Growing a good many houseplants, I value them all – from ferns to cacti to African violets to orchids. And aralias, which lately have tightened their hold on me. Maybe it’s because their airy texture provides a delicious counterpoint to the brittle quality of this winter, which alternates with the sloppy thickness of New England’s mud season.
I make a point of touring the aralias often, letting them know how much I appreciate them. Visitors often mistake my black aralia (Dizygothica elegantissima) for marijuana.
Even lacier, Ming aralia (Polyscias fruticosa) makes fine bonsai. The second image, shows a bonsai, with quartz stones, started from a cutting that I took about 10 years ago.
This aralia is so evocative, even in a large container it seems to bonsai itself, with just a little pruning. Which must be constant, as it's a fast grower, like all my aralias, even as they thrive in medium to low light.
And, like all the others, it does its part to get me through this long, strange trip, this whiplash winter. I welcome February, which is seen as some sort of sign that the hardest part of winter's whipping is over. Maybe. Maybe not. In any case, I have my aralias to soften the blows.
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Beautiful, Lee, and so artfully planted. I love aralias, too. They are understated and elegant houseplants.
ReplyDelete'Preciate that. They've always been among my favorites.
DeleteOh be still my heart. A plant that likes medium to low light. I am not familiar with this beauty. I will have to look around to find one. As soon as I recover this winter whiplash. Geez. It was 64F here two days ago. Now we have minus wind chills. Brrrrrr It is no wonder the plants outside don't know what to do.
ReplyDeleteHope you can find and grow many of these, Lisa.
DeleteAralias have weird foliage, but interesting. Very lacy, very fine, very artistic, and I like their look. Whiplash winter has me puzzled -- from frigid temps to balmy wet foggy conditions in just a day -- too strange.
ReplyDeleteYes, I just looked at the thermometer. Here comes the big shift again; spring's over, Laurrie.
DeleteThe Aralias are beautiful Lee, especially the bonsai version from a cutting. I enjoyed growing a Ming aralia years ago in California, thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Shirley; that aralia has been a favorite of mine for decades.
DeleteYour Aralias are beautiful, Lee. Especially the black one. You love them and they love you back with lush growth and healthy foliage. The lacy leaves have always appealed to me. Many years ago when I bought my first one I was ignorant of the care it needed and most likely over watered, as I did other plants.
ReplyDeleteYour artistic eye can definitely get the most unusual growth from all the plants you grow.
Happy February!! Isn't it great to see this wonderful month arrive with a hope of Spring?
Thanks, Barbara. Yes, just the appearance of this month puts us closer to spring in our minds, even if winter rears up again.
DeleteAs for over-watering, no matter how long we garden, we still sometimes make that rookie mistake of giving plants too much love. Who among us can say, "Not guilty." Not this perp.
Oh, I just love aralias! There are so many beautiful varieties. Your bonsai arrangement is enchanting - I just want to be little and crawl in there to sit under the trees.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, thank you Kathy; your wanting to join the scene tells me I got what I was after: a bonsai that is transporting.
DeleteDo you put the Aralias outside when better weather arrives? Although I don't have house plants per se, I bring in some of my container plants to save them over for the following season. Some are actively growing and some are dormant in the basement.
ReplyDeleteI think I can honestly declare that I'm not guilty of over watering, quite the contrary. In fact, by late April my house plants start lining up at the door begging to be let back out :).
I do not put the aralias outside; they're like furniture, part of the indoor decor year-round. But, like you, I do bring in some outdoor plants for the "basement garden."
DeleteSue, you water right. I've been known to do wrong.
WOW! These aren't house plants, they're trees who snuck inside for the winter! They're beautiful! I can't believe how big they are. They make your house seem like a conservatory. I don't have a single houseplant except for a lone orchid in the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tammy. Years of keeping those same plants paid off. Unlike some houseplants that I toss because they're no longer interesting, aralias, endlessly evocative, stay and stay and grow and grow.
DeleteTending houseplants during the winter is such therapy for me. I used to have aralias but they never seemed to like the drafty, dry, cold winter air of my house. They are such a beautiful shade of green. Looking at your photos reminds me how much I loved them :)
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Rosemary, it's fine therapy. And a good bit of maintenance – because of the conditions you mention. I constantly collect fallen leaves crisped by the cold, dry air. But what a payoff. Cheers.
DeleteLee, I never cease to be amazed at your flawless house Plants. You go to such little effort to do this and by using the Master's Touch with your gift of Bonsai and not overdoing fertilizing and over watering you achieve beautiful tranquility.
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful gift___Thank you for sharing it.
Anna, thank *you* for your lovely words.
DeleteAs you do with roses, I treat my plants right (enjoying that as I do), and they give back a lot in return. It's a win-win situation, isn't it.
Your aralias are striking plants with lots of character! Marijuana? I once had a visitor who thought one of my seedling Japanese maples was a marijuana plant. I'm not sure I convinced her otherwise.
ReplyDeleteHey, Deb, glad the aralias resonate with you. I can imagine what your visitor would think of aralia leaves.
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