Monday, May 14, 2007

Frans Peace Lilly

Peace lilly on the 17th April 2007, newly acquired from Frans Nan..

The peace Lilly today on the 14th May. I think it looks reinvigorated. I put it in a new pot, gave it some new soil. I took it away from the sunlight so it got its shade that it loves.
I kept the stones that Frans Nan had put in the pot. They are still deeply stained with tannins from its previous diet of cold tea and rich tea biscuits (in the bottom of the cup i presume).

A large new leaf is just unfurling on the middle/right of the photo. The leaves are a nice healthy green colour.

I am a nurse, so i like nursing plants back to health when I can. I hope it flowers at some point. At Sainsburies yesterday they had peace Lillie's with their white flowers on them.

My mum had one which never flowered in years. That's why I was surprised once to come home from university at Aberdeen to find faded flowers. It had bloomed in my absence.

The leaves on my plant have turned back to a dark green colour, from yellow when i got it. The yellow leaves meant it had been exposed to too much sunlight.

Reading the gardening forums it seems this is a finicky plant to grow.It readily droops, gets brown leaf tips, and is quick to tell you if its unhappy with heat, humidity, fertiliser, or watering.

Learning peacelilly-eze, its plant language is difficult. The more you read the more that the advice conflicts. I am surprised also, how many younger people have inherited them from when some family member has passed away. It then becomes an heirloom plant passed between generations and then they actually care for it, to google how to look after it properly.

I want to look after every plant in my indoor greenhouse. There have been casualties like the nicotiana, the nursery tomato plants, a lot of snapdragons. There have been successes to like the Asiatic lilly, the slowly developing Bletillas, the bird of paradise plant. The old clary seeds were quick to germinate and look lovely now in pots.I have one sunflower from Frans old seeds.It is growing nicely.Eventually it will have to sit on the floor as the windowsills are only six foot high.

Will post some more photos later :)

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