Today we take a trip to Joseph’s indoor garden.

Spring is coming eventually, but most of my gardening is still focused on what is happening inside, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite houseplant happenings in the indoor garden.

The cactus ladder. I got this old wooden ladder at a thrift store, and by placing a few old boards over the rungs, I turned it into a rustic plant stand. It is loaded up with cacti and a few other succulents. Cacti are a good choice because I have two cats that think they are herbivores. Cacti, however, are not appealing to them for obvious reasons!

These small cacti spend the summer months outside enjoying the bright sunshine, then I bring them inside for the winter. Once they’re inside, I don’t water them at all. They just hunker down, stop growing, and wait for spring. Once it warms up, they’ll go back outside and get a nice drink of water.

One thing I’ve learned is that plants will tell you what they need if you listen. This little echeveria (Echeveria sp.) is leaning and stretching to the window because it isn’t getting enough light. I’ve moved it to a sunnier spot, so hopefully it will be happier there.

This echeveria, on the other hand, is quite happy in its spot next to a big south-facing window, where it gets lots of sun all day long.

One of my favorite plants right now is this little orchid, Paphiopedilum wardii. It has proven to be a very easy houseplant for me, growing and flowering happily on a windowsill with no special care. The flowers are beautiful, but even out of bloom, its patterned, mottled foliage makes a great display.

Here’s another view of Paphiopedilum wardii. The blooms are very unusual, maybe just a little bit weird, but I really enjoy them! The intricacy of the patterned petals rewards close inspection.

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