Indoor plant projects (working in the basement garden)

My need to garden transcends the seasons. Thus I am thrilled when there are projects beyond watering and fussing over the plants in the basement garden. This sweet little planting was put together when I found a terracotta candle holder that reminded me of the metal bits I'd seen planted up at The Tropics, Inc.

There's just a tiny space for soil. I looked to a few different plants I might experiment with planting but then fell hard for a small orchid (Oncidium Twinkle 'Red Fire') and that was that. I wish I would have taken in-process planting pics but I did not.

I loved the foliage and the swollen pseudobulbs...

But the fact there were three stems loaded with flower buds sealed the deal. The flowers are starting to open. 

They're tiny, but majestic.

My next project involved an Aglaomorpha coronans, but not this one. Nope, this one is my original plant that I've been growing for a little over two years now.

It's thrown out several new fronds, but is just starting to take ownership of the container I planted it in.

Here's what it looked like when I brought it home, back in September of 2022.

My plant came from the talented and generous Rob Co, of the Pitcher Plant Project and ix.rco.xi on Instagram. I visited Rob at his home and snapped many a photo (blog post here). Here's one of his impressive Aglaomorpha coronans from that visit, one that has taken ownership of the container it's growing in.

Okay, so the project. Since I've had success with my first aglaomorpha, and I absolutely love the genus/species, I grabbed an overgrown Aglaomorpha coronans in a 10" pot when I saw it, figuring I could divide it and have some plants to play with potting up. I've never seen this plant on offer at a local nursery (that I remember) and so I jumped at the chance. Here it is post division. One plant made five...

And here they are after potting up. I have no intention of growing them on like this (plant mounting/epiphytic experiments await), but once I realized I needed to treat them like ferns (rather than succulents) I potted them up to keep them happy.

I've never noticed the thin red outline of the leaves before.

And love the fuzzy rhizomes with tiny little fronds beginning to unfurl.

The next project involves Rob again, and another fern. He messaged me recently asking if I'd be interested in a few Diplazium proliferum pups and sent this photo...

Of course I would! Researching the plant online (I'd never heard of it) I came across this image from Th.Voekler on Useful Tropical Plants. Look at those adorable little ferns!

I also found this one from H. Zell on the same website.

Here's what I got from Rob...

And all planted up—in a green rubber seedling tray I scored at a plant swap last fall. BTW, if you haven't bought one, or two (or more) of the boot trays from IKEA (the grey tray below) what are you waiting for? They are perfect for working with soil indoors, or watering/soaking plants.

I went with a few squares each of soil and sphagnum moss to try and root the little bulbils, because I was curious how they'd respond to the different growing medium. The ones that have already "sprouted" came that way from Rob.

They are so cute, already green and with tiny scales.

The tray is fantastic because it's flexible and has small holes in the bottom to drain or soak up water.

Rob later shared this photo he took when visiting Dan Yansura's greenhouse in the Bay Area, Dan is who Rob got his Diplazium proliferum from. Pretty fabulous, no?

Of course then I went looking to learn more about Dan and realized I watched a presentation he gave for the Hardy Fern Foundation last April. It's a small world!

Just one more entry in this post and it's not a project, but rather just a tribute to my Nepenthes lowii x ventricosa ‘Red’, growing in the basement garden for the cool season.

Look at the sticky substance inside the pitcher...

The fabulous ridges around the opening...

And the little hairs underneath the "hood"... ain't nature grand?

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control. 

All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

San Diego baby!

Last week Andrew and I hopped on a plane and headed south for week of sunshine and (relative) warmth. We'd planned a week or so in Mexico City for our 20th anniversary trip, but that didn't work out (for now—we're determined to make it there eventually), San Diego to the rescue! It was a fun bit of déjà vu too, as we spent our 10th anniversary in San Diego back in 2014.

Mt Hood and the surrounding mountains were looking frosty as we flew out on the 13th...

But soon enough I'd put my flip-flops on and was basking in the sunshine...

I managed to squeeze in quite a few plant and garden related stops, including visiting four nurseries: Walter Anderson (where the above photo was taken), Bird Rock Tropicals, Jungle Music and Solana Succulents. I visited Jim Bishop's garden, spent an afternoon in Balboa Park, wandered the pathways of the Self Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens, and of course I tested Andrew's patience by stopping at several interesting street-side gardens along the way...

This garden caught my eye our first day on the ground. I don't know if later in the trip I would have stopped to take photos, but that first afternoon I was still in awe of the succulent selection all around. Blooming Agave attenuata were everywhere...

Is the coloration because the plant is dying as it blooms, or due to drought stress?

I also saw crazy numbers of variegated Euphorbia ammak.

And beautiful blooming aloes...

The garden also had several non-blooming Agave attenuata.

And a couple bloomed-out A. attenuata with pups (bulbils) on what was left of the decapitated bloom spike. Those things fall off really easy when you touch them—ask me how I know. (more on that below)

All was not attractive in this planting however, as there was a butchered agave in the mix. 

All I can imagine is that someone was worried about the spines being too close to the sidewalk? Poor thing!

Here's my modest haul from the trip, there was not much room in my carry-on.

From Bird Rock Tropicals (BRT) an Aechmea Bert (orlandiana x fosteriana)...

If I'd been driving I would have left BRT with a carful, but instead I just enjoyed looking at all that was on offer and photographing (there will be many San Diego blog posts in the future). I selected this particular bromeliad because it reminded me of one I lusted after in Jim Bishop's garden. Now that I look at his plant(s) though I'm not sure it's the same one.

Inspired by the plantings I saw at The Tropics, Inc. when I visited in November, I grabbed this Deuterocohnia brevifolia at Walter Anderson to pot up in a creative way. Andrew thought it looked like lots of little agaves.

Leaving Solana Succulents with just one plant was difficult, but I fell for this Hechtia tillandsioides (owner Jeff Moore ID'd it with a tentative "?") and was thankful I could squeeze it into my suitcase.

San Marcos Growers calls it a "an attractive and interesting grasslike terrestrial bromeliad"...

So remember the Agave attenuata bulbils I mentioned? Well two of them came home with me. I broke them off accidently and didn't want to just drop them on the ground where they'd languish so I took them with. There were others drying up in the same planting area so I really don't feel like I was taking something of value. I know, that's rationalization but there it is. (special thanks to Andrew for being my hand model)

Also from Bird Rock Tropicals, a Racinaea crispa (red clone). I've been lusting after this plant ever since I saw one on offer at the auction during the Bromeliad Summit in 2019. I'm hoping I can keep it alive.

In addition to the nurseries and gardens (and fishing from the piers) there were bookstore visits. I have so many books I haven't yet read that I wasn't planning to buy anything, but then I saw this. I read about this book somewhere recently and at used book prices I couldn't pass it up.

So, that's my San Diego haul and a quick overview of the trip. So much more to come! Meanwhile I'm back in chilly Portland where nights are frosty...

—   —   —

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control. 

All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.