The scale of interior trees

We had a funny family situation during the last Holidays, as one of my oldest daughter's friends gave her a huge interior tree as a gift. Well, he was moving to another State and of course he couldn't take this -apparently- laurel tree with him. One of the problems I've found while talking to moving companies, is that they don't want to move plants, they blame it on insects, parasites, etc., infesting the truck.  

I'm not sure about this sort of excuse. I think they don't want to sweep the remaining leaves inside the truck and besides, they are too fragile to be surrounded by boxes and furniture. And pretty heavy as well.

Most of the times I had to move my plants myself, with the help of my strong son.

So, the scale of interior plants and trees is a matter of consideration.

My daughter thought of putting this tree around the fireplace, forcing its branches. I advised her to take it away from the walls.

Then, it was moved to a free standing double height ceiling.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Definitely, interior trees must have a good natural light. I like how this fig spreads horizontally next to one of the windows of the Bowers Museum, Santa Ana. And this is the other question, how the tree is going to grow, horizontal, vertical? Or both directions?

Parlor Palm

I truly love this Parlor Palm I have in my kitchen. A friend of mine gave it to me in 2005. I have changed the ceramic pot once. And the soil, two or three times in 17 years. That's it. I just water it and once in a while I spray it with Raid, house and garden. The most durable plant I have had in my life. And it looks beautiful.

Money tree

This money tree is close to the Palm tree. The upper leaves dried after one year. I have changed the pot for a bigger ceramic one. The tiny leaves it had in the braided trunk finally thrived much better than the upper leaves. Let it be.

Rubber tree

I have not thought of the Rubber tree as an interior tree, as I have in my mind the huge trees from the Arboretum. But it is very easy to propagate, just with a cut. I will try to have at least a small one inside.

I planted a tiny plant in the front yard, and it was a mistake. Along the years it began growing so fast, I have to trim it continuously. But I love how the leaves are seen in bicolor deep red and light-dark green under the morning sun.

All pictures from Myriam Mahiques' personal archives.

Underwater landscape fractal fantasies

 

I create this fractal underwater gardens or landscapes in order to inspire myself, with the selection of aquatic plants, the underwater light, vibrant contrast colors with the green and the combination of organic and Euclidean geometries, which can be seen below in the addition of cubes in the center of the plants agglomerate.

I could also call these creations "fractal infinite gardens" as the patterns repeat ad infinitum.

It is also a conceptual idea of roots as seen behind a glass, like I have shown in one of my Pothos propagation posts. Beauty above and below.

All digital art by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives. 2022.

Orchids from the Festival of Flowers

 

Every year I anxiously expect two special celebration dates: the Flowers Festival at the Asian Garden Mall in Westminster, CA, and the Day of the Dead, celebrated in several cities of Southern CA.

Both events full of flowers, the first one to celebrate the new Solar Year (Asian) and the second one as an homage to the dead.

The festival in Westminster has a lot of stands selling orchids, all of them beautiful. 

I have not been lucky with my own orchids, as I used to water them more than needed, when the roots are aerial. I am learning from my mistakes.

Nevertheless, I enjoy taking close up orchids photographs, which I am sharing today. See the details that make them so interesting.

All pictures by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives, January 2022. 

Colorful wood fence

I have taken these photos at the Fullerton Arboretum, July 2021. I like the colors display against the green, a happy difference from the typical white fence.

My favorite one is this below, with the branches across, the big leaves and lots of textures on the ground. The addition of color is a nice idea for the foliage garden, specially when most of the planting is green.

All pictures by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives.