Tillandsias now have me hooked.
The kitchen steams up throughout the year when cooking so it’s a perfect environment for air plants.
I’ve been after living stone plants for ages. They utterly fascinate me. Here are my recent acquisitions in the blue planter.
Now we are in our third national lockdown, I decided that if I’m going to be home for another three months I may as well have beautiful plants to look at.
Given Christmas and a birthday allowed me to draw up a list, and as deliveries are so backdated, January is going to be a month of endless treats. Staggered presents are just delightful. I might just make it a thing each year.
Around here it’s been ice, ice and even icier. About a week ago I was putting the recycling out and took an awful tumble. I fell flat on my back and walloped my head on the flags. Talk about seeing stars. Each day I got stiffer and could barely move. Added to that was the unrelenting lurgy. Thankfully I’m now on the mend, but am walking like a toddler, terrified of ice! I do hope I get over myself!
I have two of these glass air plant holders and four more along with air plants winging their way to me.
These round planters were another self-selected present from hubs, along with the air plants.
Now, do you see those cutting tubes either side of the cat paintings?
Well, they came with a tiny packet of what I thought were beads. Hubs took this photo with his iPad the next day as the instructions were too tiny for me to read.
I popped them into the six test tubes, added water and some stolen cuttings and went into the lounge to enjoy the warmth of the log burner.
When I next popped into the kitchen for a drink, it was like a scene from the Body Snatchers. Alien blobs were pouring out of the test tubes, onto the bar and all over the floor! I was frantically trying to pick them up to prevent the dogs at my heels eating them.
In other news I thought this was funny. While hubs was out on the click and collect supermarket run, he texted this pic along with the caption, grit and collect.
And Finally…
I remembered how much fun it is to play aeroplanes and walk the white runway that is a football pitch.
Until next time, stay safe and hang on in there guys!
Hello there and VERY Happy New Year ! .. and for all of us eventually ? LOL
I’m so sorry about your tumble … that had to be nasty and yes it takes a while to recover from that. I had done an over stretch to myself and had to stay away from even yoga to have it heal.
I tend to do it about twice a year to myself .. god knows why ? My ego ? knowing how flexible I LOL
Love the air plants .. I used to have a load of little ones ages ago and couldn’t believe how they survived with no soil or water .. amazing little things .. I am growing sprouts .. it takes about 7 days from tiny seed to harvestable greens .. but it is amazing to watch and eventually eat ? LOL
Stay safe and healthy !
Joy 😉
Oh yes, here’s to us all having a happier year! The older we get the more things seem to hurt! Oh, I grew micro greens this year too, they are just delicious. I hope you post about yours. You stay safe too.xxx
So sorry to read about your recent fall, hope everything is healing well and you are not too stiff.
I do not like icy pavements at all and always do my best to take extra care.
Love that last photograph there’s no better thing than playing ‘aeroplanes’ with your adorable grand-daughter 🙂
Hope the new week will be a good one for you.
Stay safe and well.
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan, I’m fine now but could barely walk after that fall. I will avoid icy areas like the plague now.xxx
Big P.S.
I wrote previous reply on iPad. Kept it short because I never know if a reply will ever be one, or disappear with a message about one not being able to upload. I have had this with numerous posts replies, not exclusive to you, you’ll be pleased to hear.
How are your head, pains and strains? What a horrible fall. (Not that any fall is great). It has been very icy and slippy weather. It must have been a real shock for you and hubs. I am very concerned for you.
The instructions for the, what were they, flying saucers, were/are cryptic, at the least. In view of the use of the perpendicular first person, I hoped they might talk and instruct you step-by-step how to make you very happy.
Do take good care of yourself, SB and stay safe and well. xxxxxx
So sorry to hear you are having problems commenting, that must be annoying. Sadly I have no idea how to fix it. I’m feeling much better now, thank you, but really wary of slippy surfaces. I was stiff as a board for ten days. I couldn’t even read the instructions as they were so small, it was only when hubs took a pic the weird instructions became clear. How funny!!! xxx
Bravo with the air plants, mine didn’t fair well, nor did my terrarium, I’ve awesome skills, I even kill off silk flowers, lol.
Haha…poor silk flowers. I hope mine survive.xxx
I’ve never had much luck with air plant, especially long term. I benefitted from some very beautiful pottery wall ‘pots’ while trying.
Good luck with yours.
Xxxxxx
Thanks Menhir. I hope mine remain happy. I have my fingers crossed.xxx
How lovely. I’ve yet to give them a try.
Amalia
xo
Thanks Amelia. They will certainly add interest.xxx
I love our indoor plants, but yours are unusual. I hope you’re feeling better now. I”m nervous about going out when it’s icy underfoot. It sounds as if you had a nasty fall. Take care Dina. xxL
Thanks Linda, yes, the plants are certainly fascinating. I could look at them all day. I’m a lot better now but far more wary of slippery surfaces.xxx
I hate ice too especially on slopes. No doubt there are plenty of broken bones adding to the NHS burdens.
I once grew some loving stones from seeds. What were those flying saucer shaped things.
I hate trendy print but it doesn’t help if it’s written in gobbledygook
Yes, I’m sure many are injuring themselves during these icy weeks. I must try growing living stones from seed, I tried cacti once but had no luck as the seeds failed to germinate. The blobs are plant feed. Laughing re your gobbledygook comment.xxx
Taking a tumble like that is so easily done, I hope that you’re okay and feeling better.
Air plants are fascinating, as are living stones.
Thanks, and you too. xx
Thanks Flighty. The older I get the more I dislike ice! I’m much better now, thankfully. Yes air plants and living stones are weirdly beautiful. xxx
Great post and images, and the air plants. Happy New year too.
Thanks Peter. All the best to you and yours.xxx
That’s quite a collection of plants you’ve got. Oh yes, little presents arriving throughout the month sounds wonderful, especially when you know they’re presents you’re going to love. A work colleague of Eleanor’s grows living stone plants from seed, she brought a tiny thing in to give to Eleanor a while ago and of course it’s been left for me to care for. It’s hardly grown in all that time, I really need to read up about them and see if I’m doing something wrong. Hope you’re feeling better now and that you’re not too black and blue from your tumble.
Thanks Jo. I’m feeling much better now. How interesting, growing living stones from seed, I think they are very slow growing plants. Yes, it’s lovely getting staggered presents, especially during winter when everything feels so grim.xxx
Your Tillandsias are wonderful. We have two that are native: the lovely, draping Spanish moss, and ball moss, that’s not so pretty, but that has the neatest, tiniest flower ever. It’s only about a quarter inch long, on a thread-like stem.
You have all my sympathy when it comes to that ice tumble. My most famous ice fall sent me down a flight of ice-covered steps: bumpbumpBUMP! A heavy coat and a little extra padding in the nether regions saved me.
Your experience with the pretty beads is hilarious. Those instructions were gems, too. I’ve never seen anything like that, but I have seen flowers from China that open in water into chrysanthemums and lilies and such.
I’ve never seen the lithops for real, but everything I’ve seen and read is fascinating. Do they ever bloom? That would be a treat, for sure.
Thanks Linda. How lucky you are to have native air plants. I have the Spanish moss and love it. Flowers would be the icing on the cake. Lordy, your fall down the steps could have been so much worse, thank goodness for a heavy coat. It was funny seeing blobs bouncing around the kitchen, talk about unexpected! Yes, apparently they do bloom. I have my fingers crossed.xxx
Your plants look great, I don’t think I’ve seen ones quite like that. You are very good at picking up new hobbies! Sorry to hear about your fall, it really makes you jumpy when something like that happens.
Lovely to see little ‘urchin, just like mine, growing up fast!
Thanks Gerrie, air plants are unusual little creatures, so ancient looking. Nature sure is amazing. Yes, a fall does make you nervous, I’m walking on ice now as though I’m a thousand years old. Kids grow far too fast, how time flies. xxx
I love your air plants. I have a few that were a present last year but I keep mine in the bathroom. Your lithops are gorgeous too and those test tubes are ingenious. Ooh, I hope your back recovers quickly and your poor head! xx
Thanks Veggiemummy. Good to know you have air plants too, they seem so prehistoric don’t they? I’m much happier now all my aches and pains have gone. xxx
Those beads and the package description had me laughing. I’m sorry you had to be frantic with dogs around, but there was hardly any way to anticipate what was supposed to occur based on those “instructions”!
And so extra sorry you’ve fallen. Hope you’ve had some rest and that your muscles have recovered. Poor you!
Tillandsias look like they love you right back 🙂 Enjoy them and your keeps-on-giving plant gifts!
I really was astonished seeing those balls bouncing around the kitchen. Haha, those instructions weren’t exactly clear, along with being too tiny to read. Thankfully I’ve now recovered from the fall and the lurgy. Thanks Anne.xxx
What lovely, interesting and unique things you have all round you! So creative and hopeful. But you poor thing. Falling over AND a lurgy – now that’s just greedy! You need the sort of boots I had for icy Romanian winters, with spikes in the soles. So much safer. Take care and hugs! xx
Thanks Gill. It was a bad fall so I’m grateful the aches and pains have finally gone, along with the lurgy! How I wish I had a pair of those spiky boots. Hugs.xxx
I am loving your plants and the kitty Kat paintings. Wonderful to see you and Li’lle Urchin playing together….and oh my goodness she is growing so tall:). Stay safe and remember this to shall pass…….eventually. Sending love. JanetXXXXX
Thanks Janet. Littl’urchin is growing up far too fast. Oh, here’s to this situation passing! Love and hugs.xxx
Wow! What a lot of beauty! I love those round glass planters, and had never heard of living stone plants. Hooray, Dina! I’m so happy to hear that you’ll be receiving lovely gifts all month!
I’ve really been laughing about your colored blobs; the directions are soooooo funny! I think I’ll start telling Phillip he’s my “one clear beauty satiety face,” and if he wants “to oxygen and nutrition,” I will help him too much.
I LOVE the test tube planters. They look so lovely and elegant!
Oh, what fun to play airplane with Li’l Urchin. Wow! Did I need such a joyful post today; thank you, dear friend. Love to all and be safe in this new lockdown. xxxx
Thanks Kitty, the living stone plants are just lovely, such fascinating little creatures. I must say I am enjoying all the staggered presents, they sure brighten the winter. Hahaha, Philip must think you’ve lost your mind!!! I was amazed seeing all those blobs spilling everywhere. Who knew??? Love and hugs to you all.xxxx