Robin Arrival!!

Woo Hoo!! I saw my first Robin yesterday... Maybe word got around the animal kingdom after Groundhog's Day. I also had 4 male cardinals at our bird feeders this morning... no females. I guess they had a little male pow-wow to discuss spring coming, too.

My jasmine plant is in bloom and W-O-W!! Savannah and I counted 44 open blooms this morning... And it smells SO sweet!! It's probably my favorite flower scent. We don't have to burn any candles for a few days at least. I put it in the same window every winter getting the most sun possible, away from any vents and watering it quite often to keep the soil evenly moist... when it starts developing it's buds it takes even more watering, about every other day (the soil mixture allows for quick drainage so it won't get soggy).

I took some drastic steps on a couple of plants recently... I always hate to do it, but now is the time when I cut back those that need it before they begin their spring growth spurts.

My Night Blooming Jasmine was the first to be "reduced" to twigs... it hasn't taken long for new sprouts to start appearing.

I also removed the main stem of my Dwarf Cavendish Banana (above)... I had three new pups coming up and the old stem wasn't producing new leaves and I wanted all of the plant's resources going to the new pups. This morning I saw a fourth pup peeking through the soil and the old original stem has begun to push up a new leaf. I'll be transplanting all of the pups shortly into their own containers. I'm hoping to find a nice partly sunny/partly shady spot outside to put them in the ground. I had one in the ground for a customer last year and it did very well. I'll probably keep the orginal stem in this container, though.

I de-leafed my "Mini Benji" (that's my name for it, not the real name) a couple of weeks ago... I've had this little guy for about four years and I pinch off all of the leaves when they get to be full size... Usually about three to four times a year.

I LOVE this orchid (Oncidium Jiuhbao) that I bought a couple of weeks ago. This is probably the most beautiful orchid flower I have ever seen. I wanted something bright and colorful but I wasn't expecting THIS.

I originally wrote this blog on Wednesday, but spent most of the day on the couch sick. I woke up Tuesday night with an upset stomach and it continued to get worse. By the time I got up Wednesday morning I was really feeling sick... cloudy in the head, nauseated, all of my joints aching. Such a wonderful feeling!! I even went to bed early (I never do that). I'm feeling better today, but still not 100%... and with the little warmer temps, my sinuses are bothering me. I strict orderes today from Laurie to not overdo myself. :)