Not too many to count


Much of December through mid-March is spent wrangling bulbs and flowering houseplants: that is their big season. This is the first time I’ve attempted a count— I'm doing it because a count has been requested by Mr. McGregor’s Daughter. She has more than she thought, and wants to know if that's true for a lot of gardeners who don't think they have many houseplants.


I won’t leave anyone in suspense—I have 70, which really isn’t all that many. And quite a number of them are temporary. Indoor plants have come into my possession three different ways.


First there are the traditional houseplants, which are tropicals or warm zone perennials such as ficus, sanseviera, orchids, and so on. I have 28 of those, including a nice bonsai, a few zygocactus, a cyclamen, a couple of big foliage numbers, and others of various interest.


Then there are plants that I am really just keeping alive inside until I can bring them outside for the summer, where some of them will produce fragrant flowers. These include 3 gardenia, 2 jasmine, a big musa, a papyrus, and quite a few others. There are 20 of these.


Then there are bulbs, including tazettas, hyacinth, and hippeastrum. I count these by the pot, regardless of how many bulbs are in each pot. The tazettas and hyacinth will be composted after bloom, and the hippeastrums will be kept as houseplants in the hopes of rebloom. Many of them will move outside for the summer. I have 22 of these.

I actually photographed each plant, just for fun, but I’ll spare you all but a few of them. It was a good opportunity to make sure they were all alive.

Comments

That is a great shot of the plant room...I don't think I've ever seen so much of it in one photo. You do indeed have a fair number of plants!
Kathy said…
And MMD said to count every bulb, not every pot of bulbs. You are minimizing your collection compared to the rest of us. But no matter. I, too, was glad to see a new pic of the plant room.
Thanks for participating. I can tell you that you don't have the most, but you're up there in the numbers. So how many bulbs in a pot? I counted the individual bulbs I have, otherwise my count is down to 13.
EAL said…
Well, I guess I would add about 22 if I counted each individual tazetta and hyacinth bulb. The numbers in each pot or vase vary from 3-5.
Anonymous said…
Elizabeth, I loved your collage of green. I wish I was a better houseplant mother. I'm so not. I do have one green one cause of you.~~Dee
Carol Michel said…
The plant room looks like the place to be in the winter-time!
F said…
Every time I move I have to get rid of plants (working for a florist or retail center always leaves me with way too many plants). I usually try and give them away then wind up bringing them up to my going away party to foisting them off on people.
Darla said…
It's a shame you have to compost your bulbs after they bloom.
I could cozy up in the plant room with a nice cup of tea! Love the collage too.
Wow you have some large ones here. They look great.
danger garden said…
I've considered bringing in my papyrus and musa to overwinter inside but was skeptical it would work, thanks for the push...maybe I'll try it this year!
EAL said…
It works better than leaving them out, for sure! First year for papyrus, but the musa has been in and out for 4 years.
Robin Ripley said…
I adore your plant room and want one of my own. I hope you have a chair in there so you can sit down to breathe the healthy air they're all creating for you.

Robin Ripley
Cindy, MCOK said…
I'll bet you enjoy going in that room on the worst of your winter days. They all look very healthy, too. I'm impressed!
Like Robin I was imagining a chair in your plant room and a little reading light. I do hope you have that as it looks like such a nice place to hang out. Loved your collage!
Ha! I have 2, not even worth posting about. Your plants are beautiful.
Layanee said…
The the jungle plant room. Seventy is quite a number.
Nice plant room... looks like a perfect place to read.
Gatsbys Gardens said…
Wow, I thought I had too many houseplants with twenty! Now I feel justified in buying a few more.
Annie in Austin said…
The spending-winter-inside plants way outnumber the traditional houseplants at my house, and my bulbs are just a few amaryllis - you've got more balance in your count, EAL... and a lot more fragrance! A few hyacinths are opening outside but it's so chilly & damp they aren't even giving off that hyacinth scent.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Anonymous said…
My ex-boyfriend had over 50 houseplants. Now that I'm on my own, without him, I love houseplants. I only have about ten including a jade that is over 30 years old that I've had since I was a girl. I'll follow your blog. It's nice.

Popular Posts