Surprise FINALLY Arrived

by The Belmont Rooster

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. It has been cool and cloudy the past several days and we had a little snow yesterday evening. By the time I got out of bed, it had almost all melted.

I went to get the mail and was surprised by a box… Hmmm… I wonder what this is? The box is actually bigger than it looks in the photo.

 

I put the box on my bed and opened it only to find it stuffed with paper… Hmmm…

 

HOLY COW! PLANTS!!!

 

Well, I knew what was in the box because I had been expecting it. Tony Tomeo, a fellow blogger and friend that you may know, offered to send a few Epiphyllum and I couldn’t very well refuse. I have not grown any, so it seemed like a great opportunity to give them a shot. I am barely trying to give a good enough reason to acquire more plants even though I personally don’t need a reason or excuse. 🙂 But if someone were to ask why… Truthfully, no one comes for a visit so I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. That’s a good thing, because if anyone was to come and ask “why” I would probably just look at them rather blankly. It’s isn’t like I am a plant hoarder. 🙂

Information from the tracking number Tony sent said they were supposed to be here on Monday. Monday came and I went to the USPS website and put in the number. The first several times I tried, it said “the service wasn’t available at the moment” or something to that effect. Finally, it said Monday was the expected delivery date but it could be delayed… Well, by that tie my mail had already arrived and there was no package. I stopped by the post office later in the afternoon and gave the clerk the tracking number and he said packages are 4-5 days behind… He said if I didn’t get it by Thursday to come back… GEEZ! Luckily, the plants arrived safe and sound although very cold but they seem OK.

The plants were all wrapped very well so they couldn’t help but arrive safe and sound. The largest group is a white cultivar Tony said were his favorite and they produce very big and fragrant white flowers.

 

One group is a white Epiphyllum oxypetalum, one is a red cultivar, and the other is likely the pink and white cultivar Tony mentioned. Now, I will put them in pots so they can do their thing…

I want to thank Tony for sending so many plants and giving me the opportunity to try something different. Variety, you know, is the spice of life. 🙂 It is so good to have friends that help with a good addiction in a positive. Plant collecting is a great hobby and is no different than some people collecting baseball caps and cards, antiques, old tools, teapots, oil lamps, coins, stamps… Well, you get the picture.

If you don’t know Tony Tomeo, pop on over to his blog by clicking HERE. He is very well experienced and knowledgeable in the horticulture field and always has interesting posts and plenty to say.

Well, I better close this post so I can do some potting. I am also in the process of repotting the cactus and succulents. I know “most people” probably do it in the spring, but I like to do it in the fall and winter because their potting soil gets very hard once you stop watering. From the time I bring the plants inside for the winter in mid-October until sometime in late April to early May, the cactus and succulents get barely any water. Because of that, the peat in their potting mix gets VERY HARD so I re-pot with fresh so it will be nice and airy. I mix Miracle Grow Potting Soil 50/50 with pumice. I used 1/8″ before but I have switched to 1/4″.

Until next time, be safe and well, stay positive, and always be thankful. Always try to get as dirty as you can even if it is inside. 🙂

24 comments on “Surprise FINALLY Arrived”

  1. Dayphoto says:
    December 16, 2020 at 4:25 PM

    OH! SO MUCH FUN! Yay for you! Christmas has arrived!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Masha says:
    December 16, 2020 at 10:47 PM

    Oh what a beautiful surprise!!! Happy Holiday my friend.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. tonytomeo says:
    December 16, 2020 at 11:05 PM

    Finally! I was not concerned about the cool weather until delivery was delayed. I did not know how the weather would change during that time. I should have considered the potential for delay, with so many deliveries going on this time of year, and everything operating less than optimally because of the other ‘situation’. I am sorry I neglected to label the pink blooming cultivar, but by the process of elimination, it is exactly what you guessed it to be. The flowers are striped with pink and white, just like in the pictures. I know they will be happier there where they are appreciated than here where I do not have time for them.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • The Belmont Rooster says:
      December 16, 2020 at 11:33 PM

      Hello Tony! After they were shipped I thought about the possibility of it taken longer than usual. At any rate, they are here and in their new pots. I must say, they look great and I thank you very much. I am not sure what kind of soil you had them in, but I put them in a 50/50 mixture of Miracle Grow Potting Soil and 1/4″ pumice. I looked online and watched a couple of videos on YouTube and they say Epiphyllum needs this and that which I don’t currently have. Well, they don’t grow in any of that in their natural habitat anyway. Everyone seems to have their own ideas which is fine as long as they do well. My brother grew a lot of orchids at one time and grew them in orchid bark or some sort… Anyway, all is well and am grateful for the plants. I would be happy to reimburse you for the shipping. Take care and thanks for the comment!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. Sue Dreamwalker says:
    December 17, 2020 at 6:34 AM

    Wonderful they arrived safe and sound… Have a Happy Holiday Season Mr R.. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Helen says:
    December 18, 2020 at 9:23 PM

    Enjoy you new succulents. What a lovely gift.

    I thought it was just the U.K. having postal difficulties…. obviously not.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • The Belmont Rooster says:
      December 19, 2020 at 12:00 AM

      Hello Helen! I think the problem is because of the holidays at the moment. I read where California was having issues at some of the major terminals a few months ago as well. Short-handed and machine problems. Other than that, before now I haven’t had an issue with delayed shipments here in the midwest. I hope you are doing well. Take care and thanks for the comment!

      Like

      Reply
  6. indianeskitchen says:
    January 1, 2021 at 7:50 PM

    What a wonderful early Christmas gift! Can’t wait to see pictures of them in bloom.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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