A Story - "The Gourmet's Wine" and Kalanchoe in January

A Story

The Gourmet's Wine

Every weekend Vivienne invited friends over for a gourmet meal.  Her menus followed the Mediteranean diet.  Desserts were fresh fruit.  She was pleased that she was feeding her guests healthy food.  She always served organic wine from a small vineyard.  No beer, no hard liquor, and, definitely, no soft drinks.

During the week, she bought and tasted various specialty wines so she could determine the perfect pairing for the food.

When she began to feel ill, she saw her doctor.  The shocking diagnosis was cirrhosis of the liver.

"Alcohol is alcohol no matter how pretty the packaging," the doctor said sadly. 

 

Kalanchoe can bring a bright pop of colour to the dull days of January.  The blooms will last for weeks, and sometimes months.  They like a bright window and not too much water as they are succulents.

To get them to rebloom after their rest period during the summer months, they need to have at least 12 hours of darkness each day.  I put mine on the windowsill and draw a heavy curtain across so that the light from the inside of the house is blocked from the plant.  They don't mind a chilly windowsill. As our days in zone 4 naturally get shorter in the fall, the kalanchoe get the required amount of darkness. They usually set buds in December and are blooming in January.  I give them a bit of fertilizer every 2 or 3 weeks when they are blooming.

Kalanchoe are super easy to propogate.  Simply take a piece of stem - 3-4" long, strip off lower leaves and plant in some soil.  This works best in the spring and summer. If plants are getting too leggy, just prune them back to the size you want and they will send out new branching shoots.

A Story: "Opportunities" and Dependable Kalanchoe

 A story:

Opportunities

Gerry was quick to seize an opportunity.

A farmer gave him a deal on a dozen peacocks. The birds were worth $75 a piece; for Gerry, $100 for the flock.  A month later, the peacocks had flown the coop.

On to the next venture.  A new widget had been designed and stocks were bound to soar.  Gerry jumped in and quickly free fell to zero.

Undaunted, he snapped up some valuable baseball cards.  Who knew they weren't popular anymore?

An orchard would grow money.  Bad luck.  Bugs, drought killed the trees.

All things considered, Gerry had the minus touch.

Kalanchoe have become my favourite winter flower.  This plant is two years old and I have been able to get it to rebloom easily simply by leaving it on the windowsill and closing the drapes over it so that it doesn't get the indoor light in the evening. The blooms last for several weeks.  The plant form is looser than when you buy it at the store but the flowers are just as vibrant.

This pot has six cuttings that I took from the above plant.  Last week I stuffed them all into one pot.

The bright pink is so welcome in the dead of winter.  Kalanchoes are super easy to grow.  Because they are succulents, they don't want or need much water and one or two fertilizings when they are blooming is all that's necessary.  To take a cutting, simply cut off a piece of stem and put it in soil. It will root in no time.

I put one kalanchoe outside last summer as an experiment.  It got morning sun.  The leaves took on a deep green colour and the stem was less leggy.  However, it did suffer some insect damage and it is blooming a month later than the indoor plants. I brought it inside in October as the temperature got cold outside.