Gardening and Gardens

We have bamboo growing in our backyard. It's not the invasive, spreading kind, but the clumping kind. Every once in a while, I get a new shoot somewhere it shouldn't be, but for the most part, it stays contained. I love the screen it provides all year. I love how it moves with the breeze, like it's doing a slow, swaying dance. I love how the snow clings to it in the winter and how the stalks gently bend over in the rain or under the weight of the snow.

More snow today on Long Island! It's so light at fluffy, it almost looks like cotton on the plants.

Winter is a time for resting indoors, but also, for me to truly enjoy my houseplants. Sure, I appreciate them all year round but it's during the cold gray days of winter, that I am so thankful to have them brightening my days. Here are a few that share my house with me. Thankfully they all get along! I got this Cyclamen just after Christmas and it's still looking good. I love the heart shaped leaves and the way the flower petals shoot upwards. In nature, Cyclamen go dormant during the warmer months and comes into growth during the cooler, winter months. Another great reason to have one of these in the house - flowers in the winter! I'm actually taking care of this basket of plants for relatives while they are away and am enjoying having it on my bookcase. I love the mixture of textures and even though each plant has seemed to grow beyond the size of the basket, it still looks appealing. The basket is fillled with a Palm, Syngonium and Schefflera. Behind the bask...

The small, white poinsettia I got in December, is still holding on quite nicely in my kitchen. As I was eating my breakfast this morning, I was amused at the juxtaposition of the plant and a Han Solo figurine from Star Wars. My son had asked me to glue his head back on last night, and after doing so, I placed him upright to dry overnight... next to the poinsettia. Now, it looks like he's protecting the plant! Bring in Chewy and the Millennium Falcon!

It was cold and windy today. I found myself walking quickly down the street, with my head down and hands tucked deep into the pockets of my coat trying to keep as little of my skin exposed as possible. It made me think of the Rhododendron. In the winter, it's large leaves droop down and curl backward so the soft permeable underside is protected, while the outer, waxy side is exposed to the elements. What they are doing is called thermotropism. Thermotropic movement is the movement of a plant or plant part in response to changes in temperature. The dry winter air and winds can cause moisture loss from the stomata on the underside of the leaf, so the leaf curls to protect itself. Once you see the Rhododendrons looking like this, you know it's cold! I look forward to the day when these leaves uncurl because it means warmer weather is here to stay!

The Conservatory at New York Botanical Garden located just north of New York City in Bronx, NY is the Garden's crown jewel. It's a Victorian-style glasshouse that holds permanent plant exhibits as well as special and seasonal exhibits (like the Holiday Train Show and Orchid Show). The permanent exhibition is called "A World of Plants" and it showcases tropical rain forests, deserts, aquatic and carnivorous plants. The day I visited, it was so cold outside and as soon as I entered the rain forest area inside the Conservatory, my camera lens completely fogged up! The lowland rain forest showcases many beautiful tropical plants, epiphytes, trees that provide rain forest canopies and the plants that enjoy life below them.    The upland rain forest showcases ferns, coffee trees, orchids, mosses and others. In the desert section, plants from the Americas and Africa are on display. I had never seen Agave attenuata in bloom before and ...