Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Indoor plant projects (working in the basement garden)

My need to garden transcends the seasons. Thus I am thrilled when there are projects beyond watering and fussing over the plants in the basement garden. This sweet little planting was put together when I found a terracotta candle holder that reminded me of the metal bits I'd seen planted up at The Tropics, Inc.

There's just a tiny space for soil. I looked to a few different plants I might experiment with planting but then fell hard for a small orchid (Oncidium Twinkle 'Red Fire') and that was that. I wish I would have taken in-process planting pics but I did not.

I loved the foliage and the swollen pseudobulbs...

But the fact there were three stems loaded with flower buds sealed the deal. The flowers are starting to open. 

They're tiny, but majestic.

My next project involved an Aglaomorpha coronans, but not this one. Nope, this one is my original plant that I've been growing for a little over two years now.

It's thrown out several new fronds, but is just starting to take ownership of the container I planted it in.


Here's what it looked like when I brought it home, back in September of 2022.

My plant came from the talented and generous Rob Co, of the Pitcher Plant Project and ix.rco.xi on Instagram. I visited Rob at his home and snapped many a photo (blog post here). Here's one of his impressive Aglaomorpha coronans from that visit, one that has taken ownership of the container it's growing in.

Okay, so the project. Since I've had success with my first aglaomorpha, and I absolutely love the genus/species, I grabbed an overgrown Aglaomorpha coronans in a 10" pot when I saw it, figuring I could divide it and have some plants to play with potting up. I've never seen this plant on offer at a local nursery (that I remember) and so I jumped at the chance. Here it is post division. One plant made five...

And here they are after potting up. I have no intention of growing them on like this (plant mounting/epiphytic experiments await), but once I realized I needed to treat them like ferns (rather than succulents) I potted them up to keep them happy.

I've never noticed the thin red outline of the leaves before.

And love the fuzzy rhizomes with tiny little fronds beginning to unfurl.

The next project involves Rob again, and another fern. He messaged me recently asking if I'd be interested in a few Diplazium proliferum pups and sent this photo...

Of course I would! Researching the plant online (I'd never heard of it) I came across this image from Th.Voekler on Useful Tropical Plants. Look at those adorable little ferns!

I also found this one from H. Zell on the same website.

Here's what I got from Rob...

And all planted up—in a green rubber seedling tray I scored at a plant swap last fall. BTW, if you haven't bought one, or two (or more) of the boot trays from IKEA (the grey tray below) what are you waiting for? They are perfect for working with soil indoors, or watering/soaking plants.

I went with a few squares each of soil and sphagnum moss to try and root the little bulbils, because I was curious how they'd respond to the different growing medium. The ones that have already "sprouted" came that way from Rob.



They are so cute, already green and with tiny scales.

The tray is fantastic because it's flexible and has small holes in the bottom to drain or soak up water.

Rob later shared this photo he took when visiting Dan Yansura's greenhouse in the Bay Area, Dan is who Rob got his Diplazium proliferum from. Pretty fabulous, no?

Of course then I went looking to learn more about Dan and realized I watched a presentation he gave for the Hardy Fern Foundation last April. It's a small world!

Just one more entry in this post and it's not a project, but rather just a tribute to my Nepenthes lowii x ventricosa ‘Red’, growing in the basement garden for the cool season.

Look at the sticky substance inside the pitcher...

The fabulous ridges around the opening...

And the little hairs underneath the "hood"... ain't nature grand?

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

14 comments:

  1. I'm glad you're getting job from your basement garden! I love the tiny orchid and its diminutive pot. And I can fully appreciate your fondness for ferns, even as I struggle with them. There are only a few I've managed to keep alive so I'll continue to enjoy those plants through your photo lens.

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    1. And I'm sure I'll continue to test your patience with more fern photos!

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  2. Love the aglaomorpha, what a greenhouse treasure! I note it's zoned to 10 but doubt it could handle the lack of humidity outdoors -- proving every zone needs a greenhouse! Maybe it could handle life in my little bath house...

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    1. I bet it could be happy if the gardener was in residence to spray it every now and then, but definitely not for months on end with no moisture. The bath house sounds like a good compromise.

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  3. Very clever to use the terracotta candle holder as a planter. Please share a photo when fully in bloom. (No concern about it being top heavy?)
    Love your Aglaomorpha coronans: much growth since 2022.
    How did you divide the larger plant? A knife? Garden sheers?
    And then there are the Diplazium proliferum pups. OMG, so darn cute. I wouldn't have the patience, but I applaud yours. It would be fun to see pups continue to grow on the 'mother' frond, unharvested. That'd be a sight.
    Chavli

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    1. Zero concern about it being top-heavy. The base is so much heavier. I will send you a photo of the blooms (I came back from San Diego to full bloom status) when I send the tickets. I divided the Aglaomorpha coronans with a kitchen knife that's a garden tool. Once a few cuts had been made it was easy to pry apart.

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  4. Whoa that Nepenthes is so cool! Love the little ridges around the opening. Corduroy!
    Jim North Tabor

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    1. I can't stop staring at those pitchers, thus I decided to share. Glad you liked them.

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  5. I love how you potted up the majestic orchid! I was so inspired by your The Tropics, Inc. post. I've set aside a Sedum multiceps that may work -I just need to acquire the right pot. The wee Diplazium proliferum pups look like they are off to a great start, I look forward to following along. The leaf "hug" is so gratifying, dang. I'd be spending time each day to go down to that basement garden to check on Nepenthes.

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    1. I'd never heard of Sedum multiceps until I read your comment. Looks like a cool plant and I can't wait to see what you do with it.

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  6. I hung my Nepenthes (from rare plant research- you've got the same one) over my kitchen sink and I can't believe how great it's looking, loaded with cups. Never thought I'd be any kind of a fan, but I am. Fruit fly season has never been so pleasant. I think it's going to stay there. I just hope a few more flies drop in to keep it happy until spring. I've been wondering if it can handle brown murmurated stink bugs, now that would be a win!
    Your Oncidium is delightful and the ferns great, but I think I'm going to resist them for now. I'll just enjoy watching your zone 10 ones from here.

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    1. I've thought about bringing one of my nepenthes into the kitchen when the fruit flies are active, good to know it works! I'd worry that a stink bug would result in a looonnnng duration of that smell, as the plant's digestive juices took their time in killing. it.

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  7. This may be my favorite post! As much as I enjoy the wanders around your incredible garden, and jaunts to other gardens, there is something so magical about creativity in nature. It's almost like someone tapped one of those huge zen symbols and I feel it in my bones. Looking through the pics and reading the story, your discoveries, and the obvious joy in time spent just playing with your plants. Thanks so much for sharing!

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    1. Thank you for commenting! Knowing people are reading (and appreciating) these posts means the world to me.

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