Hello To The Stunning Calathea

Calatheas are a STUNNING foliage plant!

There are over 60 species now available.

The rarest and most difficult to grow is 'White Fusion' Calathea. This plant has bright green leaves with unpredictable white splashes on them. 

The beautiful leaves of all Calatheas look as if an artist has dipped a brush in paint and painted them.

I think that is what I loved most about the variety I bought.

Calathea Alocasia.

It has the most striking leaves of a rich dark green with uniform fine cream-white stripes with a pink tinge to them.

They are grown outside the tropical rainforests as pot plants.

But in the moist and humid rainforest, they grow under the canopy on the forest floor.

Calathea requires certain care to thrive.

They can withstand low light but prefer bright indirect light.

They need relatively consistent warmth and humidity.

The plant will turn its leaves to light, so you need to turn the pot frequently to keep the plant in a balanced shape.

Direct sunlight will burn the leaves.

Tips:

# You can increase humidity by spraying a light might of tepid water over the leaves.

Rainwater or pure water is best as it is free of chemicals.

# You can stand the pot on a gravel or small pebbles tray.

This creates a damp microclimate as the water evaporates and the humidity increases.

# Hot showers and baths create a steamy humidity that the plant will enjoy, therefore a bathroom is a great place for it to reside.

# If the leaves curl inwards, it is a sign of underwatering.

# Yellow or wilting leaves are a sign of overwatering.

# Red Spider Mite is a fan of Calathea. If you see fine webbing, and the upper surface of the leaf becomes mottled, you will see mites and eggs on the leaf underside using a magnifying glass. You can use an oil-based spray for house plants to eradicate the mites.

Visit my Saatchi Art print store HERE.

#calathea #potplants #plants

How To DIY A Birdcage Planter

I know!

This is a 'been there done that - everyone has blogged about it before' kinda thing.

But alas I have always wanted to make one of my own.

So here it is.

My version of a 'Birdcage Planter'.

I have had this ornamental birdcage for years, but it was always used to display a large candle inside.

Then it ended up in the garden with a pretty aqua pot inside that never got planted with anything.

It's currently mid-winter in New Zealand, so it's tricky to find a lot of colour in the form of annuals.

And also something that will withstand colder temperatures.

But the Garden Centre had beautiful miniature cyclamens flowering in all sorts of gorgeous colours.

And I already had some Variegated Trandescandia plants (also known as Inch plants) ready to pot.

So I selected cyclamens that would compliment the burgundy-purple tones.

Tradescantia is a trailing, soft, hairless ground cover.

I remember my mother had a potplant of this variegated form when I was a child.  

The green form is considered a noxious weed now in New Zealand, as it grows a root from the smallest of nodes touching the ground, and it is found in a lot of the native bush here.

To Make:

The first thing to do is put a hanging basket liner into the bottom of the birdcage.

The bonus of this cage is it has a flip top with a catch, which made the task of placing the coconut fibre liner inside very easy.

Fill the liner with a quality potting mix.

Arrange and plant the plants inside.

I placed the cyclamens on a slight angle

 so the flowers and leaves peeped out the cage sides.

Place it in the garden or hang it if preferred.

I love it!

What a pretty upcycle of the birdcage.

Plus it is a big tick off the 'I want to do that list'!

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Visit my 'Saatchi Art & Photography' store HERE

Original art store HERE

#birdcageplanter #diygardenplanters #trandescantia #cyclamens

Learn About: Anthuriums As House Plants

 Anthuriums are native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America.

Here they grow in warm, humid environments, where the rainforest canopy protects them from direct sunlight.

They have existed outside of the rainforest for many years as popular exotic-looking house plants and florist shop potted gifts.

This was where I first saw them, as a florist, 35 years ago now!

The colour available then was usually a deep shiny red and we called it the 'Flamingo Flower'.

Forward to 2023, there are now around 1000 varieties and cultivars, flower bract (spathe) colours, and hybrids, including miniatures, readily available to the houseplant collector.

Some are leaf-only varieties that offer interesting variegations, and foilage shapes.

What I have today to show you is a miniature form.

It has smaller glossy dark green heart shaped tropical leaves.

With the smaller pink waxy flower bracts also in the classic heart shape. 

Meet 'Pink Emma'.

A lovely pink bubblegum shade.

(There are many other shades of pink available in anthuriums).

Care:

*Position anthuriums in a situation that offers bright indirect light, but not direct sunlight. 

*You will get more flowers if the light is bright.

*Direct sunlight will cause the leaves to develop brown patches.

*They enjoy having a room temperature of 65 to 86 degrees F 

(18 to 32 degrees C)

*If positioned in a place in the home with not enough bright light, the plant leaves will become yellow, this will also happen if the soil does not have enough nutrients in it.

*Remove old dry leaves by pulling them off at the base of the plant.

*On hot dry days, mist with water as they love humidity.

*Spray in the first instance with insecticide at the first sign of mites, mealy bugs or scale.

* Cut off the dead flowers to encourage new blooms.

*Repot the plant in Spring if the roots have come out of the bottom of the pot. Use a quality free-draining potting mix for indoor plants.

Don't use one with added water retention crystals as they don't like wet feet or sitting in a saucer of water.

*Watering requirements are that they stay evenly moist (not wet).  They dislike drying out and them being soaked with water.

*Gently wipe dust settled on leaves and flowers with a soft damp cloth.

*Fertilize with a liquid fertilizer every two weeks when in full bloom.

Note:

ALL anthurium varieties are toxic to pets and humans if ingested!

The flowers last many weeks in a floral arrangement.

Indoor flowering anthuriums bloom throughout the year if in ideal conditions.

Flowers can sometimes change colour as genetics kick in and cause them to revert back to their original form.

#anthuriumcare #anthuriums #anthuriumpotplants #houseplants #potplants

The Beautiful Magnolia - Felix Jury

Felix Jury is an award-winning magnolia bred by New Zealand plantsman Mark Jury.

It truly is the most spectacular Spring small flowering tree.

And once planted will bloom at a young age.

In maturity, Felix Jury magnolia will treat you seasonally with hundreds of flowers on the compact tree.

You can depend on this beauty to perform year after year with very little care from you.

So if we bullet point information here's what you get:

*The flowers are highly fragrant and measure up to 30 centimetres in diameter.

*The foliage is an attractive lighter green colour.

*The flower is a gorgeous hot pink colour.

*You'll only need to prune it in early training.

*Felix Jury magnolia will grow in most climates.

*It's an ideal small tree for the garden as it only grows 4.5 metres high by 2.5 metres wide.

*Deciduous.

*Hardiness: Hardy.

*Planting season: Winter.

*Planting location: Full sun.

*Planting position: Moist

*Feeding: Slow-release fertilizer in Spring.

Felix Jury Magnolia is an excellent landscape tree because of its form and large colourful flowers.

At Mia Bella Homestead my tree often had second flowers appear once the leaves appeared.

Many people visiting the garden commented on its serene beauty.

GRAB A COFFEE AND POP OVER TO MY GIFT STORES AT

FINE ART AMERICA

REDBUBBLE

SAATCHI ART

#magnolias #felixmagnolia #floweringtrees #gardentrees

Beach Inspired Air Plant Holder

Here is a very easy beach-inspired air plant holder,

using found beach items.

A piece of driftwood.

And a large shell.

Now, this shell already had a drainage hole in the base created by nature.

But if your shell has no hole in it, use an electric drill with a small fine bit or a thin sharp nail and a hammer to create a drainage hole. 

Because you are dealing with odd shapes it's best to decide how you will hang the driftwood.

Attach a wire loop hanger to the back using a small staple nail.

 Use hot-glue to attach the shell to the driftwood.

Push a piece of air plant into the shell.

Hang in a desirable position.

If inside you can remove the air plant from the shell and water.

If outside and drip damage is not an issue, you can spray water directly on to it.

I put mine inside on the wall of our office room.

My partner and I both paint seascapes,

and camp by the sea often in the New Zealand summer,

so it's a lovely memory inspired wall hanging.

If you are a beach lover I'm sure this easy-care planter will tempt you too.

Note: 

If you cannot source an air plant, you could alternately use a small-leaved hanging succulent or a plant not requiring a lot of watering.

Put stones over drainage hole and plant in potting mix.

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Visit my 'Saatchi Art & Photography' store HERE

Original art store HERE

#diyplanter #airplants #driftwood #shellplanter

Bird Bath Upcycle.

 

An old Birdbath has been in Mia Bella Passions gardens for many many moons.

It's made of concrete, and I have always enjoyed it.

It once contained water for the birdlife in the garden to quench their thirst or bathe in.

But as time wore on the heavy concrete bowl developed some cracks, it would not contain the water anymore.

I thought about endeavouring to create a colourful mosaic repair on the inside of the bowl, but saw this planting idea in a home and garden magazine and thought 'AHA' I can do that.

So I did!

The succulents were baby plants from another area of the garden.

All I needed to do (as it already had some cracks for drainage was fill the birdbath bowl with potting mix, and plant the succulents straight into it.

It was not long before the succulents multiplied.

It looks fabulous!

Visitors to the garden comment on its intriguing style.

So if you have an old birdbath tucked into the back of a garden bed, or one you'd like to simply upcycle, a fun succulent top might be what it needs! 

The succulent variety I have used is called echeveria elegans.

  I also have succulents planted around the base of a magnolia tree.

They really are such easy-care plants as long as you protect them from very cold temperatures (frost and snow).

They are also very easy to propagate from a leaf or baby plant runner.

All you do is pinch a leaf or the mini baby plant and place it into the potting mix.

The baby plant is the quickest method to grow more plants quickly.

This print image is available at Fine Art America - you'll find it HERE on the art print page.

(There are 9 versions to choose from).

#succulents #pottedsucculents #succulentprint

DIY Tropical Themed Wood Art Blocks

Tropical is my inspiration at the moment.

I'm loving it a lot.

Tropical inspires for me, those warm feelings.

Memories of past Pacific island holidays,

the clear bright colours,

the heat of the sun

and the smell of frangipani and other beautiful tropical flowers.

So because I am adding some new tropical elements to Mia Bella Passions homestead,

I decided to create some simple art blocks for the bedside table.

Which is still on order, and yet to arrive.

Meantime, this little project is a perfect time filler before kitset table antics begin.

First I cut three blocks of wood.

You can make these as big as you wish.

These wood blocks are  70mm x 155mm, 80mm x 120mm and 80mm x 80mm in size.

(mm =millimetres)

Once cut, you can use sandpaper to smooth the rough cut edges.

Or leave raw.

Paint the blocks white leaving the sides of two natural woodgrain.

I used white chalk paint.

I printed some tropical designs off the internet.   

There are many free silhouette images available.

A palm tree, leaf and hibiscus flower were my choices.

If you are not feeling arty to freehand draw in pencil on to the block, use the image as a stencil guide by cutting it out first.

Paint the images.

I chose a lovely green acrylic paint.

Once dry I detailed using a white paint pen.

And a final coat of clear spray varnish for waterproofing.

For now, these are going to be displayed in my TV room on a little white French half table.

I think they look quite lovely here for the moment until I place them in the upcoming Tropical inspired guestroom...that makeover is coming to you soon.

The plant in this post is Rhipsalis Cereuscula.

It's a potless kokedama DIY.

You can find out more about the art of Kokedama HERE.

 #woodblockart #kokedama #potplants

You might like to also visit:

My store at Fine Art America & Redbubble   :)

Self Care with Plants

 Self care is a word thrown about in conversation quite a lot these days.

And rightly so.

For self-care I believe is key to a balanced lifestyle.

It is a conscious act that you as an individual takes to promote your own physical, mental and emotional health.

There the classic forms of self care like...

Fueling your body with healthy food choices.

Face to face (or as it is, currently via video) time with friends.

Quality time with family.

Getting enough sleep at night.

Cutting back on those over indulgences like chocolate and alcohol.

Exercising, yoga, swimming or playing a sport.

Singing, dancing.

Drawing, paining or crafting.

Or simply taking a stroll for some fresh air.

Immersing yourself in nature - a garden, the park, a beach, a bushwalk.

The list could go on.

But what do you do that you consider self-care that is not on that list.

What's something you do that you consider self care.

Or more importantly, if you do none of the above,

what one thing can you place into your life that will help with the feel-good vibes?

One thing I do for my own self care is to enjoy plants and flowers.

I'm really glad to see the resurgence of the popularity of house plants.

Fabulous self care practitioners!

I love flowers.

I often just go to the garden centre to wander around to enjoy the beautiful flowering plant varieties.

Yesterday I had popped into the grocery store for a few items and on the plant stand at the entrance was this beauty.

It is a miniature Calla Lily and it caught my eye immediately.

As my miniature white chrysanthemum on my deck table was due to be planted out into the garden, this darling came home to grace the table in all its glory.

I LOVE IT!

Yellow is my happy colour.

Yellow is my self care colour.

And these tiny calla lilies are so bright and sculptural in form.

Even the leaves are interesting.

So this yellow Calla Lily is my self care floral gift to myself.

And I will enjoy its beauty for weeks to come as I sit at my deck table at dusk waiting to see the sunset.

(Another thing I do for self care).

Miniature Call Lilly Pot Plant Care Tips:

*Keep the soil moist but not soggy

*Bright light.

*Apply liquid fertiliser when flowering - once a week.

*Keep away from heaters and air conditioning vents.

*Reduce watering before plant enters dormancy over winter.

*Cut leaves off at soil level once they have died.

*Rest bulbs in a cool dark place in dormancy.

*Repot in Spring for next growing season.

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(By the way - this Calla Lily was purchased from New World and cost $14.95)

#callalily #potplants #floweringpotplants