Warm greetings fellow plant and garden lovers! đđđâ¨đ¤
Today I had intended to go work in the fenced garden, take more photos, and do my March Garden Journal post about that. That didn't happen, as it rained all day long, so my plans changed!
Over the last several weeks I've been lugging many five-gallon buckets of fine cinder up to the Flow House, to make a more accessible and comfortable trail across the lava. The Flow House is an open-air bamboo yurt constructed up on top of the lava from the 2018 eruption. Until recently the path going to and from this structure has been rather jagged, asymmetrical ĘťaĘťÄ lava. Now there's a nice cinder trail. I've also been spreading cinder on each side of the trail, to create some substrate to plant various succulent and drought tolerant plants, which I've been bringing up and staging next to the Flow House for several weeks as well.
Given that it was very cloudy, rainy, and uninspiring weather to work in the garden today, I decided to finally plant my small collection dryness-loving plants along the Flow-House trail. That way, if it started raining a lot I could simply step under cover. The reason that I'm choosing this location for these plants is because it rains a lot here. I mean A LOT! While we're not the wettest place on earth, we're close, often receiving more than 100 inches of rain per year! Because we get so much rain, many plants, especially the above-mentioned succulent and drought-tolerant/dryness-loving plants usually do not do well here unless they hace excellent drainage. Given that lava is so porous, water goes right through it very quickly, so it's a great spot for these sorts of plants!
Let's take a look at the plants that I planted on the trail sides! The light was not ideal for photos, but I worked with what I had!
Here's my little collection of succulent/drought-tolerant/dryness-loving plants that I've been bringing up to the Flow House for weeks now. I was really happy to plant these today! You'll notice piles of tan-colored bamboo leaves. I put these on the sides of the tail to build soil as they decompose.
Here we have a larger plant of Aloe vera and three small Kalanchoe pinnata. Both species are very useful medicinals.
This is one of two lovely plants that I think is a larger form of Callisia navicularis (or a closely-related species). This is a close relative of Tradescantia, the spiderworts.
This is one of two plants of Epidendrum radicans, a species of orchid with lovely red-and-orange flowers that loves drier conditions.
A Coleus amboinicus 'Variegatus' next to a Kalanchoe fedtschankoi.
A second much smaller Aloe vera next to a very small piece of Coleus amboinicus 'Variegatus' that decided to start growing.
Another Coleus amboinicus 'Variegatus'. I love these plants, as they are potent medicinals, they can be used in cooking, they are super easy to propagate, and they smell strongly of oregano.
Two cuttings of the non-variegated form of Coleus amboinicus. This form is much more vigorous than the variegated variation, and will create a large mass of pungent, succulent, and fuzzy foliage here.
An Agave angustifolia 'Marginata'. This is likely too close to the trail, as it has quite sharp spines on the ends of the leaves. I'll move it later if necessary.
The second plant of Epidendrum radicans. This one has a flower spike growing.
Some adorable Callisia repens that I put between the lava stepping stones. They should fill in nicely here.
The second plant of the plant that I think is a larger form of Callisia navicularis, next to another Kalanchoe fedtschankoi.
One more Kalanchoe fedtschankoi, with more Callisia repens.
The last of three Coleus amboinicus 'Variegatus'.
This is the one plant of the green form of Coleus amboinicus that is doing well at GaiaYoga. It only does well here because the drainage is very good indeed. This is not along the trail, but farther into the lava, in a small pocket of soil. Under it you can see the much smaller second plant of Agave angustifolia 'Marginata' that I just planted. You can see some dragonfruit cactus growing on the lava, too.
That's the last photos of the plants I planted today. As they grow I'll post updates, of course! I thought I'd show you some of the various bromeliad species that I put up on the lava, along the path, a few years ago. Bromeliads adapt to growing on lava very well, as they're epiphytes, so they only require sun and rain to thrive. They sure are beautiful! I realized later that I had totally forgotten to take shots of two other gorgeous specimens! Doh! Oh well, another time! Anyway, enjoy!
For the last photo I thought I'd show you a big bunch of sweet potatoes, growing in patches of soil amidst the lava. They've been doing great up here for a couple years now!
OK my dear Hive family, that brings me to the end of my March Off-Grid Jungle Garden Journal, and the first one at GaiaYoga Gardens! I hope y'all enjoyed my new plantings up on the lava! Until next time! đ đ đ ⨠đ¤
All photos were taken with my Motorola G Power Android Phone.
Thank you all so much who have helped me get to where I am today, and allowing me to share more of the beauty and magic from my life and my world with you, and for your continuous appreciation and support! I am truly deeply grateful! đđđâ¨đ¤
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