On This Day - January 31st
Escape winter, visit a greenhouse. In 2010
Winter Escape - Greenhouse visit 1/31/2010
https://flic.kr/p/2oeqXy1 Garden Center on Gibbons Highway, Wilton, NH - 31 Jan 2010
The last day of January feels like a Friday in some ways. Another month of winter is gone. The "Weekend" of Spring is in view. Of course February has plenty of cold days, but at least there are less days. When I grow tired of staring at bare trees and frozen ground I find solace and greenery at a greenhouse. The House By The Side Of The Road is a good place to start. They have a large variety of plants spread in a sprawling complex of greenhouses. What could be more tropical than seeing a Bougainvillea in flower?
https://flic.kr/p/2oew2ut Bougainvillea
Valentines Day
With just two weeks till Valentines Day there were row after row of Primroses and Cyclamens for sale. I always make a point of buying Primroses. They are bright and colorful and they can be transplanted outside for another bloom in fall. They are perennial and do very well in our zone (5).
https://flic.kr/p/2oetweg Got Primroses? By Valentines Day these the flowers will be fully openhttps://flic.kr/p/2oeuXU5 Primroses come in a variety of colors
Cyclamen are beautiful, but I've never been able to get them to bloom in the house. Nice idea for a Valentines gift.
https://flic.kr/p/2oew3tC Cyclamen
The sign advertised Valentine Orchids and there was a nice selection.
https://flic.kr/p/2oeqWZL Orchidhttps://flic.kr/p/2oevNdf Orchid
Some Surprises
Over the years, I've had many Jade Plants (Crassula ovata). Most of them died, probably from overwatering. I've never seen one in bloom until this visit.
https://flic.kr/p/2oeuYuJ Jade Tree in bloom
It is a bit unusual to see a Nepenthes pitcher plant, but there it was, hanging right over the turtles (yes turtles).
https://flic.kr/p/2oevMSR Nepenthes pitcher planthttps://flic.kr/p/2oeqX7j Turtles and Koi fishhttps://flic.kr/p/2oeqX9P I did not put my hand near this guyhttps://flic.kr/p/2oew38Y Mascots
Succulents
Cacti are idea houseplants for me, unlike my other houseplants, they require no watering in winter. They spend their summers outside basking in the sun. This greenhouse has a nice selection of succulents and as a treat, some were in bloom.
https://flic.kr/p/2oevNxD Succulentshttps://flic.kr/p/2oeqXi6 In Bloomhttps://flic.kr/p/2oew3dN Pastel colors
