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Lan Su Chinese Garden

March 17, 2019 by ofsmallthings

Lan Su garden is located in Portlands derelict China town, a few steps from the train station. Taking up only one city block, it does an incredible job of making the space feel expansive with thoughtful design and strategically placed trees. In a few months the ponds fill with water lilies, a good excuse to come back! The Koi that live in the water stay there year-round, although there did seem to be less this time than there were last […]

Categories: Blog, garden • Tags: chinese, garden, koi, lan su, portland, spring

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A Makeshift Terrarium

March 11, 2019 by ofsmallthings

Returning from Richard’s Greenhouse with two flats and three grocery bags filled with plants requiring high humidity, I had to quickly scrounge to find space for them all. One of the ferns even got a little droopy during the 30-minute drive home. The terrarium they ended up going in was meant for glassfrogs (on the right). Here it is next to the Ranitomeya biolat terrarium. They both have cork backgrounds, which made it easy to mount the new plants. Despite its messyness, […]

Categories: Blog, Cultivation, Terrarium • Tags: makeshift, new plants, richard, Terrarium

A Trip To Richard’s Greenhouse

March 6, 2019 by ofsmallthings

Richard Van Ingen was kind enough to let my partner and I stop by for a greenhouse tour and some plant shopping last weekend. It was definitely a high point this winter! The greenhouse is a massive 1500 sf and 52×30 (about 400 sf bigger than our house…) He did a lot of the greenhouse construction himself, and if I remember right just hired an electrician and someone to lay the foundation. He did the plumbing and a lot of […]

Categories: Blog, Cultivation • Tags: greenhouse, richard van ingen, visit

Large Aquarium Bowl for Pseudomugil

February 22, 2019 by ofsmallthings

This large fish bowl is about 18″ wide at the center, with an 11″ opening at the top. When filled with water, it proved to be 11 gallons! The Bolbitis is my favorite, so I used those as the dominant plant. The wood had to be boiled so it sank. This air pump is super tiny! Originally I tried a cobalt light, but it did not work with the curved lid as the neck was not adjustable and would have […]

Categories: Blog, Cultivation, Fish, Terrarium • Tags: aquarium, bowl, Fish, fishbowl, planted

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Plakat Betta

February 18, 2019 by ofsmallthings

Plakat Bettas are short finned versions of Betta splendens. It is pronounced pla-COT, and they were originally bred to be stronger fighting fish. Their short fins were less susceptible to injury. In Thailand they are referred to as Plakat Morh. This is a Plakat from the Wet Spot, who I’ve named D.H Lawrence.

Categories: Blog, Fish • Tags: Betta, bowl, Fish, fishbowl, plakat

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Begonia (sect. Gobenia) sp. Lita, Ecuador

February 9, 2019 by ofsmallthings

This is probably the easiest Gobenia (also known as Goo-bernias, for their tendency to melt…) to grow in the terrarium. It also handles being moved better than most from this group. Once established, it grows rather quickly. The leaves on this species are between .5-1 inch wide and long, and the stems are a pretty light pink/red. It will grow well over a well drained substrate, creating a dense mat, or it will grow up a vertical surface (usually stays […]

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: begonia, Ecuador, Gobenia, Lita

Sinningia sp.

February 8, 2019 by ofsmallthings

This unidentified species has gotten about 12″ tall, but looks as if it could get larger. It seems easy so far, but I’ve not had it long.

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: gesneriad, green, mystery, noid, sinningia

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Pellionia pulchra

February 8, 2019 by ofsmallthings

Pellionia is a common houseplant and terrarium plant, suited to growing in a wide variety of conditions. It is often grown in a hanging basket, where it will develop thick cascading foliage. In a terrarium, it makes excellent ground cover, and will cover a substrate rather quickly. It also grows as a shingler if positioned to do so. It is one of the easiest plants to grow in a terrarium. It’s native to South-East Asia where it’s found in Vietnam, […]

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: asia, beautiful, burma, malaysian peninsula, pellionia, pulchra, se asia, vietnam

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One Recent Mistake…

February 8, 2019 by ofsmallthings

As a collector, of information and plants, there is often an urge to organize, to categorize and put like plants with like plants (both informationally and physically). This is one such time where it backfired, certainly not the first, and definitely not the last. Most of my Selaginella species are only subtly different to my non-expert eyes, and now they are even more disorderly and difficult to distinguish (yes, there are pots in there, under that mess). At least they […]

Categories: Blog, Cultivation, Plant Photo Library • Tags: mistake, organize, overgrown, regrets, Selaginella, woops

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