My Miniature Plants

The "Painted Net Leaf" or Fittonia has other synonyms too. Also
known as the Nerve Plant or Mosaic Plant, it belongs to the
Acantaceae family. Originally from South American tropical
rain forests it is a moisture-loving plant. It comes in other
colours also but mine is white-veined. The stems are fuzzy.
Propagation is by the stems, broken off and planted.

I've never been good with fittonias although I've grown them,
or in this case, I have to say, tried to grow them for years.
But they would wilt and wither, and eventually die.

About two months ago, in frustration, I pulled it from the pot
and dumped it unceremoniously on a heap of rotting tea-leaves.
Then I forgot about it....One fine day I noticed a rejuvenated
green on the leaves. Even the white lines looked more prominent.
I knew I could no longer ignore or leave the plant like that. Now
it thrives in its new home, tea leaves and all. The pot sits in
partial shade and I water it everyday. And if it gets too hot,
I spray the leaves. They're happy and that shows!!

The Portulaca Grandiflora or Moss Rose. Here it is commonly known
as the 9o'clock flower.

This is a multi-branched sun-loving plant with thick fleshy leaves.
It grows to a height of 15 to 20 cms and spreads to 12 to 14 inches.
Its origin is the hot dry plains of Brazil, Uruguay and northern
Argentina. The best part about the portulaca is that it's very
easy to grow through seeds or by breaking off the stems. Although
a well-drained soil works wonders they're also not averse to the
idea of thriving in poor soil or gravelly and sandy areas. The
blooms open in the morning but by 3o'clock in the afternoon it's
time to call it a day!

Uh-oh! The sign reads---WE'RE CLOSED FOR THE DAY. WE OPEN
AT 9O'CLOCK EVERY MORNING