Potted News

As the weather is becoming milder in Southern Ontario, I am getting my overwintered potted plants ready to go to the backyard, so I took photos of four of them to share. I am also including two new-to-me, which could not resist buying while getting compost and potting soil at the gardening centre.

1) Last fall I commented that I always try to overwinter my rosemary plant, and end up losing it and having to buy a new one every spring.  Lou @ Lou N. Carreras, Woodcarver said he keeps his rosemary in the basement, since the upstairs seems too dry and hot, so I tried doing that last fall, placing the pot by a south-facing window.  It worked like a charm, and look at the plant now, at the top of this post, healthy and ready to return outside soon. Thank you, Lou!

2) Since last summer my husband and I were travelling quite a bit, my jalapeño pepper seedling got neglected, and almost died.  I did not give up on it, and by the fall, it had new growth, so I brought it inside to see if it would survive till spring.  The photo below, left, shows a detail of the original dead stem and the new green growth, and the photo, right, shows the whole plant, recovered and even blooming and giving fruit already:

3) My bay leaf is still going strong;  after having a scale insect infestation two years ago, I have been more consistent cleaning the leaves and caring for the plant:

4) I started growing ginger a few years ago, and it has become a trusted crop, replanted every year in a big pot; after harvesting in the fall, I split the rhizomes, using some for cooking and replanting about half, so they can sprout back in the spring:

These four plants do not tolerate cold weather, so I will keep them indoors for one more week or so. The two that I got at the gardening centre, though, are hardy to zones 3 and up, so I already remove them from their pots, and planted them in the backyard.

5) Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is native to large areas in Western and Central Canada and parts of the US Northwest.  Part of the botanical rose family, these plants are very adaptable as long as there is good soil drainage, and tolerate even partial shade. After blooming of pretty white flowers, the edible berries start green, turn pink, then red and finally, a deep purple.  The plant becomes a bush that can grow to several meters in height, and about one meter (3-4 feet) in width, but may be trimmed regularly to smaller dimensions.  My plant is about 40 cm (1.3 feet) tall right now:

6) Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum) is native to China, but again, a very resilient plant, adaptable to any soil with good drainage; goji berries have become multi-cultural, now being grown all around the world, as the berries are considered a super food.  The bushes may grow from 1.5 m (5 feet) to 3.5 m (11.5 feet) and have a wide spread.  I hope mine will grow tall and wide, to help fill a spot at the back of my backyard; for now, it is about 30 cm (1 ft) tall: 

---

I am joining Six on Saturday for May 24, 2025, hosted by Jim Stephens @ Garden Ruminations.

---

I am sharing my post at Thursday Favourite Things #712, with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Pam @ An Artful Mom, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.