TripleCrown

Triple Crown – My Pride and Joy

I guess some part of me wishes I was writing about my actual triple crown. I, Pope Lori, with my three-tiered crown, thought I would write to you mere mortals about how powerful my big crown is. But no, I am not writing about my shiny crown, nor my favourite baseball player leading his league in batting averages, home runs, and runs batted in for a season. 

The triple crown I am referring to, my friends, my pride and joy, is what some Philodendron collectors have named three rare hybrids of the Philodendron erubescens (Pink Princess Philodendron). The hybrids are the White Princess Philodendron, the White Wizard Philodendron, and the White Knight Philodendron.

First, let me introduce you to her majesty, the Pink Princess Philodendron. She is a beautiful, climbing vine-like plant with dark red thick stems. Her stems can also have streaks of bright pink just adding to the beauty of this vine. The leaves are spade-like in shape, dark green in colour with splashes and speckles of bright pink all over the leaves. Some leaves can have a lot of pink and some can have just a small amount, and quite possibly she could produce an all pink leaf. She is a low maintenance plant, and you can easily make cuts to the vine to create new growth points and new baby Pink Princess Philodendron plants for your garden.

A cousin, the White Princess Philodendron, has a beautiful thick light green stem that is splashed with a tinge of pink. The leaves are a light green with splashes and speckles of white, and sometimes pink. Leaves can also come out half white and half green or all white. This princess is not your average princess, as her maintenance is low. 

We then must introduce the wise magician of the court, the White Wizard Philodendron. It has a light green tinge to its leaves and grand swirls and swishes of white. The stem of this magical plant is a light green with a glimmering of white. He is a spectacle to behold in any indoor garden.

Every royal court must have a soldier. Allow me to introduce to you the Philodendron White Knight. Gallantly displayed in any indoor garden, for he has a mighty vine that is predominantly dark purple, tinged with hues of white, green, and brown. His leaves are big and round, with a dark green hue and battle-white markings from past victories won. He climbs like a warrior vining his way up moss and coir, fighting pests and other strange plant things along his way. 

It is with honour that the Wellness Garden can host such royalty. I have recently heard through the garden vine of more royalty coming to the Philodendron royal court. Its newest addition - the Dark Lord Philodendron. I am going to have to check this plant out. For now, a triple crown is a wellness score worth growing for.

 

PINK PRINCESS PHILODENDRON

 One of my favourite plants is the Pink Princess Philodendron. I love philodendrons. I started with a heart leaf philodendron. That was my first philodendron. A very slow grower so a frustrating endeavour but a successful one. I now have several growing. They are a climbing/vining plant so I have to be quite creative as they grow. Just like the princesses as they grow, they require something to climb as in their natural environment this is what they do. Thank goodness the plant industry has provided us plant growing connoisseurs with items such as coir/moss poles and the such for our indoor tropicals to continue to carry on doing as they do in nature. I love the beautiful pinks, creams, and greens these plants put out. I also love how their new leaves unravel as they are "born". Such an incredible process to witness. The patterns on some of these plants are really something to behold. It makes a person really wonder about the creation of plants, flowers, trees, and just nature in general. There really is something to be said about "stopping to take the time to look at the flowers around you", for they are truly magical.

 THE WELLNESS INSPIRED GARDEN

Welcome to my garden! Come wander around for a spell, or sit for a cup of hot tea. You may see some butterflies, maybe even a magical fairy or two. Here at the Wellness Inspired Garden, I not only grow indoor tropical plants, succulents, etc, but I also focus on wellness. 

What is mental wellness? What makes us feel well on the inside. Gardening is one way I was able to cope with Major Depression in my life. I was able to take the black cloud over my head and turn it into sunshine, and with that sunshine I grew a room full of beautiful plants. While focused on the plants I would become so engaged in the activity of research, planting, and caring for each plant according to its specific needs that I found gardening truly magical for me. Incredible for my well-being.