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Winter Bloom

December 23rd, 2014

Both of my small ‘Hedgehog’ aloes are blooming. The flowers are rather insignificant, but quite lovely in their simplicity. I love that they come this time of year when the garden outside my window is devoid of color.
hedgehog aloe 1
This particular plant lives on my beside table. It’s nice to know that it not only brings beauty to my room, but it also cleans the air as well.
hedgehog aloe 3
These two plants were pups from the big aloes that I had on my front porch back in Ohio. They’re spectacular plants when grown in large containers. I left one for my neighbor, it lives in her living room now. Mine came to Maine and I harvested pups the first winter because I didn’t have space for the giant pot.
aloe hedgehog 5
The photo above was when I first planted them. When we finally moved they were about twice as big and they were stunning! I really love the structure of the aloe plants, the shape of the leaves, the fleshiness , and the thorns. They are very artistic in their form.
hedgehog aloe 2
It will take a few more years, but these little beauties will once again become large spotlight plants in my garden. By then hopefully I’ll have a better space for overwintering large tender plants. Until then, they’ll live with minimal fertilizer and water to keep them growing as slowly as possible.

Do you grow any succulents indoors during the winter?

4 Comments to “Winter Bloom”
  1. ann roberts on December 23, 2014 at 8:55 am

    I have many succulents that I raise on our sunporch and outside during the summer and overwinter in the house. If you could call it that. I have never gotten good at all about winter care. I read, I experiment, I fail every year and killl about half to 2/3 of my plants. And some of them fail within the first month. I sure wish I would have asked my seriously green thumb sister in law how she took care of hers during the winter before she passed last month(still in total mourning here). She had about twice the number of plants and some of them were old and totally amazing to see. And some quite rare. I have pieces of many of them but only 1, a pencil cactus, is showing any signs of becoming great plants like hers

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  2. Natalie on December 23, 2014 at 10:20 am

    What a beautiful bloom! It makes me want to to grow one here! Someday, maybe. :-)

    Reply to Natalie's comment

  3. Colleen on December 23, 2014 at 1:09 pm

    You inspire me to grow unusual plants! The one indoor succulent we have is a Christmas catus. Its in full bloom now. A beautiful coral color.

    Reply to Colleen's comment

  4. Charlie@Seattle Trekker on December 24, 2014 at 1:03 am

    I am a huge aloe fan as both a great house plant and as a medicinal. I can’t tell you how often I burn my hands while baking and used the plant in the kitchen window to ease the discomfort and reduce the possibility of a scar…Have a merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

    Reply to Charlie@Seattle Trekker's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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