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weeping pussy willow:  salix caprea

the first tree we ever planted was a curly locks weeping pussy willow.  I gave it to Mark for his birthday. it was our favorite tree.  first planted in our front yard, we ended up moving it to the backyard for more protection from the wind and elements.  i have taken so many pictures of this tree.  those fuzzy little buds brought so much joy year after year until a terrible little mini tornado in the fall of 2013 snapped the trunk in half. 

today Mark has surprised me with the birthday gift of a new tiny little weeping pussy willow.  thank you Mark for being the greatest husband ever.

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crassula ovata or at least that's what I think this plant is.  I purchased 2 of these jade-like plants last summer and brought both of them in for the winter.  while they're not as clumpy and cute as they were outside in the summer sun, both plants are alive and even flowering. 

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candy lily.   iris x norrissii
a tiny lily that is actually an iris.   so cute.

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appropriately named nick.  echinocactus grusonii: barrel cactus.  rescued many years ago from a garden center clearance rack where he was left for dead.  happily pokey so many years later.

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dwarf papyrus. this plant is also known as cyperus isocladus.

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iris germanica: orange harvest.  purchased in May 2011.  it's been in the backyard...transplanted to the front yard... stopped blooming... transplanted again in the Fall 2017.  I cannot remember where I put this so we'll all be surprised come Springtime. please bloom again!

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dianthus barbatus:  green trick
i've heard that green trick is toxic to cats and dogs so don't plant this in a place where your pets can eat it.  perfect in floral arrangements.

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allium vineale:  hair allium.  growing around the HousePet yard for over 10 years.

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the ponytail palm is really not a palm at all.   it’s a member of the Lilaceae (lily family,) and known by several names.  i believe we bought our ponytail palm back in 2007 and planted it out by the pool.  we brought it indoors where it has lived a nice life.  the bottom photo of our living room was taken in February 2012 and you can see our ponytail looks pretty big.  well it's twice that size now in 2018!  Minnow chewed off about a quarter of this plant back in November 2012 but it was hardy enough to keep on growing.

because this ponytail palm is in fabulous light, I often use the dirt around the palm to start my plant cuttings.  I've got four cerveza & lime plants sprouting in there right now.

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burro’s tail, sedum morganianum

The genus Sedum is a large group with numerous species in the stonecrop family (Crassulaceae). Sedum morganianum is a tropical species that has long been grown as an ornamental for its distinctive, evergreen foliage. It has several common names including burro’s tail.

my burro's tail started in a hanging basket that I made back in 2015 and has been propagated several times since.  I currently have got a good size clump hanging out in my living room.

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kniphofia uvaria, commonly known as red-hot poker or torch lily.
genus name honors Johann Hieronymus Kniphof (1704-1763) German physician and botanist.
these flowering plants are in the family Asphodelaceae, first described as a genus in 1794.
love. 

put a scarf on it

bought an infinity scarf a few years ago that never fit me quite right and I could never find the right top to wear it with.  I found it deep in my closet a couple of weeks ago just in time to find the perfect use for this cute scarf... to keep Lottie warm in this below zero weather we've been having.  of course it fits her perfectly!

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the christmas cactus (schlumbergera bridgesii) 

2017 was the first holiday season that I have ever had one of these.  after doing a little research, I learned that this cactus was going to need humidity, moist soil, and many more hours of darkness than my other cacti and succulents living indoors.  a trouble maker, indeed. I can't say that I was ever excited by these plants UNTIL I realized that the foliage looks like a bunch of devil heads. and now I love this cactus and thoroughly enjoyed photographing it.

mwahahaha...

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pencil cactus (euphorbia tirucalli)

The pencil cactus is actually a Euphorbia tirucalli, thus making it a succulent as opposed to a true cactus. In nature, it grows as a 30-foot tall, leafless tree with pencil-size green branches that function in photosynthesis. Tiny leaves appear at the ends of new branches when new growth occurs, but they quickly fall.

One of the common names for this Euphorbia is Milkbush.  Like all members of the Euphorbia family, milkbush produces the familiar white latex when the stem is cut.  Yep, this milky sap is poisonous so do not lick it or get any of it in your eyes.  And obviously do not let your dogs and cats eat this plant either.   I have made several cuttings and done plenty of pruning without any trouble getting poisoned.  It must be that thing called common sense working for me.

I have more pencil cacti than any other plant.  Some are so big that they almost touch the ceiling.  I'm addicted.  These 2 pictured here are cuttings I made recently from one of my jumbo plants so I can grow even more stick-like little beauties!   The center plant is a different species... more on that guy later.

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crassula is a diverse and extensive genus of succulent plants, with about 350 species.   in my top 5 faves for summer 2017, crassula ovata "money maker" is doing nicely indoors but thrives out on the patio.  hang in there money maker... we have 3 1/2 months to go before you find your sunny spot outside.

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senna didymobotrya is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name, popcorn senna or popcorn plant.  it truly smells like popcorn, grows super tall (6 feet), blooms all summer, attracts butterflies and pollinators.

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asclepias tuberosa - butterfly weed.  HousePet backyard winner: Summer 2017

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Back in October, I had a quick 2-day visit to Minneapolis. My garden-loving friend, Mary, gave me quite the tour of public gardens all over the city. We discovered Hairy Balls on that tour - certainly a plant highlight - and I'm so happy to have snapped a few photos. Seriously, Hairy Balls!

Asclepias physocarpa (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) milkweed has several common names like Swan plant, Balloon plant, Oscar milkweed, Hairy Balls, and Family Jewels. Absolutely coming to the HousePet backyard in 2018!

Is that a DWR catalog photo with an arrangement of Hairy Balls on a Saarinen dining table?  YES!

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kangaroo paws belong to the genus Anigozanthos, which has 11 species.  2017 was a fantastic growing year for kangaroo paws in the HousePet backyard.  some summers they do great... sometimes not good at all.  this fuzzy friend is always in my top 5 fave plants.

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foxtail fern:  asparagus densiflorus 'myers'