homesteadbrooklyn - Tumblr blog

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Tucked away in the Finger Lakes region of New York is a geothermal greenhouse, which is home to many a curious creature—namely plants that wield parts akin to jaws, trap doors, and super sticky sweets to lure in unexpected prey. ⁣ ⁣ Welcome to @floraecollaborative's wunderkammer (wonder cabient) of vegetable curiosities: Nepenthes, bladderworts, pitcher plants, and sundews abound, but you'll even find other tropicals and even some woody plants hidden amongst the carnivores. ⁣ ⁣ And if we're lucky, we may even get a chance to peek into their state-of-the-art tissue culture lab, to see where some of the magic happens. ⁣ ⁣ Latest field trip is up on 'Plant One On Me' on @YouTube. Link is in Insta Bio. 👆🏼🌿💚 (at Ithaca, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUcgcmxFqFB/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Time for another Houseplant Home Tour on 'Plant One On Me' and this time with Candice @lowkeyplantlady, who takes us on a tour of her small, cozy apartment, which features one very prominent green wall—showcasing gorgeous Anthurium, Hoya, Ceropegia, and more. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Of course——even in a small apartment—it's hard to contain plants to just ONE wall, so there is some spill-over, but only so much because her new, little pup, Pepper, has a BIG personality and vies for the remainder of space. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Enjoy the pups 🐶and plants 🌿. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Link to video in the Stories and Bio. 👆🏼 https://www.instagram.com/p/CUKbvvaFRds/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Senecio is a large genus of plants that has been often neglected—largely because it is so unwieldy. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ However, within the genus are a wide range of popular houseplants, including string of beads, string of bananas, string of tears, and the cocoon plant, for instance. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ But many of those plants have changed genera over the last number of years. Even though that's not widely reflected in the horticultural trade—we get to the bottom of those classification changes on 'Plant One On Me' over @YouTube.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Link to video in Stories and in bio! ⁣ ⁣ What members of "Senecio" do you have in your plant fam that have changed classification? 💚🌿 (at Finger Lakes, NY) https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4YQPelZ-Q/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Tomorrow (Sat, Sept 4), I'll be giving a small talk and Q&A @floraecollaborative open house on communicating the world of botanical wonders and curiosities on the 'Plant One On Me' channel. If you're in the Finger Lakes region, I'll see you there! 💚🌿 (at Ithaca, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTYRhwmr24N/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Dear Detroit Plant Community,⁣ ⁣ I will be in Detroit—albeit only for a day or two—later this month.⁣ ⁣ What would you recommend for a wonderful plant-filled experience (shops, peeps, places, walks, restaurants).⁣ ⁣ Love to hear your recommendations for such a short little excursion! 💚🌿 (at Detroit, Michigan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTW5MP0LdUU/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

This ZZ plant has had a colorful story and made its debut many times here on the channel. Initially it was a 15-year old plant from my friend Tara @studyny, which we divided with my friend Allan, who came to town all the way from Mozambique.⁣ ⁣ Part of that division went back to Tara—and another division went to cameraman, Sander. The ZZ plant, however, had scale, and you saw us treating it during his apartment tour.⁣ ⁣ Now the ZZ plant is at our new communal space @flockfingerlakes, looking more lush, but still battling scale, so we're about to give it a spa day...⁣ ⁣ Full video up on 'Plant One On Me'⁣ ☝🏽🌿 ⁣ Link in Insta stories! 💚 (at Finger Lakes) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTUm465LrHn/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Plants teach you life lessons. Some teach you to embrace your inner weirdness. Let us welcome you in to the wild and whacky and weird world of gourds. It's the latest video up on our sister channel @flockfingerlakes ... Link in Insta Stories. ☝🏽🌿💚 (at Gourdlandia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CS9HSKNFHln/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

A total experiment: propagating that fully variegated ZZ plant. Check back in a couple months to see if it was a success or failure! 😆 (at Williamsburg) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSz7aufL2ED/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Plants can be full of surprises 🥳.⁣ ⁣ This is the second time my ZZ Raven sent up a totally variegated sport, so I took the opportunity to see if it will be strong enough to propagate.⁣ ⁣ Full video up on 'Plant One On Me' on YouTube! (Link in Insta Stories and Bio) ☝🏽💚🌿 (at Williamsburg) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSwejEUln50/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Just look how GORGEOUS @houseplantdiary is in her lush abode!⁣🌿 ⁣ These are just some of the beautiful outtakes from our recent Houseplant Home Tour with her (now up on 'Plant One On Me' @YouTube). ⁣ ⁣ Yendys has done an incredible job making the space all her own: exotic touches and finishes—from cowrie shells🐚 to baubles and beads that dance in the sunlight🌞; found artifacts 🐲to tiled planters and flea market finds—all thoughtfully woven in a tapestry of storied love. ⁣ 🌱💚 ⁣ It truly feels as if you're being transported to another destination far from the raucous streets of Brooklyn. Only the punctuated sounds of sirens and hoots and hollers on the street will bring you back to your whereabouts. ⁣ ⁣ And still yet, there was a sense of familiarity upon entering her space: the frosted glass door to the bathroom, the glass handles and knobs, the wood and well-worn exposures, the assorted and colorful collection of planters and found objects, the way the plants wove throughout the home—not as decorations but as fellow denizens. Here we have a true plant and soul sister from another mister.⁣ ⁣ Link to video in stories. ☝🏽💚 (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSg2JV8LRbE/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

I first met Yendys @houseplantdiary at one of my houseplant workshops @chelseagardencenter in Brooklyn many many moons ago—and was delighted to finally get a chance to see both her lush home and apothecary in Brooklyn.⁣ ⁣ Much of her decor reminded me of my own home—so I definitely felt right at home in her space. ⁣ ⁣ The full houseplant home tour is up on 'Plant One On Me'. ⁣ ⁣ Link in Stories and Bio. ☝🏽💚🌱 (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSePtyClnOd/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Our collective love for plants—both indoors and out—has skyrocketed over the last number of years.⁣⁣ ⁣ Expressed interest in rarer and rarer species, which has become somewhat a badge of honor, has also become more prevalent, however. And that need — or that want — to have the "rare" or the "unusual" — not only triggers anxiety in people, who feel as if they are "missing out" on a "plant of the moment", but also fuels a darker side of the plant industry, which is to say—illegal extraction from the plants from their habitats and the illegal trade and sale of plants.⁣ ⁣ Though plant theft and plant smuggling is nothing new—according to many in the field—it has increased dramatically in the past number of years—and particularly over the pandemic.⁣ ⁣ So as plant lovers, plant buyers, and plant sellers—how can we be educated about the topic, be responsible in our decisions, ensure we're not contributing to the illegal collection of plants, and ultimately be a positive force to again reclaim that—gardening is indeed good?⁣⁣ ⁣ I shared this in my book, "How to Make a Plant Love You," but our plants often come potted up, packaged and shipped to you—and that's it. We may have no other relationship or knowledge of where that plant truly came from. ⁣ ⁣ So becoming more educated about the fact that plants are being illegally removed from their habitats and sold for profit—will give us the opportunity to make more responsible decisions and explore a healthier relationship—not only to plants but also the environments from which they come from. ⁣ ⁣ In light of increased poaching on plants and the inherent lack of transparency when it comes to plants for consumers, I wanted to do a video that would help shed some light as to how we can be more educated and a positive force of good with a direct call to action out there to all plant lovers.⁣ ⁣ We spoke with Barbara Goettsch from @iucnssc, Liz Vayda @bwillowbmo, and Abby Meyer @yourbgci. ⁣ ⁣ Full video on YouTube and link to video in Instagram Stories. ☝🏽💚 https://www.instagram.com/p/CSMLb1OlPZ9/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Found this poor mourning dove in the chicken coop—second time today. He's having trouble eating/swallowing. Not sure if it's a case of avian wet pox or not, but trying to help give him some mashed food. Any wildlife rehabilitators know what may be the issue and how to assist the little fella? (at Williamsburg) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSAyS4oL1wY/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

You know I didn't walk away without plants after doing that tour of Baker's Acres. ⁣😃 ⁣ They had TOO many great plants to pass up. (These beauties will be going into the landscape @flockfingerlakes). ⁣ ⁣ Link to our little plant shopping video in Instagram stories and up on 'Plant One On Me'. ⁣ ⁣☝🏽🌿💚 (at Baker's Acres) https://www.instagram.com/p/CR6lRhpldxd/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

Absolutely fell in love with the plant selection at Baker's Acres in Lansing, NY, but was sad to hear that they will be retiring after 41-years in business at the end of this year.⁣ ⁣ So we decided to capture the four decades of their plant legacy on 'Plant One On Me' @YouTube.⁣ ⁣ Full tour of their greenhouses, orchards, display gardens, and a look into running a nursery business after all this time.⁣ ⁣ Link in Stories! ☝🏽💚 https://www.instagram.com/p/CRpOThJFv7j/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

In February 2021, a pet shop in Washington state sounded the alarm on a small mollusk found on a marimo moss ball—the popular, velvety green balls of algae that are often sold in plant shops, pet shops, and aquarium shops around the world. ⁣ ⁣ It turns out this seemingly insignificant bivalve was the invasive zebra mussel, which has already transformed much of the waterways in the United States. ⁣ ⁣ Rick Boatner of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Service got the memo and began inspecting marimo moss balls in his state and found that they were also infected. It turns out a distributor in the Ukraine had sold infected moss balls and the zebra mussels have now been found in 46 states—sparking most states to do a stop order on selling them—particularly in the Pacific Northwest where the landscape is still zebra-mussel free. (Read: You SHOULD NOT be selling marimo moss balls at this moment in time). ⁣ ⁣ If you've purchased marimo moss balls after February 1, 2021, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is recommending that you destroy and properly dispose of your marimo moss balls to ensure they do not contaminate waterways. ⁣ ⁣ This includes:⁣ - Freeze - Place the moss ball into a sealable plastic bag and freeze for at least 24 hours.⁣ ⁣ - Boil - Place the moss ball in boiling water for at least 1 full minute.⁣ ⁣ - Bleach / Vinegar - Submerge the moss ball in regular, unscented bleach, diluted to ⅓ cup per gallon of water, for 10 minutes; or undiluted white vinegar for 20 minutes.⁣ ⁣ For more information on this, please visit the US FWS site or check out the full interview up on 'Plant One On Me', which highlights how this has shaken out after 5 months.⁣ ⁣ There are real clear takeaways to buyers, sellers, and current owners of marimos at this time, so in this case, it empowers everyone to know what to do.⁣ ⁣LINK TO FULL VIDEO IN STORIES. ☝🏽💚 https://www.instagram.com/p/CRWK3XaFxb8/?utm_medium=tumblr

[homesteadbrooklyn]

I've never thought pruning conifers would be one of my newfound, favorite 'yard' chores, but there is so much creativity and care that goes into it. ⁣ ⁣ Over the last several months, I've been taking a day or two at a time to go out and decongest some of the overgrown trees that have been neglected @flockfingelakes and literally started to "shape" them into the landscape, as if each one is a sculpture or a work of art. (I've been equating it to a bonsai in the landscape).⁣ ⁣⁣ A full video is up on the Flock Finger Lakes YT channel now if you'd like to see some of the early results.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Link in stories. ☝🏽💚🌲 (at Finger Lakes) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRRDusyF6VX/?utm_medium=tumblr