As usual, Tami over at 500 Dollar Tomato had an interesting blog post yesterday. She was talking about succulent plants, specifically about her aloe vera plant.
We have always kept an aloe plant around because of the "juice" inside the leaves that is excellent for treating burns.
Above is one of our plants kept in the kitchen. The leaves or spears have grown so tall and heavy that I've had to "stake" them up.
Years ago when stepping off our old tractor, Papa Pea (in a non-thinking moment . . . or perhaps he was thinking but of something other than what he should have been) grabbed the very hot exhaust pipe which burned his whole palm. He came (quickly, to say the least) into the house where we immediately chopped off a spear of the nearest aloe plant and smeared the juice all over his hand. He never even had a blister when it could have been a serious burn.
But I digress.
I know succulents are currently popular as house plants, but the only variety I have is our aloe veras. However, thinking of succulents (back to Tami's post) reminded me of my grandma's love of cactus plants.
She had a large south-facing window in her dining room and for all the time I can remember, there were many pots of cactuses lined up on the window sill. We grandkids, who were always welcome and spent quite a bit of time at Grandma and Grandpa's house, delighted in seeing if we could "touch" the cactuses without bloodying our tender little fingers. (Grandma was not particularly fond of this game of ours.)
Whenever I'm in a plant store or nursery and see cactus plants, I think of Grandma and that sunny window sill that held all those prickly plants.
What memories do you have of the houseplants your grandmother or mother grew indoors? What variety of houseplants do you have in your home? Please share.
21 comments:
Hi Mama Pea. My Grandma had a large African violet in a pot on the top of the piano. There was a metal mesh thing around the top rim holding the leaves off the potting soil. It was the only house plant she had! Outside was a different story. Thank you for reminding me, Mary Mc
Mary Mc - I know you aren't supposed to get the leaves of an African violet wet, but I had never known to keep them off the soil. But that would go along with not letting them get wet. I do love African violets, but don't have much luck growing them. Wonder if they're as popular as in years gone by? Thanks for your comment.
My mother has always had an abundance of different houseplants. Some are staples like spider plants, others come and go. The one I've always liked best is the jade tree that's at least 30 years old.
My dad like cactus. He died in 1970 and mom was left with his collection. A few survived. One was a tall single stem kind with stickers. She had that thing for 30 years. Never got bigger and didn’t die. When she went into Assisted Living, I took the plant - and during the summer it would be outside on my deck. It LOVED THE DECK! The plant went from about 10 inches in height to over my head. We had it for a few years and I finally gave it to my sister who had very high ceilings because it had outgrown my house. I don’t know what happened to that plant.
tpals - I remember spider plants and hanging ferns as being seen in a lot of old pictures of house interiors. They must be favorites that have been around for many years. Those jade plants (trees) can last a long time. I have a friend who has one in her living room that must be 5' tall. It's in a planting pot that's about as big as a half barrel. She transplanted it to this larger pot last summer (with the help of her grown son) because it needed more soil. The jade plant that ate the living room??
I too remember African violets, aloe and "mickey mouse ear" cactus inside. Oh and the ever-present pothos which my Mom would hang from a macramé plant hanger in our front room. So 1970's. And spider plants. My Dad really liked those.
Thanks for the "shout-out" MP. And the trip down memory lane.
Red Christmas Cactus is this houseplant that comes to mind for my Grandmother Tillman. Always in bloom at the appropriate time on her cool back porch (no direct sun). For outside plants, it will always be the huge Gardenia by the back porch door. What a sweet smell when entering her house, always through the back door, never the front. Only 'company' came to the front door. And, it's sweet potato slips in jars on the kitchen window sill that come to mind for my Grandmother Miller. Roots fully engulfing the bottom & long sprouts on top. I guess, she eventually planted them but maybe not. Thanks for jarring my memory on this.
Retired Knitter - Another cactus lover! Isn't it funny that the cactus never grew when inside, but when you put it outside it simply took off. Obviously, it must have been a variety that in the right conditions lived outside naturally. I don't think I've ever seen a cactus (in captivity!) that grew as big as you said it did.
Tami - You're welcome, and my mom was fond of pothos, too.
DFW - Oh, yes! My MIL had a pink Christmas Cactus that bloomed at Thanksgiving time, but not Christmas. I had completely forgotten that I used to buy a sweet potato strictly for rooting it and seeing the gorgeous green leaves that would be produced from the top end. Gosh, I should do that again. I think I will! Thanks for the nudge.
I don't remember my grandmothers having houseplants, or my mother for that matter. Could be my holey memory; I just don't know. Me, I HAVE to have houseplants. Peace lilies, dracaena, orchids.....
I have none. :o( But seriously thinking of another aloe and some pothos. No cacti for me though.
Your kitchen looks so cheery and warm, and I am sure your floor tiles are the same as the ones we had at the cottage...good memories there! I have an aloe and a basil plant in the kitchen window.(the basil sure sucks down the water) An African violet, a flame violet, an amaryllis, a ginger plant and a date palm. The best windows for plants are on either side of the wood stove, and way too hot, so not a lot of room for indoor plants. I have a big pot of lettuce greens growing under a light. I have fond memories of my favourite Aunt and a large Christmas cactus that seemed to always be covered in blooms on a table in front of the north window of her living room.
We had an aloe plant too. If I remember correctly, my grandfather had a couple of potted cactus in the dairy barn. He also over wintered a couple of huge geraniums in the barn and I think the cactus was probably revenge on the barn cars.
Michelle - Your own houseplants always look so healthy and exotic!
Cockeyed Jo - I've never had a cactus as a houseplant either. Sometimes I'm tempted, but haven't succumbed. ;o)
Rosalea - For not having much room for indoor plants, you seem to have a lot of them! ;o) I feel the same way. I can count 10 in my kitchen as we speak. Maybe we do have more room than we think! I wonder if Christmas cactuses used to be more popular because they can thrive in cool temps? Houses were not so well insulated in years gone by. Nor were heating systems as good.
SmartAlex - That's the first time I've heard of plants in the dairy barn! He must have had enough cows to provide the heat during a cold winter so the plants could survive. I like the thought of plants there.
You reminded me to water mine. I sent you an email. I lost my stuffed pepper recipe. Also, I would love to know how to put that contact me via email icon on my blog. Could you share how to do that?
Hi, Kristina - No e-mail has shown up here, but if you go over to my right hand side bar and scroll way down to the Search box and enter Stuffin' Them Peppers, the recipe (in that blog post) of mine that I think you have should pop up.
I am a complete computer doofus and my daughter (our computer guru) set up my blog including the Contact Me icon so I don't know what to tell you on that. I'd gladly share if I could, but I can't. :o\
My mother wasn't much on house plants, but I remember my grandmother kept a pot of small cactus. The only time she watered it was when she saw on the weather report that it had rained in Arizona. Those cactuses thrived for years!
Leigh - Your grandmother's method of knowing when to water her cactus brought a smile to my face.
Thanks Mama Pea, I found the recipe now.
Kristina - You're welcome. Happy Green Pepper Stuffin'!
Hi. This doesn't fit in with this discussion, but I found exactly the wallhang pattern on your blog called "Garden Trellis" that I'm looking for. Would you please tell me the book in which you found the pattern.
Thanks, Ronnie
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