No Winter Break

I've just realised that I didn't show the new unfurled leaf of Squami. The colour has darkened as days passed.

I finally teased the leaves out from the flap/sleeve/sheath/balde/help? using a tweezer. The new leaves would take ages to unfurl and looks like they are misshapen.

Just take a look at Michelle (P. hederaceum Micans) being so happy growing so many and has started to vine/trail/creep.

The flower of Little White Soldiers has changed. Now maybe this is why it is called Little White Soldiers, I was wondering why was it called 'white' when the spots of the leaf is dark. 

Maranta leuconara Fascinator, Fiona, is one happy girl too. She's sprouting two more new leaves.

Winter Growing

I was prepared although little disappointed that I no longer 365 days of constant humid warm days which would be absolutely fantastic for my plants, some of these darlings definitely brightened my days by pushing out leaves.

Little White Soldiers do not rest at all! They've been growing! The spots are rather prominent on the new leaves.

Ms Olea's new leaves are weird - looking more like curry leaves. Her leaves are also thinner and missing her signature silver abaxial. 

There's some change to Philodendron Pluto's bud. Perhaps having the humidifier did make a change.

I finally moved both Stephania Erecta to LECA in a glass jar and leave them on the radiator after the one on the soil is dehydrated and crinkled. Yes you read right. And surprise, surprise, the dehydrated one might be sprouting soon! *Happiness*

Ive also made some Macramé hangers for the creeping babies. Oh Philodendron Micans for sure is putting out some growth! She's putting out so many new shoot and leaves!

The hangin cactus fern leaf fell off few nights ago and one branch was broken. 

Was visiting a giant hardware store and there was a very beautiful pot of Epiphyllum Disocactus Anguliger aka fishbone/ric rac/zig zag cactuc. In the pot, there was a loose broken branch and guess what I did?? :D. The 'cutting' seemed very recent as it's not really calloused yet so yeah.

The other jar on top contains lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus Japhrolepis). I've removed the tiny P. Micans cutting from the plastic container and dumped her in the same glass jar as the cactus leaf fern cuttings.

Upping the Indoor Game

Life is really weird. I mean, my obsession of indoor exotic plants came too late. Like seriously, those plants would flourish in Malaysia and they would be cheaper too. But no, that obsession has to come now, when I've moved myself all the way to the northern hemisphere. 

Anyway, let the photos tell you what I've acquired for the past couple of months.

Cactusleaf fern (Selenicereus chrysocardium), she's the ugly duckling right now having a 3-prong awkwardness. 

Philodendron Squamiferum. I was so excited for her arrival and she turned out to be smaller than expected. Damn false marketing. 

Philodendron Hederaceum, formerly known as Philodendron Micans. I absolutely adored the leaves. Althought I have to add that I purchased a bushier and bigger plant but the seller sent me a small one. Am waiting for their refund response. I bought this together with Squamiferum (and the next 2 plants which I wasn't satisfied with. I was so looking forward to this order though. Imagine my disappointment). Absolutely annoyed with this lousy seller.

Another very awkward-looking plant - Crocodile fern (Microsorium musifolium 'Crocydyllus'). The leaves are awkwardly-grown and of different size that I'm contemplating to trim the bigger ones so they look tidier and uniformed.

Got myself another olea Europea because I gave the first away to my sister. She wanted it. It's so much smaller than advertised.

The next 2 plants I ordered via Etsy. Peperomia Obtusifolia Variegata - absolutely stunning and they are bigger than I thought, which is great by the way. Just a little unfortunate it was improperly packaged. It came out of the pot and the leaves were cracked as you can see. 

I purchased another Calathea Musaica Goeppertia kegeljanii to fill up my miserable 4-leafed one but it turned out to be much smaller and shorter so it looks awkward now. Good thing is that there's a lot of new growth. 

 I got this from a Winter plant market and am very happy with it. Hoya Carnosa Tricolor  Krimson Princess. 

 Got these couple of bulbs from my sister-in-law, Drimiopsis maculata (Little White Soldiers) when we went to a nursery which was having a 50% winter sale. 

So erm, I smuggled in a few plants from a recent trip back home and most of them didn't survived - Ficus deltoidea, Pandanus and all-time fav, Platycerium ridleyii. Only one did (but has stunted growth, wonder if it's shock or just winter hibernation), Philodendron Pluto. This is a baby from the plant I purchased from the nursery. The mother plant was just a little too big to be packed into the luggage so now it's under the care of my sister. 

Check out the gorgeous new leaf. 

RIP my Ridleyii.

I found the wood from the forest so instead, I mounted a Platycerium Bifarcatum. It's also not doing so well as it's so much drier here.

The P. Bifarcatum that I got from Lidl. Cheap.

As an effort to make the cactusleaf fern nicer and fuller, I'm propagating a couple (one for sister-in-law). 

I also got myself a pair of Stephania Erecta by Etsy. This I look forward to. Planting in jars to give them higher humidity.