Hi Beth,

Interesting idea, perhaps you could start the ball rolling?

I grow my plants where I can. My wife and I do not share the same passion for plants but she tolerates it.

Here are some pics of some areas that I am overwintering some of my plants at.

Garage: All these plants are out of the way so they do not bother my wife.

Stairway window: The only problem here is that the cats sometimes get into these.

Computer Room Window: This is the south side of my house so I try to pack the plants in.

The Sunroom: This area was acceptable by my wife in teh first pic but not the second. lol

I know this thread is a little dated and my pics are a little dated since I took them for this thread a while back, but I wanted to share. I hope everyones plants make it through the winter. I have only lost 2 so far and they were very small cuttings of Obscura and Variegated DS-70. Too bad Obscura is my most desired variety. I may have to buy a large established plant next time.

-David

David..Fantastic set up and plants..

Something tells me you love Hoya's...Do they all flower? Those are some real beauties. Which one do you find to grow the most robust and flower for you?
You are lucky to have all that light in your rooms..
I like the Angel Trumpet plant Dave..lol

Mike:-)

Beautiful plants and nice space for them!
I see that most of the people here cultivates tropical plants. It is interesting that you guys choose plants that requires a different weather of your countries and it seems to be very difficult to give the appropriate conditions for the plants. Nice care!

David I think your setup looks very neat and tidy. I love your Brugmansia, had to give all of mine up when I moved to an apartment. You have some really nice plants in your computer room!

Mike

Hi Mitzicos:

Funny you should say that..It is true..

Many of us do grow unique, tropical, cactus, rare, and many other plants for our own different reasons in the coldest parts of the country..

That would be a good thread for another day.

You are right! For me, any plant that reminds me of the Tropical Islands has to live with me , or I with them and I can't afford to leave frigid New England and move to where the tropics are..Maybe someday....
I love Hoya's and many other tropicals not easily found locally,you know, those dime a dozen sold at most local stores.
Because of the extra investment, especially in price, I will do what ever it takes to make them happy, even if it means I have to find a way to slowly fill a room up with them in rooms people would rather see bare in home..lol

I also think the challange is quite rewarding. Sort of the same feeling I get when I can successfully keep a "salt water" fish tank going in a perfect state with happy fish..

Mike: Thanks for all you have done to teach me about Hoya's You have shown me quite a bit..

MIke

Here is a picture of my carnosa (Nikki). I just moved her to the kitchen in an east facing window. She's still growing even at this time of year. I'm hoping that she'll bloom this spring.

{{gwi:115100}}

Brad AKA Moonwolf

MeyerMike - Yes I do love Hoyas, lol. My favorites at this time are my Lacunosas in summer and DS-70. About half of my Hoyas have flowered. I have had great luck with my Carnosas. I have a Carnosa that I made from cuttings 2 summers ago that has flowered for me well. The nice thing about it is that the time frames that the flowers appeared were staggered so I had a couple months there were I could show off the flowers. Btw Not all Carnosas smell the same. We all know the fragrance changes based on day or night, as well as during the beginning of the bloom cycle versus the middle or end. I have one that just smells horrid wheresas most of my others smell faintly familiar and pleasant to me. Also Lacunosas seem to be tough growers for me. They look so great in the summer and fall but as soon as I move them they get fussy and drop leaves. The Lacunosa behind the Brugmansia in the pic is in an 18 inch pot and has dropped leaves everytime I move it. I would love to create some sort of hanger for in so I can sit it and forget about it. Most my plants get very little water in the winter. If they are not putting out new growth or blooming then I am not watering them. I actually am planning on dividing most of my hoyas that are in 8 inch pots. I decided to cut back because... The goal with these plants is to successfully grow them. With that accomplished I have new growth and babies galore. I cannot force myself to throw away these exotic or rare plants that came from the other side of the globe in most cases. Such is the case with my Aloe Saponaris. I have 2 of them that put out about 3 pups a year. I split the pups up then they take one season to get to full size. What do I do with 7 full sized Aloe Saponaris that I currently own??? I don't know people near me that have my similar interest for me to start sharing. Certain areas of the US less people are concerned with Gardening or Houseplants. That seems to be the case here in VA. I can think of two Gardening hotspots in particular... CA and PA... Maybe my next home will be somewhere that is more suited to people that like to grow. It would be funny if I moved to FL I would probably be interested in growing Japanese Maples out of zone whereas I have no interest in growing them here in VA.

Mitzi - I guess I grow out of zone plants because I love the tropics and my plants are a little piece of the tropics for me. Also I like to do difficult tasks that most people don't have the time or patience for. And I like doing stuff that others say cannot be done. I guess I am kind of a rebel.

Mike D - My best friend from HS was named Mike D. And I have always been a Beastie Boys fan so I like the name. Thanks for the compliments on my plants and setup. I'll second what Meyermike said regarding you teaching us about plants(hoyas in particular). Thank you very much. Your input on this board is much appreciated and I can tell everyone enjoys your scientific approach to growing plants. This site wouldn't be as great without you.

Brad - Your Carnosa looks beautiful and healthy. I especially like the dog with the shades at the bottom of your pic. I too lost my best friend while in HS(Mike D). Time heals all and you are doing the right thing by keeping Nikki in your heart. Keep posting.

Thanks for reading.

By the way I am all over the place so that is why I am usually a lurker. When I go back to proofread my posts I usually end up deleting them since I apparently ADD or ADHD.

-David

David, that is actually a bear in the bottom of the picture. They had them years ago for sale in of all places a grocery store and they had several dressed in the style of each decade. The one in the picture is dressed from the 50's and is named Lucy (gee I wonder where that came from? lol). I'm an I Love Lucy fan (and Lucille Ball in general).

Thank you for your comments about Nikki. Do you think she looks large enough to bloom in the spring?

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Dave: Can you e-mail privately? I have a question?

I would really appreciate it..When I get a bit more time, I will have to reread what you wrote and comment..
Thank you very much!

Mike

Hi Brad!;-)))

Thanks David. :)

I was wondering if you are a member of any local gardening groups? Is there really that much of a lack of interest in gardening in your area of the country? When I have extra plants I use them to trade for something new, take them to a local plant swap that is organized through GardenWeb or I donate them to the raffle table at Orchid Society meetings. I have met many friends through this hobby of mine and between us we are always trading something.
Right now I am sowing Gesneriad seeds and by spring I will have hundreds of seedlings that need new homes. I think part of the fun is getting people interested in growing something that they normally would never see available from most nurseries.

Mike

Mike: I am not sure if you saw my post, but I just wanted to thank you for all you have shown me here..You have been very kind and full of help and encouragement..

You were very welcoming and directed me in many ways to be able to enjoy these beautiful plants..I am still reading a lot of what you share..

Thank you again and have a great Holiday..:-))

Mike

MeyerMike - Feel free to email me if you'd like. My email address should be linked to this account.

Mike D - I live in central VA. There is some interested in farming near me but that is usually fruits and vegetables. There are some gardening groups that meet in Northern Virginia. I went to a plant swap last year and meet some Native plant only people that were a little annoying(sorry to say). They gave me a hard time about out of zone gardening and called my Yucca Rostrata seedlings that I was sharing invasive. I would love for this species to invade my gardens but unfortunately that will not happen. Maybe I will try again soon.

Brad - You should try to include other bears in some of your plant pics. It would be cool to see their different get ups. Regarding your Carnosa, Nikki... I think it is a large enough size to bloom for you. An observation that I made with my Carnosa this year was that when they climbed I was rewarded with penducles galore. I have one that was growing next to a trellis that never bloomed. This summer a few vines grabbed hold and climbed to the top and each of those vines had 3 penducles where there were none before. I also grew 2 other carnosa in close proximity of each other. They spent this summer tangling up with each other and attempting to climb into the tree that they were hanging from. Both these carnosas now have penducles and have bloomed. My only carnosa that haven't bloomed are the hanging varieties such as Compacta, Compacta Variegata, and 'Chelsea'. My next project, I will be building something to hang my hoyas on that is topped with a trellis that they can grab onto and climb up. I think they will enjoy this and I will be able to dress it up so it looks very nice inside and outside.

Good luck growing everyone.
-David

Thanks Mike. :)

David that's too bad about the gardening swap. Did you ever get Yucca rostrata established in your garden? I have some seedlings of Yucca rostrata and Hesperaloe parviflora that should be ready to plant out this summer although I am not sure the Yucca will survive here. I will keep some as container plants and the rest will go to friends and family.

Mike

David, mom doesn't have any more bears. However, there are several nice knick-knacks around the house. Funny thing you should mention about including other objects in plant pictures; I have a small conch shell a former substitute teacher (she works with stones and minerals now full time) gave me when I saw her at the local Christmas craft show. I told her about my plants and she said to stick it on a stake and put it in the pot. I told her I would place it in the plant I named after Nikki. I'm very happy to hear that she looks large enough to bloom! No signs of developing peduncles but she is growing a new vine :).

Hi Mike!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Mike D - My Yucca rostrata seedling are actually 3rd year plants. They have not formed any sort of trunk yet and are still pretty small. I planted them along side some Needle Palms. The Needle Palms did not make it though. I grow Hesperaloe parviflora as well and I think they are a must have for any garden. I think they will live outdoors as far north as Southern Canada.

I think this is my only picture that I have posted already that shows my plant. The Hesperaloe parviflora is the snow covered plant in the front of the pic. I have bloom pics but would have to post them on my album before I can add them here.

-David
Tons of popups today.

Thanks for the photo David. There is a nice planting of Hesperaloe parviflora in my neighborhood so I know that one is hardy here.

Mike

Dave: I tryed to e-mail you and I get a popup of a bank..

Can you please e-mail me?I would love that..By the way, you gave me a great idea on what to do to my Fig trees!!!
What a beautiful picture! Thank you

Mike

Mike - I emailed you. THat protection is nother Mike... You should see what some of the folks on the Palm board do for protection.

-David