I left the lighting or lack of lighting in my pictures to show what challenges my plants face each winter. Since we have had two consecutive nights of 38 degrees, I felt it was better to be safe than sorry but I know that every plant will be suffering from lack of sunlight. In all my years of nursing my tropical plants through the cold long winter months, my one constant battle was the lack of adequate sunlight coming through my windows. I wanted to show how somber my dining room is so I took my apricot hibiscus as is without turning on the overhead lights. I confess that I cheated the lighting when I took the picture of the Bougainvillea, I turned on the overhead chandelier because otherwise you would have seen a dark blob in a blue pot.
Upstairs, I showed you where I stuffed as many plants as possible in the space of the window, almost as if they will be fighting amongst themselves for the dribs and drabs of sunlight that will trickle through the upcoming winter months.
One of these years, I plan to put in a long table in my son’s room along the eastern wall because in that way even if its only morning light, they will get at least a few hours of uninterrupted sunlight. As of now I have a couch along the wall which he will eventually take away with him when he moves out completely on his own. For now it stays where it is.
All this moving and shaking was all with the help of my hubby and the baby boy. I supervised because I am still under the weather and these plants aren’t light. The hanging baskets I managed on my own, but the thought of lugging in three medium sized hibiscus and a large “tree” made me woozy. Thank goodness for my men.
laurieanichols 