JUST A BIT of “pretty” today (My Mother the Dowager Duchess didn’t like when I used the word “pretty.” She said it wasn’t manly.) Anyway… it’s Christmas in February here. Our Christmas cactus is showing a bit of life after three years without a flower. And our amaryllis on the terrace (we always bought The Duchess an amaryllis at Christmastime) has been honoring us with its annual beauty.
SOLO UN POCO de “bonita” hoy (a Mi Madre La Duquesa Viuda no le gustó cuando usé la palabra “bonita”. Dijo que no era varonil.) De todos modos … aquí es Navidad en febrero. Nuestro cactus navideño está mostrando un poco de vida después de tres años sin una flor. Y nuestra amaryllis en la terraza (siempre compramos The Duchess un amaryllis en Navidad) nos ha honrado con su belleza anual.
A sign that spring is not far off…..for you!!
Jim:
Today is a like a summer day here. There’s always something blooming, but people on the beach and on the paseo enjoying the perfect weather.
Gorgeous colors. A real bright spot!
Bob:
We’re especially surprised by the amaryllis this year. Jerry forget to feed them!
“pretty” sure is “manly”. you sure have a green thumb, mitchell.
anne marie:
i remember my mother cringing when I once used the word “pretty”! She commented later. I actually avoided ever using the word in front of her again. Argh! “PRETTY” pathetic, huh?!?
Love those colors. The Christmas cactus needs a spell of coolness before it will set flower buds. Try moving it to shady spot a month before you want it to bloom next year and then back to its usual place once the buds start to open.
Wilma:
Thanks for this advice. I’ve moved it around the house but never at the right time I guess. Finally just gave up and left it alone. But it would be nice to see it covered in blossoms.
Santa came early
which is why Mrs. Claus has to take him to martial therapy.
Adam:
Ooh, dirty Santa jokes! Jerry didn’t catch onto the meaning of the song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” until he was in his 50s!
So beautiful, bright and cheery!
Debra:
It’s uplifting to look to the terrace.
So very, very (in my best macho man voice) pretty!
Deedles:
I wonder if my mother would have approved if I had said it was frickin’ pretty. No, definitely not. She liked me to be “manly” but didn’t like me to use “dirty language.” But what else do men do?
What else do men do? Well, on hot days, stand nekkid , scratching their balls in front of a fan coincidently aimed at their spouses. Maybe that’s just in my house. I believe I’ve mentioned this before, so I’m probably traumatized. I myself have channeled my very foul mouthed mother at these times 🙂
Very “pretty.” I always love flowers and pictures of flowers. . We used to have an orchid cactus – which is kind of a giant variety of the Christmas cactus. Pretty large. I’m not sure why I didn’t get any flowering house plants since moving here to NM…
Frank:
I would think flowering and cacti and succulents would be in their glory where you are. We had some amazing garden cacti and succulents in Southern California. Stunning flowers.
That is a lot of blooms for a Christmas cactus. Every year my neighbor brings me paperwhites to force. They always smell so good.
Mistress Maddie:
The blooms are big but not prolific (still better than nothing). Jerry used to love to have paperwhites every year. I found the fragrance overwhelming. But they sure are beautiful.
Your blog is always a nice spot of color in my life– thanks!
Judy:
YOU are a bright spot of color in mine! Thanks so much. Looking forward to seeing what our aloes do this year.
Love the photos. I always say how beautiful your flower deck is. I am so late on commenting.
The more you leave the christmas cactus alone the better chance it will bloom. I moved my non blooming one outside in the covered deck and it started to bloom. Around October you need to cut back on watering to only moist. It also needs about 12 hours of dark at night it needs it beauty sleep. Cool temp, mine is on the covered eastside side yard. My friend used to put hers in the basement around October.After the buds form move it to a sunny place no drafts. No direct sunlight.
I sorta do this. Pot bound also helps.
cheers, parsnip
Parsnip:
I’ll try your suggestions … if I have the patience! Thanks so much for all that. I really had no idea what to do to encourage blooming.
Like I said I sorta do this and not always.
Parsnip:
THOSE are the kind of instructions I can follow!
Pretty and witty and bright!
Walt the Fourth:
And GAY!!!!
The song stuck in my head, “I feel Pretty, Oh so Pretty, so Pretty and Gay!” We are serial houseplant killers, I have had cactus die from lack of attention.
David:
Ha Ha Ha! Or as they say in Spain Ja Ja Ja! Check out the comment from WCS and my reply! (regarding the song). Jerry’s mother wasn’t much with house plants. She had one. She killed it every year. And Jerry would replace it with another one. I said we were simply planting “annuals.”
Wow, both are really beautiful. Now I think I best go buy myself some tulips…I need some pretty
Cheapchick:
I love and miss tulips. We had all so many varieties planted in Connecticut. They don’t grow here, although we can sometimes find them at the flower stalls. I should buy some, too!