fishbone ><((('> orchid cactus in full bloom

Our giant fishbone cactus keeps on blooming and spreads a wonderful scent.

The Fishbone cactus boasts many colorful names. Ric Rac, Zigzag and Fishbone orchid cactus are only a few variations on the name of this graceful plant.

I just love the shape of the leaves.

I discovered the plant for the very first time in London many years ago.
The entire glass facade in the back of the Terence Conran shop was full of these graphically shaped plants.

It was before I started to become a plant enthusiast and I did not know the name of the plant and called Matisse plant.

plant cuttings

You can make more plants from your existing house plants, by taking cuttings. Many plants, such as papyrus, zigzag plant (I name it Matisse plant), readily root in a glass of water and can then be transferred to pots.

It may sound challenging , but it's not complicated at all.

Making plants from cuttings is a way to clone the original mother plant and a gratifying process, to increase your stock of plants. Furthermore it is a pleasurable way to surprise someone among your green friends. Any another plant lover will be overjoyed with an 'offspring' of your green plant kids.

I've been taking cuttings from the papyrus and fishbone cactus. Two parts of zigzag plant were snapped anyway, so I decided to use them as cuttings. When you cut a papyrus stem, just trim the 'umbrella' a bit and put it upside down in the water. Roots and new shoots will show up soon. Change the water every now and then.

After a few weeks in the windowsill-nursery, I have potted up the rooted cuttings yesterday.

Mother plants below: