updates

I still like to keep track of what's going on with the plants, even though there are no images to grace the pages right now. Of note, lately:

My Croton stump has nice-sized leaves now, they look beautiful. And the one surviving cutting is growing more roots in its jar of water. Toddler points to it and says "plant have legs!"

I have taken cuttings of Pothos and stuck a few trimmed stems into the fishbowl that houses one of my bettas, Bluet. His aquatic plant was dying. Either because the light is too low now (I moved the bowl to a different side of the desk, the direct sun was causing too much algae) or because I forgot a few times to give plant-food drops. The pothos stems fit nicely through the holes in the bowl lid, which supports it but still lets in plenty of air, and is easy to lift off, roots (forthcoming) and all when it's time to feed or clean. Bluet himself seems curious about the bits of stem poking down into his ceiling, he's constantly swimming around up there inspecting them. One is growing little root buds already.

I also took cuttings of my sweedish Begonia, and put in a jar of water to root. I want the plant to divide closer to the soil surface and give more stems, plus can start a new pot with the cuttings.

On the balcony, I have thrown out the last Broccoli plant. Sum conclusion: vegetables do not do well in part shade, nor in containers for me, at least. All I have left now in terms of veggies is one swiss Chard plant, one Celery plant, and the bag of Potatoes. Speaking of which, the stems have grown out through the balcony railing and trail, reaching for sun. Too leggy by far. I dug my hands down to see if any potatoes are forming, and just find spindly roots. So I think that was a failure, too.

I do still have the herbs, most of which are doing fine: Chives, Rosemary (made a lot of rosemary biscuits lately), Sage, two pots of Basil, Green Onions, one straggly Mint.

I pulled up and tossed one terrible-looking Nasturtium that had lost most of its leaves; the remaining one got all its sick leaves trimmed off and bounced back amazingly. It's filled out its side of the planter box and is sprawling onwards.

Of all the other plants, the ones that are doing best, and seem least troubled by bugs or disease are the two I dug up as volunteer seedlings and brought with me out of the old yard: the Hibiscus and the Mimosa!

And I have these new lovely favorites, which are apt to do well in the shady conditions (acquired about a month ago):