Wordless Wednesday: Succulent

Succulent Unknown

My Balcony Update

Right side on my balcony

So here is my balcony again for all to see. Of course it has changed since I have taken this picture. I just put out a flat with some sweet potato vine cuttings and the ground is messy again. When I take photos of my balcony is always after I have swept it. I added one plant since taking this photo, the basket plant I had inside.

On this side:
bougainvillea (2), jasmine, evening primrose, torenia, laura bush petunia, abutioin, corkscrew vine, daylily, hyacinth bean vine, stock, coleus, gaillardia, parsley, cocktail vodka begonia, vinca, livewire grass, variegated devils backbone, mexican heather, plumos fern, sunflower (2 both not doing well), winter squash, woolly mint, statice, mt fuji morning glory, phlox, salvia (not doing well), nemesia, bunny tail grass, lobelia, and soapwort


Lower right corner


Upper right corner


Left side

The left side always seems to get all the bad insects and diseases. Right now that side has white flies badly, minor spider mites, and the dianthus was partially rotting for some reason. This side has improved alot since I first started. It used to be the side where nothing would really grow and just didn't look too great. It looks great now in the picture but those darn white flies. I think I had some control over them recently with my daily (sometimes twice) spraying.

Plants here:
Hibiscus, boston fern, maiden hair fern, mint, knotweed, weeping dwarf crape myrtle, jacqueline hillier elm, dragons blood sedum, myrtle spurge, jovibarba hirta, needle point ivy, variegated devils backbone, variegated dracaena, amaryllis, snake plant, purple fountain grass, sweet potato vine, mt fuji morning glories, chenille plant, white pentas, dianthus pinnocchio, campanula blue clips, and balloon flower.


Lower left corner


Upper left corner

Do click on photos to see bigger picture.

The Cause Of My Absence

Tova our new Shiba Inu puppy.

The reason I have been absent from my blog for a while is because of that little guy. We got him on Tuesday to give our 1.5 year old Shiba Inu Girl Kasha a buddy to play with. It has been difficult getting a good schedule going. The first few nights was hard because he would whine. So I would come home from work exhausted and then have to watch him and play with him. Kasha didn't get along with him for the first two days but she has stared to play with him today and isn't trying to hurt him any more. Sorry for not being around but I have been reading blogs when I get a little time. My husband just started working from 10pm to 6am so it's been difficult to get things done when I am home alone and he comes home when I got to work.



I'm finally starting to get into a rhythm now. Now I have to re-implement cleaning into the schedule. I have been slacking off but I'll get things going again soon.

Now with the balcony...here is what is going on that I can remember. The lobelia crystal palace is starting to bloom, the campanula is reblooming after it's shock when I went on vacation, the corkscrew vine is taking over it's area and has quickly run out of trellis to grow on (i need to figure something out), the bougainvillea juanita hatten has started to bloom, the purple fountain grass started to tumble so I cut off those pieces and have them inside vases to decorate, I'm still battling whiteflies on my Hibiscus that have taken over my mint and starting to get on my weeping dwarf crape myrtle, the mt fuji morning glory vine is really starting to grow now, the chenille plant has many blooms but it's leaves are looking a bit odd (maybe more fertilizer?), candytuft is blooming again, the woolly mint has started to fill out, the hosta is doing badly inside, the creeping ruellia and the rex begonia still aren't looking too great even though the creeping ruellia is blooming today, the white penta no longer has aphids, the winter squash seedling leaves are looking yellow (maybe I will try next year and put something else in their container, and lastly for now the hyacinth bean vine is starting to climb up its trellis but it's leaves are still yellow (fix soil drainage could help?).

Living in The Sun

Plumosa Fern

There are two plants on my balcony that I have been monitoring for any signs of sun burn. I got them and the signs at the nursery said full sun but the internet and their tags said other wise. The Plumosa Fern and the Chenille Firetail are the two. Online the Plumosa Fern I think says partial shade. I don't really have partial shade on my balcony. I tried to shade it some by putting it by the cocktail vodka begonia. So far it's doing wonderful.


Plumosa Fern and Torenia Leaves

I'm a lover of the light airy texture of Plumosa Fern. Ferns are a favorite of mine but I can't ever get any since I have no shade or even partial shade. I should just buy some and keep them inside but so far I haven't been a good indoor plant grower. The Plumsa Fern looks great will the Torenia Planted next door. The Torenia has started to trail around the Plumosa Fern. It looks great when there is a bloom by the fern.

By the way according to my research notes the Plumosa Fern can get up to 4ft tall and isn't really a fern at all. The Plumosa Fern is in the asparagus family.


Chenille Firetail

I chose the Chenille Firetail for my hanging basket. The sign for it said it could take full sun but the tag and internet said shade to partial shade I don't really have a place of partial shade to hang it from. It's done great so far and has another bloom and the previous blooms have gotten longer. No signs of burn yet. I hope these two plants do well because I love them so far

Any other gardeners out there experience this with some of their plants? I'm so very surprised that they are doing well in full sun.

Making Babies

Jovibarba hirta f/Belansky Tatra

No I am not making babies...but my Jovibarbas are. I plucked some jovis from my container and put them in the container that has my weeping dwarf crape myrlte. I want them to spread in that corner so I can put them in pots and maybe spread the joy. I love jovibarbas and maybe someone else in San Antonio does too. I'm glad to see that these two are making babies to roll away from home one day and continue the cycle.