Bringing in the Tenders…

So here they are – the Graduating Class of 20o9.  They made it through the summer, and they are precious enough to be considered for overwintering in this tiny, cramped house.

Back row (l-r):  tricolor sage (2nd time coming indoors), standard-trained coleus “Jingles” with parsley at its base, three assorted spider plants, encliandra (miniature) fuchsia – still in bloom. 

Front row (l-r):  sweet chocolate sweet pepper (still haven’t tasted one, so we’ll try again for next summer!), two homamde rosemary “topiaries” (2nd time coming indoors) and two “Calico” ornamental peppers – they’re the purple and white variegated ones, and they’re too gorgeous to leave to the frost.

Where am I going to put all of these???  Here are a few of the barren pots they’ve left behind:

Other assorted tender miscellany:

(clockwise from top left) Aloe (needs dividing badly), sago palm, mango from seed (with two leaves mysteriously turned red), lemon from seed.   Yay, the last two made it through the summer.  Now let’s see how they fare over the winter!

And, of course, who’s missing from the class of 2009?

 

Still not sure what I’m going to do with this great giant banana tree.  It has grown prolifically, in the not-even two months that I’ve had it.  And I was planning to leave it in my mother’s front window all winter… except she’s having her floors redone next week.  What inconvenient timing!

Doesn’t she know that frost is coming???

So I guess we’ll have to put it in the basement or something as an interim plan.  But it really would  be happier in her front window.  She keeps  her place warmer than ours, and there’s better light than from our one meagre little window. 

I wish our bathroom was big enough to hold this.  It would be great bathroom decor.