The holidays are behind us and, as lovely as they are, once they are over and we turn the calendar to the new year, I am always ready to start looking toward spring. It is usually a bit of a stretch to do so since January and February are our winter months here in the mid-Atlantic. When I was young and growing up in the Virginia countryside, winter weather started in November. It was not unusual to have snow in November. Now, November and December are rather like fall. Nonetheless, I am turning a blind eye to these two cold months and spending my time focusing on planting. As much as one can in an apartment. On a recent errand run I found these cute little Ruffle Fuffle ferns on a table at Walmart.
I picked up two. I already had the right sized planter that I knew could fit two of them just perfectly.
Indeed they did fit perfectly. These reside in the kitchen where they receive indirect light from a north facing window. Direct light, especially from a south facing window will not be good for these. Water thoroughly, then let the soil become dry to the touch. At that point, give a good soaking again. A light misting from a misting water bottle never hurts since ferns like lots of humidity. My apartment is especially low in humidity this time of year. I have a hygrometer which measures the amount of moisture in the air and the reading is often in the teens. That is very low even for the winter months.
On another stop at Trader Joe's, I noticed they had a display of hyacinth. Who doesn't love hyacinth? I like the shape of the leaves. I like the form of the blooms. And I love the scent. So I grabbed two of these, in white.
As you see, they are babies. One is just starting to form its bloom, but the other has not begun the process just yet. Unlike the ferns, these prefer lots of direct sunlight, at least until they are in full bloom. Once they bloom, move them to indirect light. I would keep the soil moist with these, but not wet. Too wet soil for any bulb will only result in the bulb rotting and we do not want that. When the top of the soil is dry, add water. Do not mist these with a water bottle. Misting any bulb is a no-no. When you water, water around the base of the bulb. Try never to get water inside the bulb.
It is not too early to start planning what you will want in your garden and throughout your home in the spring. I think Ruffle Fuffle ferns and hyacinth a great way to get started.
I picked up two. I already had the right sized planter that I knew could fit two of them just perfectly.
Indeed they did fit perfectly. These reside in the kitchen where they receive indirect light from a north facing window. Direct light, especially from a south facing window will not be good for these. Water thoroughly, then let the soil become dry to the touch. At that point, give a good soaking again. A light misting from a misting water bottle never hurts since ferns like lots of humidity. My apartment is especially low in humidity this time of year. I have a hygrometer which measures the amount of moisture in the air and the reading is often in the teens. That is very low even for the winter months.
On another stop at Trader Joe's, I noticed they had a display of hyacinth. Who doesn't love hyacinth? I like the shape of the leaves. I like the form of the blooms. And I love the scent. So I grabbed two of these, in white.
As you see, they are babies. One is just starting to form its bloom, but the other has not begun the process just yet. Unlike the ferns, these prefer lots of direct sunlight, at least until they are in full bloom. Once they bloom, move them to indirect light. I would keep the soil moist with these, but not wet. Too wet soil for any bulb will only result in the bulb rotting and we do not want that. When the top of the soil is dry, add water. Do not mist these with a water bottle. Misting any bulb is a no-no. When you water, water around the base of the bulb. Try never to get water inside the bulb.
It is not too early to start planning what you will want in your garden and throughout your home in the spring. I think Ruffle Fuffle ferns and hyacinth a great way to get started.
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