Today was the last day of the Ten Days of Plantness and I’m thrilled to announce that it was a success. One new plant for each day between Jan 12th and the 21st, and let me tell you it wasn’t as easy at it sounds but you’re welcome. I say you’re welcome because a successful ten days means that spring will begin to arrive now rather than after 6 more weeks of winter… or at least I think that’s what we decided on… my friend Kimberley and I are still working out the specifics of this newly minted holiday and perfection doesn’t come all at once you know…
The kitchen countertop is filled with the Ten Plants of Plantness. A new philodendron, roses in a bouquet, an African violet, cyclamen, primula, orchids, a kalanchoe, and an unexpected bromeliad.
You would think finding ten new plants in January would be a breeze, but for some reason it became stressful as marts were empty of plants and grocery stores were sparse, and of course I’m cheap… and a little picky… but good fortune prevailed and the two primula and two mini orchids of the early days were joined by a white cyclamen, orange kalanchoe, a little philodendron, a purple and white African violet, a clearance bromeliad, and a somewhat borderline cheat of a plant -a small bouquet of pink roses. Normally I wouldn’t have come close to buying any of this but for Plantness? I made the effort.
So fingers crossed a few of these politely die within the next few weeks, because anyone who knows me knows I have enough plants, but in the meantime I’m quite pleased with all the color in the kitchen contrasted by the snow outside. Breakfast with the flowers has been great, and to celebrate the tenth day properly a cake was even baked.
I don’t think anyone will doubt that I made this myself. Normally a child will help, but not this weekend and I was left to my own and this is what you get. A reduced calorie chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, but the only calorie reduction was the frosting which slipped off the side.
So obviously it’s a holiday if there’s cake, right? But that’s not the breakthrough mentioned in the title. The breakthrough is an actual breaking through of the house foundation into the basement of the new addition. You would be surprised by how easy it is to pop a hole through your walls with just a grinder and a sledgehammer but there’s much to be said for structurally sound foundation walls, so I wouldn’t really recommend it unless you’re completely bored and on the hunt for new projects. Myself of course, has found a new project, and I can finally bring water to the plants overwintering in here without climbing in through the window.
Maybe once things are cleaned up I can bring a few of the new plants down here 🙂
The new opening from the basement into the basement of the addition. As you can see, just like many things here it’s a work in progress.
Maybe a day on the couch would have been a better way to spend the afternoon, but when you’re talking with your contractor and he says he has some time well you can finish eating your cake later.
Have a great week and enjoy your early spring?
sorta like suburbia 
Nice haul. Thanks for the early spring, Frank! 😉
I’m really impressed with the cake, it looks yummy. The hole in the wall looks like more work, though. But fueled by cake, it’ll be a breeze, right?
I’m a little embarrassed by my excess, but the happiness over the new plants wins!
A slice of cake, a little work, an adult beverage, some more work, and it’s already looking respectable beyond the hole 🙂
I think you need to find a cheap flight to the UK 😉 400 species of Galanthus??? https://bramblegarden.com/2024/01/26/winter-gardens-opening-for-the-ngs/
“When you’re talking with your contractor and he says he has some time well you can finish eating your cake later.” Exactly!
haha, yes! I’m sure you can relate.
All your plants look wonderful, your purple orchid looks very like mine which is on the kitchen windowsill. Your cake looks very tempting and I’m speechless at your breakthrough!
I hope I can coax the orchid into living long enough to be passed on to my mom’s more able hands! In the meantime I have plenty of work to make the “hole” more respectable 😉
Those plants are wonderfully colourful and have made me incredibly envious Frank! Even though I missed the holiday I will try and catch up this week on a trip to our garden centre… they have reopened after their winter break, but no idea if they have any plants yet! LOL! The cake also looks pretty tasty. Mmm, peanut butter frosting. Yum! And you have a new room for your plants? 😆 👍
Plants or not, I’m sure being in the garden center again will give you plenty of inspiration and satisfaction. This morning I thought the sunrise seemed particularly early, we’re on the upswing even though the calendar is not ready to agree.
Although the room is not officially a plant room it will surely have a good number… and may possibly end up with less room for people and more for plants!
MMmm, chocolate and peanut butter, delicious! Look at all the possibilities with that hole in the wall. I am anxious to see what you do with the new space!
I’m anxious to see what I do with the space too! I’d like to have plenty of green in there but as you can see, even inside it’s plants first, work everything out later… well that’s not really true. I don’t have quite as much (actually barely any) authority indoors, but this is still an unheated basement area so there’s not too much demand for the space.
It feels like early spring here today, 41F and almost all the snow and ice has melted. Whoot… Then I get to see all your new plants. The blooms are worth the trouble at this point. I do enjoy a little color this time of year.
I don’t even want to think about another big project. We get our countertops tomorrow. I can’t wait to have a sink and countertops in the kitchen.
It looks like your project made a giant leap forward. It will be so convenient to be able to pass through to the new basement addition.
Cheers and have a great week.
I hope that’s the weather we get here next, although with the number of schools announcing delays and virtual days I believe we still have an ice storm to get through. I guess it is still winter.
That’s exciting to get the countertop and sink. Finally it feels like a kitchen again and once you can wash a dish without a trip to the bathroom…. ahhhh finally! Hope the rest of it is getting close as well.
[…] of Plantness; a new holiday that Frank at Sorta Like Suburbia had apparently invented (See here and here). Frank confessed a few days later (he even baked a cake to celebrate!) and I must admit I was […]
Delightful!
thanks!
Plants are truly nature’s masterpieces, enchanting us with their diversity, beauty, and life-giving properties.
We’d be lost without them 😉
I seriously need to go and buy some new plants! These look wonderful!
Haha, you came to the wrong place if you’re looking for someone to stop you!
[…] it let me recap this basement talk with a quick summary. We built an addition to the house. Two years ago I broke through into the new basement from the old and am slowly turning this unheated, unfinished […]