Bring out the felt hats 'cause it's fall, folks! A new study just released says the trendiest place to wear a felt hat is at a local greenhouse — it has a 64 percent success rate of obtaining compliments from other plant-enthusiasts. (OK so that might not be true, but it probably is.) So, of course I had to throw on the floppy hat and take a trip to buy some new plants.
For some reason, I never cared about plants in college. Maybe they weren't allowed among the candles-on-candlewarmers that nested our cement-walled rooms. Or maybe my school's clocktower was so great that it consumed any extra space in my mind that could have been filled with flowers. Currently, I find them to be a pleasant addition to my living space. Anyway, who even knows what they like in college? I'm a grown-up now, and grown-ups like plants. (Right, mom?)
Over the course of the time I've lived in an apartment, I've had my fair share of succulents (see proof here, here, and head over to my Instagram to see my favorite birthday present from my sweet roomie). Succulents are great because they're pretty low-maintenance, and basically, once you figure out how to take care of one, you can apply the same method to a billion other types of succulents. Since fall is here (#PSL), I wanted to expand my knowledge to some other types of seasonal plants, so let the learning begin.
In my mind, if any one flower defines early-fall, it's a giant pot of mums. Interestingly enough, I learned from The Old Farmer's Almanac that you're actually supposed to plant them in the spring. Who knew?? For me, that's no big deal because I don't have a yard, so these babies aren't going to be planted anyway. For a small investment, though, they'll make my porch an even more enjoyable location for eating fancy cheeses and watching sunsets.
Other fun facts about mums: I haven't bought a pot for this one yet. Any ideas? I'm veering away from the standard terra-cotta for this one because I'd rather see the orange flowers "pop" more on a contrasting color.
Actual fun facts about mums:
- The correct term for these flowers is "Chrysanthemum," which is a 7th grade spelling word.
- They are originally found in Asia and northeastern Europe
- The first mums in America date back to 1884.
I also bought some kale, mostly because I thought it was pretty and wondered if you can eat it. (Honesty hour.) (It's the purpley-cabbage-looking one if you didn't know.)
So to answer the question I just Googled, ("can you eat ornamental kale"), I present the answer from gardening.about.com: "Ornamental cabbage and kale are in the same species, Brassica oleracea, as edible cabbages and kale. They are the result of hybridizing and, although they are still edible, they aren’t as tasty and tender as their cousins."
So, someone who writes for About.com thinks kale tastes good. Huh.
For the mums and kale both, I'll water them when the top 1 inch of soil starts to dry, unless I forget and accidentally kill them.
Let me know if you bought fall plants, have kept them alive, didn't buy fall plants because you think they're dumb and/or like eating kale! I'm going to go eat some pizza!
For some reason, I never cared about plants in college. Maybe they weren't allowed among the candles-on-candlewarmers that nested our cement-walled rooms. Or maybe my school's clocktower was so great that it consumed any extra space in my mind that could have been filled with flowers. Currently, I find them to be a pleasant addition to my living space. Anyway, who even knows what they like in college? I'm a grown-up now, and grown-ups like plants. (Right, mom?)
Over the course of the time I've lived in an apartment, I've had my fair share of succulents (see proof here, here, and head over to my Instagram to see my favorite birthday present from my sweet roomie). Succulents are great because they're pretty low-maintenance, and basically, once you figure out how to take care of one, you can apply the same method to a billion other types of succulents. Since fall is here (#PSL), I wanted to expand my knowledge to some other types of seasonal plants, so let the learning begin.
In my mind, if any one flower defines early-fall, it's a giant pot of mums. Interestingly enough, I learned from The Old Farmer's Almanac that you're actually supposed to plant them in the spring. Who knew?? For me, that's no big deal because I don't have a yard, so these babies aren't going to be planted anyway. For a small investment, though, they'll make my porch an even more enjoyable location for eating fancy cheeses and watching sunsets.
Other fun facts about mums: I haven't bought a pot for this one yet. Any ideas? I'm veering away from the standard terra-cotta for this one because I'd rather see the orange flowers "pop" more on a contrasting color.
Actual fun facts about mums:
- The correct term for these flowers is "Chrysanthemum," which is a 7th grade spelling word.
- They are originally found in Asia and northeastern Europe
- The first mums in America date back to 1884.
I also bought some kale, mostly because I thought it was pretty and wondered if you can eat it. (Honesty hour.) (It's the purpley-cabbage-looking one if you didn't know.)
So to answer the question I just Googled, ("can you eat ornamental kale"), I present the answer from gardening.about.com: "Ornamental cabbage and kale are in the same species, Brassica oleracea, as edible cabbages and kale. They are the result of hybridizing and, although they are still edible, they aren’t as tasty and tender as their cousins."
So, someone who writes for About.com thinks kale tastes good. Huh.
For the mums and kale both, I'll water them when the top 1 inch of soil starts to dry, unless I forget and accidentally kill them.
Let me know if you bought fall plants, have kept them alive, didn't buy fall plants because you think they're dumb and/or like eating kale! I'm going to go eat some pizza!
