Grand Reopening - Desert House at Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago

I've previously reported on damage and closure to Chicago's historic Garfield Park Conservatory, designed by Jens Jensen over 108 years ago. Several portions of the conservatory were repaired relatively immediately while other updates were done over time. This month (April 2015) the conservatory celebrated it's grand reopening. 

One of my favorite spots in the Conservatory is the Desert house. Here there used to be many pencil cactus and ponytail palms. Tucked in-between these tall succulents were some very unusual and rare plants.  When I give tours of the site, this room is always one where people want to linger and get closer to the "non-native" plants. It's also where children want to touch but parents are nervous!

Garfield Park Conservatory
Desert House - 2009

Garfield Park Conservatory
Desert House - 2009

So it was with much anticipation that I visited to see the renewed Desert House!  At first I was startled by how much more open the room seems - without the pencil tree that used to anchor the north side (all the way up to the ceiling) and with one of the large cactus severely cut back, the room is so much brighter!  There are also a wider variety of cactus and succulents as a result. Many plants which were previously maintained in the back-greenhouses and put on display at the reception desk, are now in the collection.  Plus the plants are spread out more - enabling viewing of each item more fully. This also makes it feel more desert-ish :)

Cactus Propagation from Stem Cuttings

Never touch the cactus -
no fail method to propagate

Cactus can be straight forward to propagate and you can do it without injury from spines. The trickiest part is making sure you don't get poked in the process!  Here are my tips for getting more of your favorite cactus. This is a good late fall or winter activity for many cactus are not actively growing now. 

Make a Cutting:

First you need to get a piece of the parent plant. For this you need just two tools. Best way to do this is to cut the stem with a very sharp knife. I tend to use a serrated knife work - like a bread knife, which has just come out of the wash and I know it's clean and sterile. This will helps limit risk of bacterial diseases.  The second tool that you need is my secret weapon for

Dividing Potted Succulents

Repot Me PLEASE!!!

Several years ago I started this succulent (I believe a Gasteria) from a cutting received at the Huntington Garden.  It is a very slow growing plant - so just this spring I decided to divide and repot it. This is a clump-forming succulent plant, so as soon as the container is "full" the plants are clearly outgrowing their assigned space and need to be divided. It's similar for aloe, some sedums, agave, hens & chicks, and the like. For most succulents Spring and early summer are the best times to divide since it's before their growing season. However, there are succulents who's main growing season is winter - so double check before you proceed. 

Here's my approach for dividing and repotting succulents

Transplanting Large succulents: Christmas Cactus

My Great Grandmother's Christmas Cactus,
ready for repotting

I have been graced to own my great grandmothers Christmas cactus.  I tell myself that it’s over 100 years old – but I have no idea of its age, only it’s provenance. As a mature succulent, it needs to be transplanted periodicaly without increasing the post size. Most cacti and succulents do best in pots that are quite small in proportion to the size of their top growth, my Christmas Cactus is no exception.  The plant grows over 8-10 inches over the soil top, and a 18 inches wider all around the container. It’s already so big and heavy – there is no need to increase the container size. If you have a smaller succulent, when you decide to repot them, move up one size larger than the one they are in. always use plenty of drainage material in the bottom of the pot.  Leaving succulents in small containers works  - they may dwarf and slow in growth.

How do I know when it’s time to repot my succulent?

Failing health - time to repot! 

I have a few general rules I use to determine when to repot my succulents. You know it's time:

When roots come out the bottom of the pot. 

When the succulent start to pup (Put off new growth at the base)

When growth slows down or plant health fails

When if flowers off cycle

When you have to water much more  frequently 

My poor Christmas Cactus was off color, not holding water, and blooming off cycle. So unhappy and screaming for a new pot and some TLC!

Wildflowers and Native Plants - Southern California Desert; A Tourist View

Native Plant: Joshua Tree - Spring 2014

I celebrated National Park day hiking around Joshua Tree which is about 2.5 hours west of LosAngeles, California. The trip and these photos were taken April  19-20, 2014.

Blooming Yucca - Joshua Tree, Spring 2014

I've wanted to visit Joshua Tree National Park after seeing photos - very Suessical landscape! I wanted to also see the desert in springtime bloom. The flowers, the Joshua Trees, large cactus, and the rock structures - without any one, it wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable. Check out the Wildflower bloom report provided by the Park.  The Joshua Tree was named by Mormons after the prophet Joshua because it reminded them of Joshua waving his people toward the promised land. These trees are native only to Southwest USA in the higher and cooler Mojave Desert, at above 3000 ft. It's Yucca Brevifolia, very tall (40 ft) and it can live for 1000 years.   Visiting the desert in April meant the weather was warm enough to wear less layers - but it didn't mean don't bring water, wear hats or sunscreen!  We did several hikes including 49 Palms Oasis, Cholla Cactus Garden, Octilla Patch, Ryan Ranch, Wall Street.

Arizona Wildflowers - A tourist view

Hiking - Vermilion Cliffs, AZ

The desert can be so beautiful! This year I had the pleasure of spending time in Arizona and Utah during early spring. I just caught the beginning of the splendor of desert flowers - I'm sharing a few shots of those I encountered on the trail.  As we got off road on BLM lands and into Vermillion Cliffs, Grand Staircase Escalante, Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon - the little pops of color from mother natures blooms were unexpected and pleasurable. Hiking with the fragrance from sage and wide open spaces - Priceless!

While I'm tagging these are wild flowers or Native flowers - someone local with much more experience may say some of these are invasive. Like I say, this is a tourist view :)

Sedum Propagation - Spring check-in

Last fall I blogged about easy ways to propagate sedum perrenials.  This is one of my more populat blogs. I hope you all are having success with the techniques I described.

I'm placing here the results of the direct placement and controlled grown cuttings you see in the prior blog.  Just a few months inside or our in the wintery cold - and the sedums are popping back to life!

Direct Set Sedum Cuttings - after over wintering

The cuttings to the right were simply snipped from the host plant and plunged into the dirt. I did not use rooting hormones or any treatments. Neither did I check on or water these cuttings. Here you can see in early April just a few months later, a) the old stalk which just looks like a stick, and b) the sprouts of new sedum plants are peeking out. Of the handful I propped in this manner, about 60% are growing. That's acceptalbe to me.






Controlled Growth Sedum Cuttings

Here on the left hand side are the cuttings that I placed into small pots and kept inside for the winter. These were placed in a cool room and did not have much sunlight. Further, I pretty much ignore them, watering more in the springtime.  You can see that as in the case with the direct set cuttings above, the original stalk has died away giving it's energy to the new plants which sprout from the roots below dirt. The controlled growth cuttings are a bit larger since they were warmer and more gently treated. If I had placed them in a better environment inside - they would probably be even larger.

Anyway you go - it's a fast and easy way to create more plants for no cost. These go into my guerilla garden this weekend!

Happy Day!

Teresa Marie

Myths about Succulents

I adore succulents and am frequently surprised by the myths about their environment and care.  
Teaching about succulents is one of my favorite lectures.  Essentially a succulent is a plant that has developed a system where the leaves, stem or roots become more fleshy when storing water for future use.  Generally plants need to store water when they grow in an environment that is dry - like a desert.  Plants adapted to growing in dry environments are xerophytes; so succulents are often xerophytes (but not always.)  

Queen Victoria Agave Succulent

Myth 1) Succulents need a lot of direct sunlight - Fiction: Succulent plants need light but they thrive in filtered light not direct sunlight. In the real world young succulents grown next to their parent or other large plants. This provides filtered light. Like other plants, there is no fast rule of thumb for light levels needed.  However, if new growth on the succulent is paler green (or whatever color it is typically) and elongated (stretched out), then it needs more light. If the side of the succulent that generally faces the light source is yellowing, tanning, red or indented (drying out), it is getting too much light. Move your plant around to find it's happy spot and note that this will change throughout the year. Remember to rotate :)

Myth 2) Succulents go dormant in wintertime: Fiction: Most cactus and succulents have an active period about 1/3 of the year an are dormant for 1/3 of the year and in transition for the rest!  However, they are not all dormant at the same time of year. Some succulents are winter growers and others are summer growers. For example, many Aloes are winter growers. My aloe changes colors and looks fairly sickly in the summer - I have to move it out of the sun at that time. 

Myth 3) Succulents don't need a lot of water - Mostly Fact: During their active period watering can be frequent and dilute  fertilizer applied. As the succulent moves into dormant period, reduce the frequency of watering. Each plant has different needs - so a little experimentation is good. I start with a good watering (water coming out the bottom of the pot) once a week ingrowing season and once a month in the dormant period. Then I adapt to see who they individually respond. Others water when the soil is completely dry, then water thoroughly and then let dry. The challenge here is a dry soil mix can be very challenging to get properly moist. In addition there are some "jungle cactus" like the Christmas Cactus which should never have their soil dry out. (Epiphytic cactus(jungle cactus) evolved where it was warm and humid. They adapted to growing in trees, so they tolerate shady moist conditions. I water my hand-me-down Christmas Cactus every three days.)

Myth 4) All Succulents are cactus - Fiction:  Common succulents include cacti, begonia, bromeliad, agave, crassula, sansevaria, and euphorbia. All cacti are succulents but not all succulents are Cacti.

5) Succulents all grow in deserts - Fiction:  Jungle Cactus grow off ground in warm/humid situations. Some succulents live under arctic conditions and others are cold hardy. For example, here is a picture of some Hens & Chicks that are in my Chicago garden. sedums are succulents which die back in this zone, but remain perennial. 

6) Succulent sap or juice is healthy - Fiction: While the sap or juice from the Aloe plant is beneficial for healthy and digestive health, this is not a fact. The sap from euphorbia is frequently a skin sensitizer and in some cases, if in contact with the eyes, may cause blindness. For example the Poinsetta and Crown of Thorns are poisonous if ingested and are skin irritants. 

7) Succulents should be planted in sand - Fiction: The most important consideration potting soil for succulents is drainage.  The soil must be porous so that water penetrates easily and drains away quickly. A soil that remains wet for long periods of time can quickly kill the roots of most succulent plants. There is no one recipe for a succulent soil mix; however 100% sand is not advised.  My succulent soil mix is 2 parts by volume of a potting soil, 1 part perlite, and 1 part small size gravel.  Or if I have no stones I use 1:1 mixture of potting soil and perlite.  If sand is added to a mix, use the coarsest type you can find and treat it as the gravel in the recipe. 

My Great Grandmothers Christmas Cactus

Large Potted Jade Tree Succulent

8) Succulents like tight roots/small pots - Fact: Most succulents thrive in a container that seems way to small for them. See this picture of the mature jade tree I have relative to the size of the container.  These plants should be repotted every two years - however, the size of the container need not necessarily be increased. It is more important to remove spent soil, any damaged roots, and refresh the potting mix. 

9) Succulents thrive on neglect - Fiction: They require less care than roses or some other plants. Certainly the snake plant doesn't need a great deal of care, however, I would say they can sustain a great deal of neglect - but they won't thrive without proper care (light, water, fertilizer, repotting)

Well this is just a little start about succulents. They are a great addition to your houseplant or garden collection. Yes - you can grow succulents even in a cold climate. Check out some tips on propagating the succulent sedums and general succulent propagation for other varieties.

Today I'm singing Marty Robbins' Tumbling Tumbleweed;

Enjoy!



Teresa Marie

Wilting Sansevierius - Causes and Cures

My Wilting Mother-in-Law Tongue Plant

Help I’m Wilting and I can’t get up….…this was the cry from my snake plant ( good luck plant, mother-in-law's-tongue,  devil's tongue, Sansevieria).   I have had this plant for several years. I had just pulled it inside from a glorious summer al fresco, and split it into two large pots.  It seemed fine for a few months. Then it started wilting, and a wilting houseplant is a cry for help. 

Sansevieria is a strong plant, it’s in office spaces and given to people who can kill just about anything else. So I was perplexed as to what was going on and consulted every source I could find on-line and a solution.  Here is what I learned:

1) Know what “healthy” looks like for your plant
2) Know what about your situation is unique. Take into consideration the environment that your plant is in (Potting soil, container size, lighting, heat, drafts.
3) Understand the causes of wilting for the plant in question
4) Experiment and learn to listen to what your plant is telling you – what other people tell you to do may not work for you.

A Healthy Sansevieria

There are many different varieties of Sansevieria. In a walk through the garden center and Garfield Park Conservatory I snapped several shots which are included here.  Almost all the plants display the characteristic tall and erect form. Snake plant leaves may be striped or marbled pattern, vibrant to dull green, or yellow and white.  I think I even saw a chartreuse one once.  The color of the plant may impact the amount of light it needs. I have some placed against interior north walls with very little indirect light. I have others in east facing windows with plenty of sun.  I've had snake plants thrive in areas which offer full sun to dense shade; most grow best in persistent indirect light.   I plant most in cactus mix but occasionally will use regular potting soil. Once I even planted in a container in regular garden soil (not advised.)  The latter was a demonstration of what not to do – but that darn Sansevieria survived for over two years in rock hard soil.  In the conservatory we had one Sansevieria that was placed under a hole in the roof, and it was constantly water logged for several months. It was just fine.  Thus it’s safe to say snake plants will survive poor soil conditions, at least for a period of time. However if optimum soil and light and water conditions do not exist, in time, you may experience pests, root rot, or the dreaded wilt.

In the photographs below are several different types of Sansevieria. The photos were taken at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory Desert Room. 

Mother-In Law, Baseball, Moonshine, Variegated, and Longhorn Sansevieria (Snake Plants)

My Unique Situation

Here is where I admit all the things that I had done with these sansevieria that were not up to par.  First off I had them outside in all kinds of rain – that seemed fine, and at the end of the summer I decided to divide them when I brought them back inside.   This was the first problem – I replanted them to shallow and without  sufficient support considering the mature height of these plants.  There was an immediate hit to their health – which I chalked up to being re-potted   I later tried to add some support and tied them up, but a large number of leaves were already wilting and folded off to the side.

During transplantation I was able to see that the roots were in solid condition and there were wet areas of neither dying plant tissue nor fungal growths.  There were also not any insects or infestations. I had good soil mix and balance of fertilizer – so these were on the plus side.

Secondly,  I did not use the right container. The pot for the Sansevieria is way too large for the number of plants it holds. It is also much too deep. However, for the room it is in, I like the larger base pot – which also helps to keep it from tipping over from the dog. Plus I just loved the blue. This was an aesthetic decision, not one for the plants health.  With an over-sized container the plant might get too much water and have root rot – or not enough if the roots are shallow (as with some succulents.)

Lastly with respect to light – they are placed in a west facing window with a few good hours of direct sunlight each (non-gray) day. Good filtered light.  There was no discoloration of the leaves, e.g. yellowing, which would indicate excessive sunlight. So I felt comfortable with the lighting situation on this pair of containers.  Note that the containers are in the bay window, directly above the heat vent.

The causes of Sansevieria Wilting

My research says thee possible reasons for wilting leaves on a Sansevieria plant are:

1) Over or under watering

2) Improper lighting (too little makes them flip over)

3) Infestation (such as thrips)

My Experimentation

I quickly rules out lighting and thrips- and moved onto experimenting with watering.  I found it very interesting that both over-watering and under-watering could make the leaves droop, bend, wilt or begin to look wrinkly. 

OVER-WATERING: Over-watering is the most common problem for houseplants, so why not develop root rot easily, especially in containers. If you  suspected root rot you can check to see if the soil is moist or wet on the surface and down a few inches. Also pull gently on one of the outer leaves and it comes off easily at the soil level, and the root stinks and is mushy; then sorry, it's got root rot. Best solution here is to throw the rotten parts away – and repot what remains in the new soil.

Up until this point I had been watering the plants every other day when they were outside, and when they came inside I was watering them every third or fourth day. To which my friends cried “What? That’s too much!” I did not have root rot, but I cut it back to the once a week or less per recommendations from garden centers and websites. This went on for several months – and I did not see any improvement in the plants. Upon checking the soil with my hands, I knew that it was dry for several inches into the pot. This convinced me that less water was not the issue.

UNDER-WATERING - Then I realized that several factors were dictating that my Sansevieria needed more water than usual.  First off the pots are too big, and the soil mix promotes drainage – so the water quickly hits the bottom and doesn't stick around much for the plants. Secondly, the containers are right by the heat vent which will accelerate the need for water. Lastly they are in a good light area, which could also mean more water.

So, I went the other way and started watering every four days, and then every two days. Watering means 3-4 cups of water each time, not a complete soaking.

While there are still some bent leaves, there is not solid new growth and vibrant color back in the plants. I’m so happy that they lasted through all these trials and told me when they were happy. I regularly check the soil to a depth of 2-4” to make sure I’m not watering too much, and I apply cactus fertilizer every other week. (If the tips of the leaves turn brown – that’s too much fertilizer) I also rotate the plants and make sure to prop up some of the leaves against the glass – they top 3 ft tall, so I think they have earned a little support ;)

Like many succulents, Sansevieria grow very slowly – it may take time to know if something is wrong or if you fixed it. You may need to play with light exposure and watering to get your plant healthy.

So my parting shot for today is of the Zulu Sansevieria. I love how wide and tall the leaves are. There is just a hint of red along the edges of the leaves. In the pot on the right, I can just hear it asking me to repot it and take part home :)

Zulu Sansevieria

All the best;

Teresa Marie

Easy Propagation of Sedum Perrenials

If you love sedum - you can easily multiply your plants!

Easily Propagate Sedum Perennials

Showy sedum such as Autumn Joy, Autumn Fire Stonecrop,  'Postman's Pride', variegated foliage on "Frosty Morn",  'Brilliant', which has bright pink petals; and 'Stardust', which has silvery-pink flowers, can be used in containers, as ground cover, in rock gardens, borders and given as gifts!  

I bought my first showy sedum at the garden center. Debating the purchase price which was it something like $10-25/each! I brought one home and then discovered just how easy it is to propagate. Now take cutting from neighbors, trading for other plants, and using sedums in a variety of guerrilla garden projects. Showy Sedums are succulents - so the same principles apply from my prior post on propagating succulents  

In my cold climate garden, showy sedums are 18-24 inches tall, blooming in midsummer through autumn.  They require little maintenance and are fairly pest resistant. The old foliage/stems make good winter interest. The showy sedums die to the ground in winter then sprout back from its tuberous roots in spring.  

I've event taught preschoolers how to propagate sedum.  You can do it!  There are three propagation techniques which work well:

1. Immersion
2. Controlled Pot Growth
3. Direct Garden Placement
4. Division

In techniques 1- 3 you will need to take a cutting from a healthy sedum plant. I generally take a single stem of the subject sedum and cut it back to the ground. I can then cut this into 3-4 smaller pieces for propagation if desired.  No need to worry about using only the tip portion, although others will say to take only the soft tips of the sedum for propagation.  BTW many of these techniques also work really well on herbs. 

1. IMMERSION TECHNIQUE: 

Sedum in water to force rooting

This technique requires a bit of a longer cutting.  I tend to take a piece which is 6 inches long. 

Remove leaves from the lower portion of the cutting - these would be submerged and could rot. 

Take the pieces of Autumn Joy you have prepared for propagation and place them in a cup or glass that is filled with water. Make sure that only the sedum stem in in the water ( no leaves.) 

Then place the glass in a warm spot with lots of light. 

Autumn Joy Rooting in Water 

Do not let the water dry out completely, and change it every few days.  In a weeks time your cutting will begin to root, and will sprout new growth.  Take a look at the pictures below.  You can keep the sedums in water for some time, eventually you should transplant outside. They can go into the ground, even in August-October. I try to put at least three of these little sprouts together. Once you do this, keep a good supply of water until the roots are established in the garden soil. I try to water every other day for 10-12 days.

2. CONTROLLED POT GROWTH (Cuttings): 

Usually late in the summer I remember that I wanted to propagate more sedum.  I prepare the stems by cutting rather long sections ~ 6 inches and remove the leaves from the lower 3 inches.  Next I place regular potting soil with about 10% perlite into small pots. Place the sedum cutting into the pots.  

Sedum propagation from cuttings

Take care that there are no leaves buried into the soil.   Water the sedums periodically (they have dried out sometimes without ill-effect.)    

The original stem cutting will die back and new shoots will appear at the base of the plant  (see the little shoots at the right?)  

Keeping the sedum potted indoors all winter (in your in a cold climate).  If you place them outside in late fall, the tender shoots will die and not return.  Sometimes, while held indoors, the sedum shoots may die back all the way. Not to worry, in springtime they sprout back.  Watering in the winter should be only to keep the soil from getting rock hard - too much water will rot the baby plants/roots.

If you start cuttings in pots early enough in the summer, you should be able to place them directly in the garden after the shoots take off. If not, just see them come up in the pots in the spring and then place them outside. 




3. DIRECT GARDEN PLACEMENT (Cuttings)

This technique is as easy as it sounds. It is best conducted in late Spring or Early Summer. Prepare the stems as previously described in cutting section above.  Prepare a space in the garden by lightening up the soil with some peat moss and maybe a little potting soil. 

Then take each stem and directly place it into the garden where you want the new plant to grow. I like to keep 5-6 inches of the stem viable and above ground, with 3 nodes below ground.  See picture on left below, the stick is the sedum, it's fall so there's not much color there. Water if there has not been any rain.  The roots will form and new growth will begin at the ground level.  The original stem may-or may-not survive.  Over a few years you will get a nice clump of new sedum (see picture on right below)

Note - if you try this technique late in the season the stem may root, but not put up new growth until springtime. A light pull on the sedum stem you placed in the ground, if met with any resistance, indicates that there are roots.

Autumn Joy stems in soil for Propagation

Two years later - nice new stand of sedum

4. DIVISION:   The last technique, as with many perennials  is to divide well established clumps into smaller groups and replant them. 

Sedums are found in North America (including Greenland), South America, Asia, Europe and Africa.  Showy sedums are native to China and Korea.  The popular 'Autumn Joy' (S.'Herbstfreude') hybrid has large, alternate leaves and blooms late in the season with large, pinkish-bronze flower clusters.  The esteemed British  Royal Horticultural Society gave 'Autumn Joy' sedum an Award of Garden Merit. I guess then we all wanted it!  Given how easy it is to propagate them - I hope you share your joy with friends! 

If you are in Chicagoland - email me for some cuttings to start your own sedums.

Happy Gardening!

Teresa Marie

PS check this more recent blog update to see how the cuttings grew over a few month period

Propagating Succulents

One aspect that I appreciate about succulents is just how easy it is to propagate them! My friends get to share in the fruit of my labors (or enable my addiction!)  I have decades old jade, christmas cactus, and pencil tree cactus that were all started from cuttings.

There are a variety of propagation techniques - cuttings, leaf starts and offsets. Each of these is described below

Huntington Garden visit - lovely desert section

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena California.  Classic example of a wealthy individuals creating a large public space – and I thank him for doing so.

In 1903 Henry Huntington purchased the San Marino Ranch, a working ranch with citrus groves, nut and fruit orchards, alfalfa crops, a small herd of cows, and poultry. Today there are 120 acres landscaped and open to visitors. More than 14,000 different varieties of plants are showcased in more than a dozen principal garden areas. My favorite by far is the desert section – which seems to go on and on and on!

For me it is a special treat since I love working with succulents at Garfield Park Conservatory – but here it is all natural and outside. A very different experienceJ.   While lingering in this part of the garden I started to actually prune and clean up many items which appeared to be suffering from too much water. Some also had a blight or fungus on them.  This was much to the dismay of my companion who said that I wasn’t trained to work here – and she was right. So I sought out one of the gardeners and curatorial staff to get a bit more information.  Small world – as we realized that one of his acquaintances had worked at GPCA.

It turns out that it has been a very challenging year from them. In December they received over 12 inches of rain – which is what they typically get all year.  They do not have a way to drain the area – not update the soil for many of these mature plants. Hence, several are suffering from overwatering.  Also the nights have been cold – and the heaters which are arranged around the African cultivars are working overtime.

Two varieties surprised me.  One was a yellow jade tree – I believe a Crassula ovata 'Hummel's Sunset'. It was a stark contrast to the greenery around it. And I do love Jade J  The second I believe was a variation of a Schlumbergera a genus of tree-dwelling cactus which is a tropical rainforest epiphytes.  I took my picture next to it – you can see how awesome this is. 

I highly recommend!  It was a very enjoyable day. And after you wander the gardens – you can visit the art museum and store.