Warm? That's an understatement!!

Yesterday (3/13) was 80 degrees.  It's supposed to be about the same for the next few days.  According to the news this morning, there were over 1000 record highs broken yesertday!  Of course, they're ranting on about what this means for our actual summer heat when it's this warm before we're even done with winter.  However, I seem to remember a few years ago - I think it was the year Dad died (2004) - we had an extraordinarily warm spring, then the summer was absolutely sublime.  I remember that summer for two reasons - of course, as mentioned, my Dad died, but it was also the summer I bought my Saturn Vue, my very first vehicle with a sun roof.  I spent almost the entire summer with the sun roof open.  Anyone who knows me knows under no circumstances do I like to sweat, so obviously it was a very MILD summer.  I've been wishing for one of those ever since, and maybe this is a precurser to exactly that kind of summer!

It's been a long time since I posted.  I've had an utter lack of interest in my plants this winter for some reason.  I just don't get it - my plants have always been my place of solace.  I certainly can't say I haven't needed any of that lately.  I mean, our circumstance remains scarey at best.  Mark's STILL unemployed (going on three years now...)  I can say some things have improved...  Let's see, business is definitely looking up this year.  I can't say it's what I was hoping for yet - so far, I think every single job has been tiny since the first of the year... but hey, at least there ARE jobs!!  We refinanced the house in late fall and reduced our house payment by $230/month.  We made the last payment on Mark's truck in Oct., which freed up $350/month.  I paid off a little furniture payment in Jan., freeing up another $40/month.  Of course, Mark's health insurance went up $50/month, and the level payment gas went up $15/month, but we're still ahead of the game.  We're getting closer to being able to live on what I make - that helps.  I'm sure glad that we were never the types to "move up" to a better house.   It helps that we've been here 25 years (as of May) and we owe so little on the house. 

But getting back to my waning interest in my plants...  I'm trying very hard now to kick-start my obsession back into place.  It helps a little that I'm seeing new growth on a lot of them - some are even budding up.  Hey! Australis ssp. australis is budding up!  That dang Hoya has been one of my ornery ones - I've had that sucker for probably 15 years (at least) and I had one puney peduncle of flowers last summer for the first time ever.  Maybe this will be the one that gets my interest back.  And I'd guess that it could have been my neglect this winter that pushed it to bloom...

So my intent is to start documenting the good, the bad and the ugly that comes with a spring after a winter of neglect.  I have to get my mojo back soon because this heat will be hard on them if I'm neglectful now! 

My first observation is that Hoya vanuatuensis is budding up.  Well, one of them is - I have two, and the one in the south window is budding up.  Also budding up are davidcummingiana and lobbii.  All three of these are easy bloomers, so I don't really feel like I can take credit for them. 

I chopped up much of my mama fungii last summer.  For some odd reason, the leaves on the mother plant were turning yellow.  Not all of them, mind you, and it wasn't the kind of yellow that then drops.  Anyway, I tried using some epsom salts in the water, which is supposed to encourage deep green growth, and when that didn't make any difference, I decided to start new plants.  Interestingly enough, the yellow leaves on all the new started plants have all gone back to a nice healthy green.  Which leads me to believe one of two things - either there is a root/soil issue with the mother plant, or it's getting too much light.  I think I'm going to unpot and repot it in some new soil this summer.  I'll put it back in the same spot to see if the yellow leaves continue - if they do, I guess I can safely assume it's a light issue...

Well, the sun is now up enough that I can go do some watering, so I'd better put this to rest for today and make more observations later.  Ciao!