New: Aglaonema White Rain

Posted August 3, 2022 by Fae Serena in Houseplants / 0 Comments

Aglaonema White Rain

In a recent plant haul, I picked up an Aglaonema White Rain (which is in the Chinese Evergreen family).  I love the white to light green center splash/coloring and, hopefully, I’ll have much better luck this time around with this new plant.  For the most part, these are relatively easy to care for plants – however – I did manage to kill one through improper watering so I’ll be much more careful about that this time around.

Light

Medium bright seems to be the preferred location.  While it can grow in low light conditions, if it gets a bit leggy, then move it to a brighter spot.  Direct, full sunlight can be damaging to the leaves in the form of burning or crisping.

Water

While it will depend somewhat on the location/amount of sunlight the plant receives it could be watered and then left to mostly dry -a flood and dry out kind of soaking.  I will have this plant in a self-watering wicked pot so how I water will be a bit different.  Simply allow for some variations in how well it responds to watering and adjust accordingly.  Honestly, I’ve found that watering instructions are very much a find what works for your plants and a general guideline, not an unbreakable rule.  (I horribly overwatered my previous Aglaonema White Rain, so hence the new self-watering pots for most of my plants these days.)

 

Posted August 3, 2022 by Fae Serena in Houseplants / 0 Comments

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New: Syngonium Mickey

Posted August 1, 2022 by Fae Serena in Houseplant-Rare-Pink, Houseplants / 0 Comments

Syngonium Mickey 

These are an easy-care house plants, syngonium can handle some neglect and are generally not bothered by bugs. They require some pruning to keep the plant bushy as they do climb and trail. This Syngonium has a lovely little arrow shaped leaves, pink shaded on the top and green on the underside.

This is a recent purchase and a brand new-to-me plant so — fingers crossed — we shall see how it turns out in my home.  Care information is from several general sources and I will update with my own plant picture, my experience with “Pink Mickey”, and what care information actually worked for me.  Remembering that everyone’s experience will be different for we all do not have the same conditions (unlike a greenhouse).

Light

Although these plants “can” be low light in the right conditions, usually it’s recommended for a medium to bright light location.  While not specifically finiciky you will want to move the plant to different locations to find it’s “sweet spot” as far as light goes.  Too bright then the possibility of leaf burn, too little light then the fading of the pink (which is in various shades of pink already).  I’ve found with all of my plants, I start out with the general recommendations and then adjust as I see my own plant reacting to my conditions.

Watering

Usually moist is the rule of thumb, it can go dry down to the first finger knuckle but be wary of the “flood and let dry out” method for that may cause some damage.  I will have mine in self-watering pots so it can pull what water it needs.  You’ll simply have to watch for your plants reactions, but generally moist and don’t let dry out completely.

Propogation

As this plant can climb or vine (depending on if you give it a pole or support to climb) you can propogate by cutting below a node and planting in it’s own small pot – or even back into the larger container.

In some parts of the world this plant is considered on the “Rare” side – in others, well, it’s quite easy to find.  I’ve listed it here as in the Rare catagory for me.

 

 

Posted August 1, 2022 by Fae Serena in Houseplant-Rare-Pink, Houseplants / 0 Comments

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New Year, New Start

Posted January 22, 2022 by Fae Serena in Rambling Thoughts, Self-Care Affirmation / 0 Comments

There is something about sliding into another year that holds possibilities in my mind, like a blank page waiting to be filled with thoughts or actions, and who knows what the ultimate outcome will be by the time we’re ready to tick over to yet another new year.

2022.  The past few years have been quite the ride, haven’t they?  And it seems that the journey is not yet done.  But still alive, still functional so that’s always on the “good” side of the coin.

I had hoped for so much more on this website.  Truth is, it’s been a year filled with a lot of stuff and extra time to tend to myself, let alone this site just wasn’t available.  I could promise myself that will change but… *sigh*… who really knows these days?  I will try, at this point that is all I can promise myself.

I’m overflowing with ideas, now comes the challenge of making them a reality.

In this pandemic time frame, I’ve found myself leaning toward the beauty of houseplants once again.  For a while there it was only cacti or succulents (which require very little attention) that I was working with but now I’ve added some exotic (some would call rare) plants to my home — and they will be part of this year’s website, their care, and frustrations combined.  Different styles of Alocasia and Calathea have caught my attention, as well as some captivating Philodendrons as well.  I’m indulging myself with a hobby I once loved and let slip away, now is the time to see if I can get that joy back.

A new year full of possibilities.  Let’s see where 2022 takes us.

 

Posted January 22, 2022 by Fae Serena in Rambling Thoughts, Self-Care Affirmation / 0 Comments

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Taking The Time to Love Yourself

Posted August 22, 2021 by Fae Serena in Self-Care Affirmation / 0 Comments

Making a major move such as buying my first home, as we recently did, was perhaps one of the most freeing moments of my life, thus far at least.

Amidst all the unpacked boxes, the general chaos I’ve discovered something about myself.

I haven’t taken the time or the attention to really take care of, even show love to myself.  Oh, sure, there have been moments but I’ve let the harshness, the reality, and the disappointments of life steal that away from me so often that it’s almost become a habit now.  One I intend to break free of.

I’m finding that as I’m unpacking I’m wanting to simply throw away whatever is in most boxes and begin anew without the memories attached to certain “things”.  I would never call myself a minimalist (I’ve always been more of a hoarder) yet I find myself wanting to surround myself, my home with items that reflect who I am today… not yesterday.  It’s not that I want fewer things, but that I want whatever I surround myself with to show that I care about my own well-being.  That I fill bookcases because I love getting lost in other worlds.  That my fascination with plants has finally been given permission to “bloom” into taking chances with plants I’d never tried to grow before.  That should I want a beautiful dragon or white tiger statue nestled in among the plants on their shelves… well, why not?  It’s my plant shelf to love as I see fit.

Freedom comes in so many ways – sometimes freedom from who you were and acceptance of who you are now is the best way to celebrate personal freedoms.

Posted August 22, 2021 by Fae Serena in Self-Care Affirmation / 0 Comments

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A New Day ~ A New Home

Posted August 1, 2021 by Fae Serena in General, Rambling Thoughts, Self-Care Affirmation / 0 Comments

What the Fae? has been sadly neglected recently.  Oh, there is a reason (there are always reasons, even bad ones)… one that after everything was said and done fills me with joy.  But it was a journey to get to that feeling today as dawn breaks.

We’ve purchased our first home… well, the mortgage company and us.  🙂  Yet as long as those monthly payments are made (on time), this is our home now.  I cannot truly describe the freedom (and responsibility) that has settled upon me this past month since moving in.  Awe, certainly knowing that this is mine, I make the decisions here (along with my co-owner) but they are still our agreed-upon choices and not the whim of a landlord who decides to ruin a lovely view of the woods where a herd of deer wanders through daily with 14 apple trees as he builds an orchard on “his” property.  That was the final straw for us.  The decision wasn’t easy but it was necessary and thankfully everything worked out in the end.  (but what a journey the road to homeownership truly is)

The feelings of peace and joy within the chaos of moving in are indescribable. Boxes are still scattered everywhere, some taped shut, others half empty, still more awaiting recycling day… but it’s my chaos, that’s the difference.  Kind of like life actually.

I was amazed at the trash we were able to toss before the move.  Things that were no longer useable, unneeded, or simply kept for the memory (when in reality the memory is in the mind not the item).  Some of those undecided things came with us, but I’m finding that I’m more willing to let those “not sure” things end up in the trash more often than finding a spot for them.  And that is… freeing is the only word that comes to mind.

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Posted August 1, 2021 by Fae Serena in General, Rambling Thoughts, Self-Care Affirmation / 0 Comments

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