Dieffenbachia, progress report

 A few weeks ago, I did surgery on the giant dieffenbachia, hacking off the whole thing leaving a stump, then transplanting the growing tip, plus another side shoot.  Here's how they're doing

See down the right side there, a tiny green shoot? that's the stump coming to life and getting ready to burst out

And here's the side shoot, starting new leaves

And the growing tip, unfurling new leaves, despite sharing with a potato, which is still there, need to follow him closely for when his leaves wilt, because then there will be potatoes, with luck.

Dieffenbachia is a very responsive plant to work with.  It just really wants to live, and all you need do it let it.

Then here's last night's rapid, didn't feel like cooking, supper.  That's the rice with the last of the cheesy broccoli, and on top, an omelette made with the last of the grape tomatoes. Fast and very good.  The Thai basil on top, if you just do that and leave it a few minutes, gives off a very delicate version of its flavor, just about right for the egg in its vicinity.

All these productions show that you can just let things do what they plan to do, and don't need to work so hard all the time.  I tell myself.

Dieffenbachia, living on the edge, thrills and spills

Way too hot yesterday,  nineties and high humidity.  So I went out this a.m. on the patio to water the remaining outdoor houseplants, and found that the flowering dieffenbachia had been knocked flat.  Completely on her side, probably the work of a squirrel.  They're as bad as cats for leaping and leaving turmoil behind them.  Didn't have the heart to take a pic of her in distress, not knowing if she was broken or what.

Righted the poor thing, she's had a life of adventure, what with dumpster dumping, then major surgery, and this summer starting her family, flowers, that is.  

And found that the upcoming flower has bust out anyway.  And there's another flower in the offing, too.

I disturbed an insect on her when I righted her, which means the job of fertilizing is happening just as if her fall hadn't taken place. This plant is unsinkable.

And here's a clump of transplanted lambs' ears, from next door, result of working with neighbor on his strip out front, in front of the new small Russian sage, matching the big one out front. 

And there's a little bird bath, too, hiding some of the pachy roots I was too hot to tackle, but will do in the next cool day or two.

Some houseplants are now in place in their staging areas, taking their bow all day long, so I thought you might like to see how it's working out.  Here they are in the main bedroom.  

Two views, one long one so you can see the Boston fern in place, and the noren, you remember the mystery Japanese textile, covering the doorway behind there.  And the window treatment, posh expression, showing the thrift store hand embroidered valance, actually two table napkins, I believe.

My neighbor has already booked a spot in the staging for one of his plants until he can return it in the winter to another person, the owner's mother or something, it's always complicated with plants. So there will be a spathiphyllum joining this group.

Then there's the staging in the Nook, the other bedroom, and I found a half width plank to add to it.  

You see bottom right the snake plant transplants, rescued from squirrels, who dug them up more than once, and now putting down tiny hair roots, so I'm hopeful about them.

The unruly foil curtains are a wonderful thing, I got them from a catalog, which act like one of those blankets you carry in the car for terrible weather in case you get stuck.  They retain cool inside in summer, heat inside in winter.  And the difference is startling. When you put your hand behind them in boiling hot weather, there's a huge temp. difference from inside them.  Not pretty, but very fuel saving.

And there's the other Boston fern, presiding.  And a view into my walk in closet complete with all my clothes and my stitching stores.

And the ficus and dieffenbachia will join me in the living room when I get up the energy to move them.

Dieffenbachia Delight Part the Second

So I wandered out this morning with my cup of coffee, to see how Mrs. D. was getting on, and, screams of amazement and joy, she has a second flower in progress!  see there at the right of the first, which is now developing, its male and female parts hard at work, see, the base now looks different from yesterday, and an unfurling third leaf behind there, which might even be a third one....

 

I must say, she's slow to get there, this is over two years' since she had the surgery that made two plants and a dead bit out of the twisted and unhappy plant my neighbor brought me in from the dumpster, Houseplant Rescue to work, but when she does, she's cookin'. 

This is the plant from the original root.  The other one, from further up the stem originally, equally large, doesn't show signs of flower. 

It may be that only the parent root, not the side shoots, can do this, like the wisteria.  You can grow a wisteria up the entire side of the house, tearing the roof tiles off and choking the chimney and never get a flower unless it's the main root you planted.  Not that I plan to plant wisteria any time soon, hate the damn things, vandals of the plant world...

Yes, I know I get a bit carried away, but oh well.