CARE FOR MY PLANTS WHILE WE’RE GONE

We are in the midst of getting ready for our trip east.  Our eldest grand-daughter is graduating from High School in Connecticut.  We will travel east for that.  While there, we will visit family and friends.  We will be gone for just about 4 weeks, which is a very long time for us.  Usually three weeks is about our limit.  However, while we’re there, it makes sense to cram as much into the visit as we can.

At our advancing age, we are not anxious to do this too often.  We’re getting to the point where we are hoping our family will come to us instead of the other way around.

In the meantime I need to prepare my indoor plants for a long period of neglect!  I have a friend who will come in to water about once a week, but I need to get these guys out of the sun, and into a place where they can be safely watered without damage to their surroundings.

I’m thinking of protecting my “coffee table” with plastic or impermeable paper, and putting the plants there.  The plants will get light, but no direct sunshine.  If the pots leak a bit, it won’t matter because the table will be protected.  I also have a few of those little automatic siphoning “thingies” that should keep the soil in the pots moist.  I’ll use those as well.

I’m hoping that 4 weeks of benign neglect might allow them 4 weeks of relaxation!  I’ll be anxious to see how they fare!

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A BUSY LIFE

It’s been much too busy in my life lately!  I really HAVE ignored my blog.  I’m sorry about that.  So many things have happened to occupy my time.

First, I’ve been tapped to step into a ‘learning period’, in preparation for taking over as chairman of the Gardening Committee here at Horizon House.  I’ve been gradually getting involved, but that learning curve and responsibility will definitely increase as time goes on.  Wish me luck!

In that vein of endeavor, I’ve been devising schedules for plant watering outside the dining room and supported living areas.  The orchids also needed to have a watering schedule.  People are wonderful in volunteering, but there is a bit of coordination involved!

There was also the grant for shelving to handle all the pots that have occupied the decks on the terraces.  They are not too attractive that way, and are a problem for the staff to clean up around…hence the shelving.  That grant was accepted and those shelves will be in their places come mid-summer.  It should be a welcome and attractive addition.

With my Potting Room group, I planned an “Plant Exchange” day.  Although it didn’t work out too well, people seemed to love the idea.  It was a fun social event, BUT not much was done in the way of plant exchanging!  Perhaps 10 plants changed hands.  But, they want to do it again!  I’m not entirely convinced it was worth the effort!

Then we’ve had a pair of little House Finches that have been nesting outside our bedroom window.  My husband has been photographing, and I’ve been posting all about them here at HH.  That has been fun.  Yesterday, however, it appears the finches  have abandoned their nest, as well as the one little, pretty, blue egg.

 

 

Other than a nasty cold and a lengthy bout of laryngitis, I think life may now begin to get back to normal!

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