Propagating a special plant from father’s funeral
We have a plant from my father’s funeral arrangement I have tried to plant from its seeds with no success. I have collected the yellow seeds as they fall off and kept them moist in soil, but none germinated. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. The plant is 10 years old and I don’t know its identity, though I have tried.
Thank you very much.
— Duane
The plant appears to be a parlor palm/Neanthe bella (Chamaedorea elegans). This is one of the most common palm plants sold as a houseplant. Unfortunately, my research indicates that while this plant does produce some insignificant flowers that form seeds, it is very rare that any of the seeds are viable. Even if they are, the seeds need shallow potting, high humidity and plenty of warmth.
It is possible, although not all that reliable, to propagate these plants by division. There are a few things to consider before attempting this. This palm doesn’t like to be disturbed — repotting is recommended to be spaced at least two to three years apart. Repotted plants often take a long time to recover and experience some stem die-off. Division is not a sure thing. so you may want to reconsider if this is an important plant.
The process is simple. Carefully remove the plant from its pot. Brush away the soil and look for a stem with a good root system. Sever the roots attaching it to the rest of the plant. Repot the mother plant in fresh potting mix. Plant the new plant in a pot tamping the soil so that the roots and stem are firmly seated in the soilless mix. Water both plants until the soil is uniformly moist. Place both plants in a warm spot in the shade and allow plants to recover. New growth is a good indication of a successful rooting. Then return the plants to their original light conditions and grow on as before.
English Wallflowers
When we took a trip to England about 25 years ago in early spring (around April), England was covered with these beautiful wallflowers.
So I got some seeds to plant at my own home, and they “took off ”. What’s nice is that they stay green all winter, bloom real early in April-May, develop their seeds which you can just cut off and throw back into the soil for year-after-year flowers, if you let some plants grow until seed time. After blooming, cut the plants down to 6” from the soil, let them grow all summer (some may even bloom again), and cut them down to 6” from the soil before winter, so that they branch out in the spring. They bloom several years before a plant dies, but you have lots more to fill in. They seem to grow well in shade or sun.
I was wondering why I don’t see any wallflowers at nurseries around here, or even in gardens here, have you???
— Liz Phillips
English Wallflowers are quite beautiful. I have seen them, occasionally, in the local nurseries, sold as short-lived perennials or biennials. Some are only reliably hardy to Zone 7 (Erysunyn cheri), a zone south of the southernmost parts of the Lehigh Valley. Cheranthus cheri is rated reliable to Zone 5, the northern parts of the valley. Liz’s plants are located near the house and I suspect are in a protected area or one near a source of radiating heat (sidewalk, brickwork, stonework, for example) These plants, more easily found as seed are sold under the names Erysunyn cheiri, Cheiranthus cheiri, and Erysimum suffruticosum. The wallflower needs well-drained soil but tolerates full sun to partial shade. I have only grown plants that were labelled as biennial.
The wallflower grows about 1 to 2 feet tall with spikes of flowers that somewhat resemble phlox. While the most common color is orange, flowers come in a variety of colors including red, yellow and white.
Week in the Garden Planting
Indoors, start seed for: Dianthus. Finish sowing seeds for transplanting: Ageratum, lobelia, scabiosa, torenia and verbena.
Next week start: Dahlia, larkspur and portulaca.
Create and follow a schedule for starting seeds. Check packets for instructions such as start indoors four weeks before last frost date. Then, using a calendar, count back from your area’s date (May 10-15) for the appropriate starting time.
Seasonal
Cut back ornamental grasses. Divide when you see new green growth.
Examine trees and shrubs. Note damaged limbs and candidates for winter pruning. Please check proper pruning information for each plant and prune as needed and recommended.
Take cuttings of African violets and geraniums.
Check germination rate for all stored seeds and replace those that perform badly with fresh seed this year.
Check for heaved plants, particularly when soil temperatures are fluctuating between freezing and thawing.
Get seeds for plants you intend to grow from seed.
Keep pathways, driveways and guttering clear of dead plants and leaves.
Cut the flower stalks of amaryllis plants after the flowers fade but keep the greens warm and watered in a sunny area if you plan on keeping them until next year.
Move in some of those bulbs you potted this fall for forcing.
Chores
Keep deicing materials, shovels, scrapers and other winter tools in a convenient space.
Maintain winter equipment. Use fresh gas and check for damage before or after each use.
Clean seed starting containers and other pots.
Check supplies for spring and purchase as needed.
Use a humidifier, humidity trays or misting to increase the humidity around your houseplants.
Mark off beds, new plantings, plants that are late to break dormancy in the spring and delicate plants.
Provide deer, rabbit and groundhog protection for vulnerable plants. Reapply taste or scent deterrents.
Clean and fill bird feeders regularly. Clean up spilled seed and empty hulls. Dump, scrub and refill birdbaths at least once a week. Consider a heater to provide water during cold weather.
Clear gutters and direct rainwater runoff away from house foundations.
Tools, equipment, and supplies
Inventory, clean, disinfect, restock, and store seed starting and potting supplies.
Clean and repair spring/ summer tools. Replace or send for service now.
Safety
Photograph storm damage before clearing or repairing for insurance claims and file promptly.
Avoid tick and mosquito bites: Use an insect repellent containing Deet on the skin.
Apply a permethrin product to clothing. Wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves, hats and long pants when working in the garden.
Stay hydrated. Drink water or other non-caffeinated, nonalcoholic beverages.
Apply sunscreen, wear hats and limit exposure to sun.
Wear closed-toe shoes and gloves; use eye protection; and use ear protection when using any loud power tools.
Sue Kittek is a freelance garden columnist, writer, and lecturer. Send questions to Garden Keeper at grdnkpr@gmail.com or mail: Garden Keeper, The Morning Call, PO Box 1260, Allentown, PA 18105.
As I write this, I am looking at the snow outside my window. I love living where there are four seasons, and winter is my favorite, but I know this is not so for most people. And while I am safe and warm, and am prepared for life in winter, my heart turns to the people of Texas.
The state of Texas has chosen to remove itself from the national power grid that all the rest of the lower 48 states are connected to. And the Texas power companies have also chosen not to winterize equipment. This has led to the dire circumstances that we have seen in Texas over the last few weeks. Hundreds of thousands of people without power. Fourteen million people without safe drinking water. Millions with no heat.
It’s not just individual families. Hospitals without water have been forced to send patients home or transfer people to other facilities. People who rely upon dialysis have been unable to receive this life-sustaining treatment.
Due to the extent of the damage, the troubles won’t all go away as soon as the power returns. Homes have been destroyed as a result of all of this.
So what has that to do with us? We here in the Lehigh Valley have power and water. And surely folks in Texas who have the means can just go to Cancun until it all blows over? But then, aren’t the people in Texas our neighbors as surely as the people in Bath or Nazareth or Emmaus?
In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, a lawyer tries to test Jesus (Matthew 22:34-40, Luke 10:25-37). In Matthew, the lawyer asks Jesus what the most important commandment is, and Jesus tells the lawyer that, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, [or soul] and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Common English Bible translation).
In Luke, the story is a little longer, and the lawyer pushes Jesus, asking him, “and who is my neighbor?” Jesus (who I think must be getting a bit annoyed at this particular lawyer by now), goes on to tell him the Parable of the Good Samaritan. I won’t recount the parable here, except to say that a priest and a levite both ignored a hurt man on the road, while a Samaritan, one whom Jews of that time despised, took care of him. At the end of the story, Jesus asks the lawyer which one he thinks was a neighbor to the man. The lawyer answers that it was the one who showed the man mercy, and Jesus tells the lawyer to go and do likewise.
We must go and do likewise. People are suffering. Now. We
cannot walk by on the other side of the street. We do not have time to quibble with religious or community leaders about who is and who is not our neighbor. People are hurting now.
Perhaps your faith tradition has a disaster relief fund. Give to it if you can. Or find a trusted relief agency that is doing work on the ground in Texas. There are many. Support relief efforts now. The people of Texas are in need. We are their neighbors.
The Rev. Madelyn Campbell is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley. She is a Certified Master Biblical Storyteller, and huge fan of Doctor Who and Harry Potter. She just recently moved to the Lehigh Valley from Northern Virginia with one of her nine children and her three cats. She can be reached at : minister@uuclvpa.org.