Sunday, September 13, 2009

hens and chicks


I thought I'd post a picture of my favourite little plant this year, Hens and Chicks. We planted one last year, but it didn't perform well at all and didn't come back.

I'll be the first one to say that I don't know anything at all about gardening! I have a black thumb, usually. What I like about this plant is that it is a perrenial and it can be propagated so easily.

The one we bought this year was bigger, about 5 inches across. It also had a ring of baby hens along the outside, and two weeks after we planted it we removed all the babies and planted them in the soil along the top of the cinder blocks in our rock garden. They've all grown to an impressive size already, but I suspect they won't grow babies until next year.

Another thing I discovered while reading up on them is that they grow in the most precarious conditions - they'll grow on top of a rock!

So far, from one $5.00 plant, we've gotten 17 so far. That really appeals to the frugal side of me :)

14 comments:

  1. I like them too and have quite a few in my garden.

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  2. i have a black thumb as well kate, if the deer don't kill it first! these are very cool! thanks for sharing, be well...xox

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  3. Well, to unveil my absolute ignorance about garden things...I would have sworn these were artichokes. Maybe all these years I've actually been eating Hens and Chicks. No, wait...is this possibly what Canadians, and obviously NZers, call artichokes? Please relieve my mental pain and clear this up.

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  4. I am glad you posted this! I loved these as a child and I had forgotten about them!. Lovely photo and post
    Linda

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  5. jadedj - they look like artichokes, don't they?
    Some of them look like cactus as well.
    Hi Linda. Thanks for stopping by!
    Lou - I'd love to see pics!
    Stacy - thank you, you as well. *hugs*

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  6. I need a hard to kill plant for my apartment, maybe these would work :-)

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  7. Very interesting plant. I didn't know about these. I haven't really tried out my "green thumb", but I think you give me hope that I can grow something!

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  8. i love gardening. i used to have some of that too- overwatering causes all to disappear after some time. They don't like their feet getting wet so its best not to put them together with those you'll have the hose on strong in the evening.

    ~Silver

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  9. My mom had those all over the place in the rock wall at our old house. I loved their tenacity for just surviving. Although I could probably kill them -- I LOVE plants and flowers but have no talent (or patience) for keeping them alive.

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  10. My mom used to grow these when I was a kid. I was always intrigued by them.

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  11. this is a little off topic, but i just want share something that i found out recently.

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  12. Forgot to tell you...you have an award over at BofQ. Go claim it kiddo :-)

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  13. love these timeless plants! I have plastic ones...that's how black my thumb is :-)

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  14. I love these little plants.

    Sorry to hear things have been so tough lately. Hopefully it will all turn around soon. Hang in there.

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