Garden prepper journal pt. 2
After a week sweltering in the heat, I thought I’d spend a couple of hours in the aircon updating my Garden Prepper Journal. Hello, again, 
Continuing on from my first post, unfortunately some of my cuttings have long since moved on. However, since moving into my new home (an A+++ energy-efficient house with smart, future-proof energy-saving features) the growth my remaining plants have experienced over the past couple of months has been incredible. The majority are now thriving and in a healthy state.
So yes, although I've had to say farewell to a few along this Garden Prepper journey, I've remained committed to my HIVE-based record-keeping plan, documenting both the successes and the setbacks along the way.
Let's start by revisiting the previous table. I've copied it below and crossed out the plants that are no longer with me. Some sadly didn't survive the summer while I was away in Scotland, others didn't make the move to my new home in Sittard, and a few were happily passed on as gifts to others. As much as I'd have loved to keep them all, each departure has become part of the story of this collection.
Date: 12.10.2024
Name | Source | Location | Size (mm) | State - waarnemingen |
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Peperomia alborittata - Peperomia Frost | 'T Hierder Stekje 07.09.24 | Yellow teacup jar, windowsill over heater | 32 | Good |
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Coleus decurrens gürte - Coleus | Colleague 10.09.24 | Terracotta pot, windowsill over heater | 307 | Healthy |
Nerium oleander - Oleander Rose | 'T Hierder Stekje 31.08.24 | Blue nursery pot, windowsill over heater | 110 | Healthy, slightly yellowing |
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Coleus hadiensis - Cubaanse oregano | Colleague 01.09.24, potted 05.10.24 | Terracotta pot, windowsill over heater | 72 | Healthy |
Spattiphyllum - Peace Lily | 'T Hierder Stekje 31.08.24 | Grey ceramic pot, bookshelf | 507 | Withered – was above heater, recently moved to bookshelf |
Graptopetalum paraguayonse - Ghost Plant | 'T Hierder Stekje 31.08.24 | Terracotta pot, windowsill over heater | 72 | Healthy, bottom leaf drooping |
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Hoya carnosa - Honey Plant | Colleague 01.09.24 | Glass jar, windowsill over heater | 195 from roots | Healthy |
Monstera adansonii - Swiss Cheese Plant | Colleague 31.08.24 | Glass jar, windowsill over heater | 416 from roots | Healthy |
Begonia maculata - Polkadot begonia | Colleague 31.08.24 | Glass jar, windowsill over heater | 187 | Healthy |
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Aloe arborescens - Candelabra Aloe | Colleague 01.10.24 | Glass jar, windowsill over heater | 72 from roots | Recently plucked, roots not growing yet |
Crassula ovata - Jade Plant | Colleague 01.10.24 | Glass jar, windowsill over heater | 80 from roots | Recently plucked, roots not growing yet |
Dracaena angolensis - Cylindrical Snake Plant | Colleague 31.08.24 | Glass jar, windowsill over heater | 195 from roots | Healthy |
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Hoya carnosa - Honey Plant | Colleague 01.09.24 | Glass jar, windowsill over heater | 205 from roots | Moderate – browning at base |
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Epipremnum dureum - Golden Pothos | Colleague 01.10.24 | Glass jar, windowsill over heater | 185 | Healthy |
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And now...
Date: 02 July 2026
Name | Source | Location | Size (mm) | State - waarnemingen |
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Coleus decurrens gürte - Coleus | Colleague 10.09.24 | Plastic pot, piano top | 574 | Healthy |
Nerium oleander - Oleander Rose | 'T Hierder Stekje 31.08.24 | Ceramic pot, church slate | 455 | Moderate - browning at top |
Coleus hadiensis - Cubaanse oregano | Colleague 01.09.24, potted 05.10.24 | Ceramic pot, church slate | 346 | Healthy, producing babies |
Spattiphyllum - Peace Lily | 'T Hierder Stekje 31.08.24 | Woven basket, foyer | 480 | Healthy, slightly yellowing |
Graptopetalum paraguayonse - Ghost Plant | 'T Hierder Stekje 31.08.24 | Glass jar, windowsill | 110 | Healthy, producing babies |
Hoya carnosa - Honey Plant | Colleague 01.09.24 | Plastic pot, stepladder | 234 | Healthy |
Monstera adansonii - Swiss Cheese Plant | Colleague 31.08.24 | Ceramic pot, stepladder | 110 | Drowned and nearly died, now on road to recovery – looking healthy at present |
Begonia maculata - Polkadot Begonia | Colleague 31.08.24 | Woven basket, piano top | 331 | Healthy |
Crassula ovata - Jade Plant | Colleague 01.10.24 | Amsterdam mug, bathroom windowsill | 125 | Healthy |
Dracaena angolensis - Cylindrical Snake Plant | Colleague 31.08.24 | Ceramic pot, windowsill | 114 | Healthy |
Hoya carnosa - Honey Plant | Colleague 01.09.24 | Plastic pot, church slate | 183 | Healthy |
Epipremnum dureum - Golden Pothos | Colleague 01.10.24 | Woven basket, kitchen | 365 | Healthy |
Aloe arborescens - Candelabra Aloe | Colleague 01.10.24 | Terracotta pot, windowsill | 60 | Healthy |
Citrus medica – Lemon Tree | From Lidl | Terracotta pot, tabletop | 750 | Healthy – quite sensitive in repotting (lost all its leaves!) – recovering well |
Persea americana – Avocado Plant | Grown from pip | Glass cup, windowsill | 101 | Healthy – first leaves appeared a month ago! Unfurling really well. |
Euphoria leuconeura - Madagascar Jewel | Colleague | Plastic pot, piano top | 242 | Healthy |
Asparagus falcatus - Sicklethorn | Plant exchange with stranger | Ceramic pot, television cabinet | 590 | Healthy |
Pelargonium citronellum - Citronella Geranium | Plant exchange with stranger | Ceramic pot, church slate | 550 | Healthy |
Amaryllis belladonna - Belladonna Lily | Gift | Plastic pot, stepladder | 89 | Had already flowered, new leaves growing |
Epipremnum dureum - Golden Pothos | Grown from baby | Terracotta pot, side table | 410 | Healthy |
Graptopetalum paraguayonse - Ghost Plant | Grown from baby | Terracotta pot, windowsill | 30 | Healthy |
Fast forward to July 2026, and things are looking… rather different! Some plants have grown into absolute giants, others have stubbornly refused to change at all - a few have survived despite my best (or perhaps worst) efforts. There have been a couple of near-death experiences, repotting, and even some successful propagations along the way.
The numbers tell part of the story: the Coleus has grown from 307 mm to 574 mm, the Oleander from 110 mm to 455 mm, and the Cuban oregano from 72 mm to 346 mm. Some plants have had near-disasters too. The Monstera adansonii was drowned and almost lost, while the Lemon Tree dropped all its leaves after repotting - but both are now recovering. Others are not only surviving but multiplying. As noted, the Cuban oregano and Ghost Plant now producing babies.
The family has grown too. New arrivals have come from gifts, plant swaps, Lidl impulse purchases, and even an avocado pip that, after months of testing my patience, finally decided to sprout. Looking back at these two tables, it's fun to see not only how much the plants have changed, but how my confidence as a plant parent has grown alongside them.
And now for photographs! I’ve uploaded my new images, taken on my POCO phone this morning, and paired them to the originals.
Note: please correct me if I managed to misname anything. I relied heavily on PlantNet and Google Images.
And that's all for now! I'll leave the plants to get on with the growing, and hopefully I'll have plenty of progress to share the next time I check in.😉💚🌿
Disclaimer
Blogger:
Photographs: unless otherwise noted, all images were taken by me with an POCO.
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