Sansevieria is an awesome plant and can tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, making it perfect for indoor growing. If you want a plant-it-and-forget-about-it houseplant, then this is the one for you. The common names for Sansevieria are rather tongue in cheek – mother-in-law's tongue and snake plant. I mean, really, who came up with these names? I certainly wouldn’t want to call it that in front of my mother-in-law. Taking Leaf … [Read more...]
Be Careful What You Bring Indoors
The air is getting crisper and the temperatures are dropping. It's getting close to the time to bring your plants indoors for the winter. I have a lot of potted plants, so each year, I have to pick and choose the ones that I am going to try to save and those that I will leave outside. Otherwise, it gets to be a jungle in my house! Hitchhikers on my plants I am rooting some cuttings of a snake plant and for the last few months they have been … [Read more...]
The Cactus that Keeps on Blooming
Cacti are traditionally favorites of many gardeners because they are so low maintenance and perfect for high heat/low water locations. Because we get a lot of rain during certain times of the year here in north Mississippi, my cacti are in a container that I can bring in and put under my grow light when the cold, rainy season arrives. I neglect my cacti. I forget to water them or pay them any mind...until they bloom. And man, do they bloom. … [Read more...]
The Search for a Quality Plant Stand
You know those plant stands that you find in discount stores? The ones that are made of wire, metal, or wood and often have three legs, but just don’t seem very sturdy? Don’t buy them. Just don’t do it. When you’ve got one of your favorite ceramic pots with your favorite fern sitting on it and it topples over, leaving you with a broken pot and dirt everywhere, you won’t be happy. I speak from experience. I have many indoor plants around my … [Read more...]
Orchids at the Frederik Meijer Gardens – Grand Rapids, MI
Orchids are one of my favorite plants. I love the flowers. I have had a love/hate relationship with them for a few years because I could never get mine to rebloom. But this year, I have had all four of my orchids blooming happily. It turns out, that the house I lived in before, just didn't get enough bright sunlight indoors for them. So now I'm back to loving my orchids again. I'm so glad I didn't give up on them. Anyway, that all being said, … [Read more...]
Cactus in the Garden
Cacti make very interesting additions to an outdoor rock garden or as an indoor plant. Cactus plants add color and interest to your garden and do well in bright direct sunlight and drier, well-draining soils. These are photos of some of the interesting and unusual cacti that I have grown. This is Notocactus (Notocactus ubelmannianus), but it has pink flowers. Once the days reached 75 and the sun was on it, it started to bloom in my rock … [Read more...]
