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Wednesday 29 June 2011

Kalanchoe gastonis bonnieri; Donkey's Ears;


   My small succulent garden;


The still closed flowers;






Pretty mottled leaves;

  

   Very attractive bell like flowers emerge from the red sheathes.



Donkey ear plants (also known as Kalanchoe gastonis bonnieri) are plants originating from Madagascar that have leaves resembling the shape of a donkey's ear. These plants are succulents and may be grown indoors or outdoors, in a temperate climate. Donkey ear plants require little care to thrive, as succulents can go for a length of time without being watered. Donkey ear plants produce brightly colored blooms that are known to attract insects and nectar seeking birds.


Plant the donkey ear plant in a pot with soil, or outdoors if you can guard the plant against frost. Potted plants may be kept outdoors and brought inside during the winter. Select a pot large enough for the plant to allow it to grow. Use potting soil that is permeable and includes a mix of peat, soil and sand. Small rocks may be added to the pot when planting to encourage drainage.

Keep the plant in an area where it will receive both sun and shade. During the winter, place the donkey ear plant near a window to expose it to sunshine.

Water the donkey ear plant approximately once a week, or less often as needed. Do not saturate the soil, as over-watering can harm the plant.

Monitor the donkey ear plant for baby plants. Baby plants appear at the tips of the leaves. These baby plants may be removed and planted to create new donkey ear plants.

Courtesy  eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how


Believe it or not:

Whether you tend a garden or not, you are the gardener of your own being,
the seed of your destiny.
-   The Findhorn Community


Photos TS
                                                                         

9 comments:

  1. This is one fabulous plant and the flowers are just amazing. It's nice to see you're back posting again and lovely to see your succulent garden. The succulents you sent me are still coming along nicely. I haven't killed any of them off yet, you'll be glad to know, lol! ;)

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  2. Titania, those flowers are so pretty! I have seen this plant many times and never come across one that's flowering. Glad to see it here :-D You have an amazing succulent garden. I just pot up some cacti yesterday after days of leaving them in their original pots.

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  3. Hallo Titania,
    dies sind nicht die richtigen Pflanzen für hier, aber bei dir wunderschön.

    Believe it or not! I believe it:

    LG,
    Helga

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  4. Pretty!That red and green combination makes it really stand out, doesn't it?
    So glad you're posting again, Trudi. I've missed your posts :)

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  5. These are so pretty! Even the mottled leaves are attractive! Thanks for including your succulent garden...lovely collection, and chairs!

    Hope you had a good break! Also thanks for stopping by to watch the video.:-))

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  6. Titania, these are nice and joyful pictures of flowers and plants!
    Happy Sunday!

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  7. Titania!
    Thank you so much for your comment and I'm so happy to discover yet another blog of yours'! Great pictures! Inspiring indeed!

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  8. Du bist wieder da, liebe Trudi, wie schön, hoffentlich nicht allzu müde vom Hüten !! Ob du wohl ab und zu auf dem hübschen Stuhl bei den Sukkulenten sitzen kannst? Mir gefallen die Blätter der Donkey ear plant. Ich stelle sie mir auch recht "fleischig" vor. Allgemein habe ich mich sonst noch nicht so angefreundet mit Sukkulenten, vielleicht weil sie hier im Winter geschützt stehen müssen. Wir haben einen Freund, der ist ein grosser Sammler und wenn die Pflanzen blühen ist es z.T. schon spektakulär, ja wunderschön.
    Es liebs Grüessli nach down under!
    Barbara

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  9. What happens after the Donkey Ear Blooms? What do I do after the bloom dies? I have two large plant that have sent up the blooming stalk.
    Ernie

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