Fertilizing with Worm Poo

I love house plants, but I'm not an expert on their care. It is always a challenge for me to buy a plant and keep it alive. ( it has also been a challenge for me to keep up with my blog due to my demanding job...But here I am..

I'm never far from what I love...Anywho....

I read up on every plant that I buy before and after I purchase it so that I may mother it with the  proper care. 

Some of this information however, still eludes me even though I follow them to what I think is to the -T-......"Water this plant just a little, leave this one dry,  feed this one every other month"...


 It gets really frustrating, but not enough to stop me... No way!.....

 I'll just throw the ailing plant out and  replace it with another. Besides, I have read that it is not always my fault that a plant will not flourish under my care, sometimes the fault falls on the nurseries... 

( A plant is only as good as the nursery you bought it from)... be it from  a nursery you bought it from  directly or from mass market stores like Walmart, Lowes and HomeDepot.....Some of them I read, are ill and infested with pest upon their arrival to the store.


So whether the fault lies with me or the nurseries, I have come up with a plan that I hope will turn me into a successful plant owner/ green-thumb. 

What's that plan you ask? .....It's to fertilize all my house plants with Worm-poop!.. .Aka Worm Castings ( the proper terminology in the natural fertilizer industry).


Worm Castings are literally POOP! It's the excrement gathered  from a pooping worm. It supplies the natural nutrients your plants need to keep them strong, healthy, and less likely to be attack by insects that prey on sick, weak plants.  To learn more on Worm poo and it's benefits click the links at the bottom of my post.


Below: I'm not sure if you can tell.... But my Umbrella was a little ill and the leaves on the lower part of it shriveled up and died. Three days after I gave it a tablespoon of Worm poo It appears to be a lot greener.


The before photo is on the top and the after is on the bottom.

Below:   My poor little princess... She is a Ponytail plant that I had for over 6 years. She was gorgeous before she was damaged during my move to South Carolina. I can't wait to see what Worm poo will do for her.

Below: I have a thing for Ponytail plants... I bought this cutie last year from Walmart and hope with the help of Worm poo my princes ( above)  will look like this one.. once again. 

BTW!( This plant was priced wrong "too low" I thought it was a special, but this Mean Lady wouldn't honor the price, so I took it up with the manager and proudly took her home..at a special price).

Below:  My Rex Begonia is also included in the poo study..In the top photo it's limp and weak looking....

Below: Three days later it appears stronger and greener..

 Below: A Dumb Cane cutting from my neighbor back in Michigan...I call her Betty after this neighbor..." Boy can she stand a shot of Worm poo... Stat!

 Below: This is what house gnats did to my Tea rose......

 This is it after I moved it outdoors.....(No worm poo was applied at this time, just moving it out of doors helped it thrive).

And Still..... some evil little bugger got a hold of it and done this..... I will be saturating this with a Worm Poo Tea...

Below: An ill Sago Palm that I purchased from Lowes....I discovered after I purchased it... that it has scale... I have Pooed it too...

Below:  House plants bathing in the sun outdoors as they each await a tablespoon of Worm castings for lunch. "open wide! the Poop doctor is in."

Below: New additions:

This lovely Yellow plant is called Sweet Broom, it smells just like my Winter honeysuckle. They both share a yummy citrus scent... The cashier at the Homedepot warned me that Sweet Broom can quickly become an enormous bush!.... I had intended to buy two of them but, put one back after her warning Lol!...


Below:  Winter honeysuckle... Blooms in late winter and is cold and drought tolerant.

I was also warned about the Lady Banks rose from a friendly cashier at Lowe's..... It's a pretty little Pom..Pom like  yellow rose with double blooms... for some reason I was not able to remove the glare to get a clearer photo... The cashier explained that her sister-in-law purchased one years ago and now its tall and prolific.... she was smiling when she said it.... I took that as a good sign...Lol!

All of my plants will be feed Worm Castings every three months... Worm casting to my surprise doesn't break down right away.... and just like commercial/chemical fertilizers Worm poo will continue to feed your plants for up to this time.... It is odorless and all natural. So if you can't stand the smell of fish fertilizer try this one...

Note: I have discovered that some companies sale Worm castings along with a mixture of compost.. some say that it is best to purchase pure Worm castings without the added compost for best results... 

( I so happen to have castings from one such company )  but so far my plants look great.....We'll see how things go as I continue my study stay tuned..


        "A SPOON FULL OF POOOO, HELPS YOUR PLANTS STAY BEAUTIFUUUUL!"


Here's a few useful Links to help you learn more...But don't stop here there's plenty more info to Google and learn more about on Worm Castings and it's benefits... Google away!

 http://www.organic-raised-bed-gardening.com/2010/12/04/worm-tea/

http://www.getbusygardening.com/2012/02/worm-casting-tea.html

  

http://mypeoplepc.com/members/arbra/trinity/id14.html

   

http://www.harrisseeds.com/storefront/c-122-pg-worm-power-organic-fertilizer.aspx

Garden design Ideas to Inspire you from the Indoors and out and Out

Once I have found my permanent home here in the south I will get back into gardening full swing but for now, I will have to settle for collecting house plants.







 Today I had some time off from work and decided for fun and inspiration to do some research on both house plants and gardening online and found this website called  DIG  by accident while researching for No-Dig-garden ideas......http://diggardensnursery.com/interior/











DIG stands for Design Interior Garden.  I'm impressed with both their indoor and outdoor garden design ideas. I find them fun, unique, and inspirational and although this online Magazine is based out of California it's indoor and outdoor garden design concepts can be used anywhere.


  Check them out I'm certain you'll like them too...Click here to see and  learn more..design

photo credits: http://diggardensnursery.com/interior/

Happy New Year

                       See you next year!

The Nicest Present

I started to post a Christmas tree photo for the poem below, but I was so pleased that my Christmas Cactus actually blossom this year I posted it instead, isn't it pretty.

 

The Nicest Present

Under the tree the gifts enthrall,
But the nicest present of them all
Is filling our thoughts with those who care,
Wanting our Christmas joy to share.

To you, whom we're often thinking of,
We send our holiday joy and love.

By Joanna and Karl Fuchs

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my blogging friends! There's more I'd like to share with you below:

 

Bees in December?

 I had a little time off from work and used that time to visit the lovely garden walk at Hatcher Garden which is just a few blocks away from my temporary  home.

Bumble and Honey bees were every where and even though I was excited and surprised to see them.... the sight of them really  confused my cognitive senses......... I stood in front of this yellow shrub for several minutes talking to myself and asking myself questions like.....this is December.... right?

I'd love to learn what this shrub is called, thanks for sharing if you know... It doesn't have a scent to it and reminds me of Snap-dragons. 

( unfortunately Hatcher Garden is lacking on name posting ).

 Can you see the Honeybee?

 All The beauties below are winter flowers and look like roses, there are no scent to these either, I'm clueless, .... Do share if you know...

I end this post with winter berries and hope to learn the names of most, if not all the plants I've posted. I have a lot to learn about the plants of the south as I adjust to my new home, thank you for visiting.

Rewarding Things

This is a post card sent to me from my niece, and it's absolutely one of my favorite things to do when I'm not gardening, shopping or busy with life and I'm sure at times... it's your favorite thing too.

Thanks Jessica, I love it... you know your auntie well...LoL!


credits...    http://www.scholastic.com/titles/deardumbdiary/ecards/ecard2.htm

Happy Thanksgiving

                         
                                  Happy Thanksgiving my Blogger Friends!


I found this cartoon Hilarious! and would like to give the proper credit to the cartoonist but have no idea who he/she is. I was searching the net for a pretty Thanksgiving card to post here and found this one by accident. Since I am one that enjoys a good laugh I decided to keep this one instead.

Thank you for stopping by.... enjoy your Holiday.

What's really in the food? The A to Z of the food industry's most evil ingredients

 I discovered this article ( What's really in the food? The A to Z of the food industry's most evil ingredients) by way of an author of Word-press called

( righteouschoices). I found that many of her articles whether they are written by her or linked by her on current events are quite interesting and informative. Below the article on the evil's of the food industry is written by author Mike Adams the Health Ranger editor of NaturalNews.com.

Mike Adams will keep you informed and educated about the dangerous practices of the food industry and why it's important to grow your own foods. I find his website relevant to those of us who care about our health and enjoy gardening for both it's therapeutic and nutritional value.

Take a look... What's really in the food? The A to Z of the food industry's most evil ingredients

I'm still a kid inside, and adventure is adventure wherever you find it.

" Jim Dale" Quotes

I took a little trip to the library with my niece and just like Jim Dales quote stated, it was an adventure back to my childhood.. The visit however... was to entertain my niece but I found it just as, or even more entertaining then she did.... Here's why?


I still love and collect dolls... and was surprised to see them displayed in the library

Below: I forgot the name of this character and the book... isn't he funny...just don't leave him on your dresser in the dark...Lol!

Below: There were little animals displayed over every book self...

Below: I still read children's books......I spent at least a half an hour laughing to myself as I read and scanned through the books.... This one got my attention... Hilarious!

The Mural of the train..was the back drop for a large wooden train designed for the children to play in..I hate that I forgot to take a picture of it because it was really cool...

You can see part of the train in this photo..Isn't it cute...

Below: The train station check-out

Below: KID"S ZONE...
"Okay teens stay upstairs, this area is for the little kids.. My nice is only three, but she can search the net like a pro.... I meant to get a photo of her in action... but I was so engrossed in the books I forgot..

Kids can also play and read outdoors....

Below: There are three floors in the Library.  The lower floor belongs to the younger children...doesn't it remind you of a Mall..

Below: A little gift shop called The Library Store

"Well guess who started pouting and crying when it was time to go?
Here's a hint...It wasn't my three year old niece pictured below waving back at the kitty in the book...

" Okay I came to my sense's on the way out when I saw and heard this.... At times my video uploads stop working for reasons I don't understand.. but you get the idea.... Click the arrow on the screen anyway and see what happens..

  The sounds of water is soothing to the soul..  Don't you agree...


Thank you for stopping by..