NOT CONTENT WITH ITS FIRST CLOSEUP, the yellow Clivia offered this by week’s end last week, a full-on flowerhead of massive proportion. A great plant, as I have already mentioned.
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FROM THE WEEKLY PODCAST
rethinking the lawn, with dan wilder
THE LECTURE that he’s been giving for a number of years is not-so-subtly called “Kill Your Lawn.” Ecological horticulturist Dan Jaffe Wilder knows that starting over and creating an entire native habitat instead of a lawn isn’t for everyone. But Dan just wants to grab our attention and get us to start to make some changes at least in the way we care for the turfgrass we do want in our landscapes. And maybe give up a little square footage of it to some other kind of more diverse planting, too, like the wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana, inset). Alternative, more eco-focused styles of lawn care, along with some lawn alternatives is what he and I talked about on the podcast. Dan is Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Wales, Massachusetts, and its 8,000-acre sanctuary. He’s also co-author with Mark Richardson of the book “Native Plants for New England Gardens.”
(Stream it below, read the illustrated transcript or subscribe free.)
Isn’t it great that you have your indoor blooms as it seems it is taking to long for the outdoors to warm up.
Lovely, just lovely!
Heh. I gave one to my wife about a year and a half ago. The good news is the plant isn’t dead. The bad news is, it has never, ever bloomed.
I’ve heard these things need to be root-bound to bloom. Maybe in another year, the plant will be big enough?
Makes me wish I had indoor plants to keep me company until I can get outdoors to garden.
Welcome, Vigilant20 (a good name if you want to succeed in gardening!). Nice to see you. Yes, the Clivia is a good companion, nice even when not in flower.
Welcome, Rob. My plant (which was pretty small) didn’t bloom till year 3 with me, so don’t give up hope. On the earlier post, an expert grower jumped in on the comments and suggested his special flower-producing tips (he shows his plants), so you will want to look there, too.
Better and better!
WOW!
I so enjoy looking at this beauty (I am less enjoying the Phil Collins song stuck in my head right now!!)
:)
Rob,
If they are well cared for, clivia plants typically start to bloom around 3 to 4 years of age with a minimum of 8 adult leaves (about new 2 leaves per year). Anything smaller probably will not bloom. Also, they need a dormancy period of about 10 to 12 weeks of dry, cool temperature (40s) and darkness to initiate flowering buds. Root bound plants are less likely to bloom. This is a myth. They are also heavy feeders too – so give them plenty of food and send them outdoor under a shaded spot once the danger of frost is over.
Margaret, thank you for this review of clivias. I have 2, which my mother brought over from Germany hidden in her suitcase ( I know she shouldn’t have), probably in the late 1970s. They only survived because of my neglect. They have bloomed many times, sometimes when they should have and sometimes in the summer. They have not flowered in the last couple of winters and because we are spending February and March away, I was thinking of just giving up on them. You inspired me to keep going, and possibly passing them on to our daughter. I find it extremely hard to kill any living plant, especially one with such history and longevity. Now that I know what I am supposed to do – no problem with withholding water – and the cooling cycle, perhaps it will reward me with flowering for my 83rd birthday! Thank you for your inspiration.
You are welcome, Mariele. What a very nice story of the provenance of those plants!