Once again it’s that most wonderful time of the gardening year… it’s the first day of Plantness! Obviously you knew that but when I saw it hadn’t appeared automatically on my phone calendar, I thought good-golly I better make an official announcement! So here it is. January 12th is the first day of the ten days of Plantness, a celebration of hope and renewal and a way to get through the ten coldest days of the year (in my zone at least) with an eye on the warming weather which is our future. The winter solstice has passed, but even with a few minutes added each day the strength of the sun still isn’t quite enough to slow the cooling until about a month later. For us that’s January 21st when the average temps start to increase again, and by celebrating Plantness we make our way through those last coldest nights to turn the tide and begin to see things warming up again.
This bromeliad was a 2024 Plantness plant. Two years later and it’s in three pots around the winter garden and care amounts to nothing more than toping off the water in the leaves every week or two. I’ve never even fertilized.
So on each of the ten days I shall add a new plant in celebration. That’s basically the point of the holiday, force yourself to add something new each day, and for as easy (and possibly reckless) as that might sound, it’s really not! It’s the depths of winter and places are closed or pickings are sparse. The (other)holiday season wore a couple people out. We’ve been doing it for a two years now and sometimes it takes a kick in the butt kind of attitude to put on a coat and go out into the dark for a little plant shopping after work, but we know what’s at stake. Giving Plantness it’s proper dues will guarantee an early spring and if taking on a few new plants is what it takes, I’m there.
‘Brasil’ heartleaf philodendron was a grocery find and I still love it. After a poky start it’s really taking off and probably due for a hanging pot finally rather than any more draping across furniture.
“But wait, I can’t possibly fit in ten more plants, but I also don’t want it to be my fault that winter stretches on forever!” -yes, that’s a responsible thought but please try harder. There’s a range of options which count and I think everyone can do their part. New plants count, but so do plant accessories, plant pots, plant soil, outdoor plant orders, seed orders… plant society memberships, plant books, garden tools, garden accessories… cut flowers… basically if you think about plants when you’re buying it, it works… unless it’s a fake plant of course, that never counts.
A Plantness favorite, this variegated Boston fern, aka tiger fern, was a little four inch pot of coolness from a specialty greenhouse visited two years ago.
Alright, I’ll admit it’s a little tricky getting out every day so here are a few of the cheat codes for properly celebrating Plantness. Multiple items picked up on the same day count forward, ie: three things today will cover Mon, Tues, and Wed. Gifted plants always count towards the receiver, but might count for the giver if purchased in the appropriate timeframe. Things ordered but not received can count on the order day… or whenever, and pre-Plantness purchases might also count, particularly if purchased on credit and you have yet to pay the bill. Even gifted plantness items count if they’re given prior to Plantness -because maybe someone couldn’t wait any longer for that first greenhouse run of the new year and had to make space- you can count these early gifted items as well, just don’t ‘officially’ accept them until after the 12th. Perhaps it sounds complicated. It can be. Message me if you need help, and if in doubt, err on the side of caution and just buy it!
A closeup of the tiger fern. I’m wondering if I separate a few all-chartreuse divisions out, if they would remain stable and if that’s a good thing.
One of the important nuances of Plantness is that longevity doesn’t matter, in fact I encourage people to buy plants which they know will die because as you might guess, dead plants don’t take up windowsill space, so toss the poinsettia and bring home a few florist cyclamen and spring primula…. and then feel free to put them out on the back steps the minute you get bored.
I was way too excited to get this variegated snake plant (Sansevieria ‘Sayuri’) and hope I didn’t scare anyone when I immediately snatched it off the shelf. Sadly, it’s barely grown since last year and I think it’s me.
I hope you enjoy this year’s ten days of Plantness. I’ll try and post a few updates as the season goes on but I can’t make any promises. Please join me though. My first Plantness purchase, and the reason I didn’t finish this post last night, was a snowdrop order from The Temple Nursery. The catalog arrived Friday and to even wait one day on sending in an order risks missing out on your choices (so I can’t believe I sat on it through Saturday) but it’s en route now and we will cross our fingers.
A reliable Thanksgiving bloomer, ‘Potter’s Prelude’ is late this year with all the cold. Our January thaw had me out taking photos of this drop since it’s finally in bloom, but by the time I got around to this end of the garden a snow squall had changed the tone.
Tomorrow I’m working late, so maybe a grocery store stop? Wednesday I might try and hit Hidden Gardens which is my local wintertime greenhouse treat, and by the weekend my friends and I are planning a daytrip South to bigger greenhouses and more fun. Fingers crossed a cake will be involved.
Hope you have as much fun with this as we do, and let me know how it goes! Have a great week 🙂
sorta like suburbia 
Sounds like you have a big week planned… can’t wait to see your haul. 🙂
I’m looking forward to our weekend adventure but it’s hard rounding up the troops in January. weather and colds all seem so much more hostile to fun this time of year!
an order of narcissus and prospero seeds arrived in the mail, so I’m counting that
Ohhhhhhh. Seeds are always some of the best mail you can receive!
Yay! Snowdrops! 😁 This Plantness thing has made me look forward to January, which is pretty amazing don’t you think! So Thank You! I am glad to see your past plantness purchases are still doing well – your fern is gorgeous. And how exciting to go on a plant purchasing excursion in January – hope you get a slice of cake as well as some beautiful greenery. The ice has stopped me getting to our local nursery, but by the end of the week I should be able to stock up on goodies. I do have a couple of things to share though until then. And the list of things that count is encouraging… pots and seed orders, books… Perhaps I’ll pick up one of those glossy gardening magazines full of nonsense but great for inspiration. 👍 Thanks Frank, and have a great week!
Hi Cathy! Happy Plantness!
Hi Kimberley! 🤗
Oh! That’s a really good idea, it hadn’t occurred to me to grab a few gardening magazines! They can be a lot of glossy fun, and usually light on the serious, but for a nice dose of spring you can’t go wrong.
I’m glad it’s helped with the January blahs. I think my knees have said no more skiing, and winter becomes a much duller place without that. I used to actually get a little upset that temps were rising and the slopes were getting too mushy (we don’t live in an area where there’s that fluffy powder, it’s either ice, or crushed ice, or mush!)… but then one warm and sunny spring day was all it took to forget winter completely, so I wasn’t entirely sold on winter 😉
Hope your week is going well, mine flew by and now we’re on the verge of a weekend and hopefully some time to relax
Woo Hoo, it’s Plantness!
So, by. your logic, the two plants and the pot I bought when we went to Creekside should count because I haven’t paid that credit card bill? Suh-weet! That means my total is six! I’m going to peruse bulb sites today to see whether I can find a good clearance deal on an amaryllis bulb or three.
I’m going to try to remember to bring you that cryptanthus start, so I think you can count that, even if I forget it, lol!
A slice of cake, eh? I know a hint when I see it!
Can’t wait for our adventure this weekend!
Have a fun trip at the weekend Kimberley!
[…] 21st simply share ten plants or plant-related items you have bought in January. (And if you read Frank’s post here you will see that the rules are very flexible!) […]
Well, I hope the weather picks up for you…and takes you out of your cellar!
The weather does always pick up, so if I can just hold on without adding too many houseplants I will be back to the outside garden soon enough!
This is something to look forward to. I like the attitude “just buy it!” Ha ha ha
It’s kind of an odd feeling buying plants without overthinking if I need them or where they go or how long they will thrive. On one plant this week I didn’t even care if it was more than I’d normally spend… says the person who would wait years for a cutting rather than shell out $5 for the thing 😉
[…] Days of Plantness, running from the 12th to the 21st, is the brainchild of Frank at Sorta Like Suburbia and is intended to brighten up the coldest days of the year and hurry Spring along. If you want to […]
[…] from the 12th to the 21st, is a brilliant way to brighten up a cold and snowy January. Frank at Sorta Like Suburbia thought this up a couple of years ago and I am pleased to join in the fun. If you want to know […]
[…] ten plant/garden-related items in January. The rules are extremely flexible, as Frank explained in this post. I really enjoy joining him and his partner in crime Kimberley (from Cosmos and Cleome) across the […]