My lettuce!

Small things amuse me these days. Facebook finally paid off. I saw that putting the remains of a lettuce head in water will give you a new head of lettuce. This picture was taken yesterday when the new leaves were 2 1/4 inches tall at about 3 PM. Right now (11 AM) they are 2 3/4 inches tall. I also planted lettuce seeds this year. We'll see how they do if warm weather ever comes to the DC area. Right now we've swapped weather with the PNW. Generally I'm just fine with that, hating the hot, humid DC springs and summers as I do. But come on--my seeds need the heat!

A wine glass of African violets.

I ran out of little flower pots earlier this year and used an old wine glass for a leaf  I'd rooted in water. That single leaf produced two plantlets which I'll separate and transplant soon. But not too soon since they seem very happy in this smallish wine glass. [Zazzy: this is my answer to your question about what to do with your violets. I say leave them alone as long as they stay healthy looking and produce flowers. Some of my violets have been in the same pots for years and they smile at me every day.]

Name this plant.

Every winter I see this bright green plant in the park next door. Always in this exact spot. I don't remember ever seeing any blooms on it, and I don't notice it in other parts of the park. But it's not like I ever made a project of noticing. Maybe this year I WILL make a project of noticing. 

Happy Cold, Snowy Weather! [to those few of us who like winter.]

Hopeless?

I accidentally left this plant, this very old plant, outside during our first frost, maybe even two frosts. I think it's not likely to recover but I'll leave it on this enclosed porch for the winter and maybe in the spring it will find a way to recover.

My mother gave me the mother of this plant in 1968. Sad to lose it but everything is mortal, right?

My happy African violets.

After years of neglecting a small collection of African violets I decided to start watering them on a regular basis. They rewarded me by getting healthy and blooming a lot. I'm also growing new plants all the time by rooting leaves. I have so many plants now that they are taking over one corner of the living room. I've given some away but I need to give even more away or stop growing them.

Note to anyone who comes into my house: ask me to give you one or two or three.

Big coincidences and little coincidences.

I'm reading both of these right now; actually I'm listening to the Dylan book. Yesterday, I came across a mention of De Materia Medica, a book written between 50 and 70 AD by Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician and botanist. It's an encyclopedia of medicinal herbs and plants. I wasn't aware of this book until I read about it twice yesterday. I think that's at least a medium coincidence.

A page from De Materia Medica.

Sorghum field, I think. On the road north to Mt. Airy, MD.

Lucy and one of my mystery house plants. Update: Mystery solved. Kitt ID'ed it as Kalanchoe. Thanks Kitt.

Lemon tree blooms.

Or lime or tangerine or gapefruit or orange tree. I'll never know.

Loyal lavender.

So Jay Leno will try to be the NBC version of Jon Stewart. We'll see if it works. I can't judge; I just don't think Leno is funny. At least he's not Jon Stewart / Stephen Colbert funny.

Lamb's ear.

Winter gardens can be very pretty.

Coral bells.

When I bought this plant the label just said heuchera. I thought, such a pretty color and name. When I got home and checked I learned that it's just coral bells. I say "just" because I already have two plants but the deer keep them trimmed to about 2 inches. When they, the deer, break through my "fences" they usually head straight for the coral bells. After the hostas of course. Then they eat the liriope. Bastards.

Hardy cactus.

These are in central Maryland, not exactly a desert-like place. I guess that means cactuses don't necessary need a desert-like climate to thrive.