I never think a house can feel like a home without house plants. The rooms tend to look bare without fresh  living foliage.  They can be incorporated into a room design or just dotted about as you please, as long as they have sufficient light and the room stays at a  temperature that suits the plant.  There is no point trying to grow a fern that requires a moist environment in a hot, dry centrally heated room as it just won’t be happy.  I have plants in every room of the house but I sometimes have to swap them around  rooms as the seasons change depending on their individual likes.  As they grow larger they may need re-potting or even split and re-potted.  This is a great opportunity to make new plants to give away to friends and family or to charities to sell on.  I take lots of cuttings from large plants, split the peace lilies many times to make new plants and pot-on the chicks from the sempervivums to sell at Duddingston Kirk Plant Sale.  I have been given a few plants (that have needed a bit of TLC) recently from friends and I am waiting to see if they come through or not.  Steph gave me an Easter cactus that was very old and had split leaves dead leaves,old woody leaves etc so I gave that a good trim and potted up the cuttings.  I don’t have a before photo but I did take a snap after I had given it a haircut.

Steph’s Easter cactus after it’s trim

Steph’s Easter cactus in bud

Steph also gave me palm which had been very neglected so I  trimmed off the dead leaves and re-potted it and it is looking much better.

Steph’s palm before

Steph’s palm after

I have been given a few plants of Kate’s (who passed away recently) and it was quite a difficult decision to make, whether or not to alter anything about them or leave them as they were.  The Echeveria hybrid was looking very leggy and distressed so I cut the heads off it and a few single leaves too.  These were left to dry out until the ends calloused over, then were planted in a free draining compost mix.  I have left the rooted plant stumps in the  hope that it may get new growth from the stumps bottom part.  The leggy bit in the middle I have just placed on compost to see if it will root from the stem (just an experiment).  Hopefully one of these will take and I can keep it going.  She also had a Christmas cactus which was growing mainly in one direction so I trimmed off a  few bits and left them to dry for a few days and potted then up, and hopefully I can get some new plants from it.  Kate’s Petrocosmia had been very over-watered so I re-potted that and it is trying to dry out, I took some damaged leaves off it but I don’t know if it will survive.  I will take a photo if it survives.  I really hope I can keep them all alive for Kate’s memory.

Kate’s Echevaria hybrid before

Kate’s Echevaria hybrid stumps

Kate’s Echevaria hybrid small head potted-up

Kate’s Echevaria hybrid large head potted-up

Kate’s Christmas cactus trimmed

Kate’s Petrocosmia begonifolia before

I am loving me Aeonium Voodoo just now as the colours are just fantastic!  The top of the stem is bright green and these leaves go such a deep, rich, burgundy which contrast beautifully with the lime centre. I don’t know when I should take the head off to replant  – I may leave it another year or so.

Aeonium Voodoo head

Aeonium Voodoo plant

Aeonium Voodoo under leaves

Aeonium Voodoo stem with leaf joints

And recently purchased are these fabulous living stones: Lithops.  They can be tricky to grow so I am going to have to be very careful with my watering of them.  I have potted them up in a very gritty, free draining compost and have given them one watering so far.  Fingers crossed I can keep them alive.

Lithops

I do have a few air plants that I bought in 2020 but so far they have not flowered for me.  As soon as they I will post a picture.

Just a few of the cuttings that will be on sale at Duddingston Kirk Garden Club plant sale on Saturday.

Cuttings