher plants to be happy and well fed all winter? (Maybe they hibernate :-D).
    Chavli

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    1. I do have a favorite, the D. brevifolia is the first one I saw at the Huntington Garden years ago, thus it holds a special place in my heart. That's not a silly question about the pitcher plants. They have a nice collection of creatures in the pitchers from their summer vacation and they will continue to break them down over the next few months, even if no new meals fly in they'll be well fed.

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  12. What a beautiful way to migrate the plants. Stunning photos.

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  13. Protect those babies! What a collection! Safe harbor to your plants!
    Jim N Tabor

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    1. As long as there's a way and I am able I can't imagine not trying to keep them all alive!

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  14. The one potentially unintentional aspect of this post was that I really got to focus in on some of your containers - ribs, concrete, crackling, metal - a very nice assortment that go well together. I think you said you had roughly 350 containers? I can't help but think if you had 15 more, you would have one for every day of the year. Now that would be a BIG blog post challenge - featuring one container for every day of the year. Second crazy thought of the day - painting the posts in your basement the same orange of your pavilion. Voila! A summer retreat in the basement!

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