Migration...

Today was a good day in that I got the succulents and begonias migrated up to the solarium for the winter.  It was a good day in that I got the plants moved.  And it was a good day in that the plan I had for the solarium ... went well.

When Mother came in May, she helped me get the annuals for the pots on the front porch.  Since succulents have done so very well in the solarium though the winter.  They didn't just survive, they thrived.  In fact, last spring, I left the jade in there because it does better inside than out.

Thinking about that, I decided to fill the six GREEN pots on the front ledge of the front porch with succulents.  I enjoyed them all summer and though that I could continue enjoying them next year and thereafter.  I also was thinking about how I had plants sort of ... higgledy-piggledy ... in the solarium and the changes I made to that room and how I would like the room to be over the winters now.

The succulent (which I cannot remember what it actually is) on the bookcase stayed inside all summer, too.   The jury is still out over whether or not that was a good idea.  It has new growth, but tiny bits, not large and pouffy like the rest of the plant.  Below it, I put one of the begonias and the other one on the other side of the door.

I like the symmetry with the two stands now.  I have the six matching pots up top, three per stand with one of the two bonsai pots (I killed all of my bonsai in the move here from Alexandria).   I had been keeping the jade tucked over by the corner of the bed (where the basket is) but I moved it to create a bit of separation between the two plant stands.

Besides moving the porch plants, I also dug up the rosemary from the raised bed and potted it.  The first winter with rosemary bushes, they were fine.  However, the second winter, when larger, they died.  I used these free pots I had been given, not realizing that they did not have holes for drainage.  So I am hoping that this new pot that I bought will make a difference.  I had planned to harvest the rosemary before digging it up, but I let fatigue get in the way of that plan.

The hanging basket is the un-remembered succulent that I created the pot on the bookcase and the two bonsai pots.  It is a most forgiving sort of succulent that roots well and is just so darned lovely to me.

I decided to get the stand from the attic and use it to elevate the rosemary.  I was not sure being down on the floor would garner it enough light.  Before I rearranged the solarium, I really had not found a spot in the house for the stand.  Well, it was in the parlor for a while before I moved the small desk in there.  Anyway, the marble on top of it is cracked, but I have never minded that.  I did, however, glue it together with Gorilla gel super glue today, in the hopes that the pieces would hold together.  But, if not, I might go ahead and try regular Gorilla glue.  I just figured if I was going to have something heavy on top, I should make the repair effort.  Now that it is in that spot,  I think I might keep the stand there permanently.  As long as, it doesn't feel too crowded to me.

The string of pearls is back up on the plant stand where it wintered last year.  The strings are so very long now!  I just love, love, love that I haven't killed this plant!

The rest final wall to the room is the one with the table and rocking chair and the largest begonia, which I left in there all summer.  However, I let it get so straggly that I was a bit too embarrassed to photograph it to complete the 360 view of the room.  I hope to get it pruned and tended this week (as in no longer put off what I have been putting off for months).

Tomorrow, though, what I really would like to do is harvest the sage and thyme, bundle it, and hang it to dry.  I am not sure just how low of an overnight temperature those herbs can take, but I don't want to find out the hard way.  We've been in the 40s the past two nights.  I think that is low enough.

I am pleased, though, with today.  I am thankful I got the porch plants and the rosemary inside.  And I am thankful that the vision I had for spreading plants about the room so that it was less crowded in winters past panned out for me.