I’ve been trying to figure out what I can offer my patrons to make their investment pay a little dividend. I am frequently asked to paint this flower or that flower. Not as a commissioned work-usually because they’re students or as poor as I am. And I do take note and try to do those things. It keeps me out of a rut of poppies and peonies. Well I’ve decided that patrons get priority on flower suggestions. If there’s a flower you love I haven’t painted or a color you’d like me to paint a favorite flower in that will be my next painting.
The picotee NOID African Violet finally opened enough to photograph. It had a couple of blooms in a half-open state for so long.
Once things cool off outside I’ll move some into the upstairs/attic, but for now they’re hanging out under the one kitchen window with counter surface underneath (the sills aren’t big enough to hold plants). I also have a brand-new flame violet that will join them upstairs, but it’s currently on the enclosed porch because the rest of these guys have gotten BIG! The mostly-purple one is close to 11" and the two pink ones are at least 10".
I love Thanksgiving cactus and when they flower, they are amazing. So it is disappointing when the time comes for them to flower and only a few flowers appear and only on one side of the plant. What happened?! I actually got it to flower, but it is only on one side…..
Beautiful flowering Thanksgiving cactus
I first saw this happen with my daughter’s plant and told her she should turn it a ¼ turn every time she watered it. Did I do what I told her to do? NO! As the old saying goes, “Do as I say, not as I do.” So learn from my mistakes. Turn your plants! Even the non-flowering plants should be turned so they don’t lean towards the light. If it is a woody plant, the crook that will be in the stem from leaning toward the light and then being turned may not straighten out, leaving you with a permanently crooked stem.
What about this side?And this side?
If I had consistently turned the plant all year leading up to the budding of the plant, I would have buds and flowers all the way around the plant. Wouldn’t that have been beautiful? There’s always next year….
Wish the whole plant looked like this side.
I mean who wouldn’t want more of these gorgeous flowers?
Closeup of the flower
Love those flowers!
Stigma is pink, anther is the white and yellow part.
Two buds on the end of the a leaf
Starting to open
Has this happened to your plant and you wondered why only one side bloomed? Now you know!
Newly purchased and COVERED with buds
This newly purchased plant above and below has been grown perfectly and is covered all the way around with flowers. Hopefully the one above will look like this next year along with this one. Turn your plants around…..that’s what it’s all about.
I love Thanksgiving cactus and when they flower, they are amazing. So it is disappointing when the time comes for them to flower and only a few flowers appear and only on one side of the plant.
Just a reminder to everyone that I have an Instagram and a Twitter if you’d like to follow me elsewhere, neither of which I use enough but I’m trying to use them more.
I also have a newsletter where I send out mail every time I have a shop update if you’ve any interest in that!
Closeup of the flower
Love those flowers!
Stigma is pink, anther is the white and yellow part.
Two buds on the end of the a leaf
Starting to open
Kihaku-Gato's Garden Blog (tumblr import) 