Give a living plant this year for long-term beauty It's almost Valentine's Day and you might be thinking of sending your loved one cut flowers - but wouldn't it be nice if you got the beauty of flowers but they lasted longer? There are several potted plants available at this time of year that would make a great Valentine's Day gift, especially if your loved one is a gardener :) 1. Cyclamen I love the looks of a cyclamen, but they can be … [Read more...]
Yellow fungus in potting soil – the yellow houseplant mushroom
Have you ever seen a yellow fungus growing from the soil of one of your potted plants? You might be surprised to know that these yellow mushrooms aren’t uncommon. They won’t hurt your plant and they aren’t harmful to you. They’re just a small part of the ecosystem doing their job in a pot of soil that happens to be in your house (or in my case, in a plant on the front porch). The yellow houseplant mushroom (Leucocoprinus birnbaumii) is a … [Read more...]
How to Survive the Winter: For Gardeners
It’s gray, foggy, and drizzling outside – a perfect Mississippi winter day. When winter arrives, I curl up on the couch, tuck in the extra blankets, close my eyes and fervently wish I was somewhere tropical. I wish, I wish, I wish! Yep, still here. The only thing that gets me through these yucky days when I can’t be outside are my indoor plants. They suffer neglect in the spring and summer, but in the winter, they get all my … [Read more...]
How to Grow Mother-in-Law’s Tongue Plant from Leaf Cuttings
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 that 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. Trust me, I speak from experience. I have many indoor plants … [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...]
Recycle Chipped Teacups into Planters
How to Upcycle Broken or Chipped Teacups Two of my favorite teacups were chipped lately, making them unusable for drinking. They are decorative though and I love the patterns, so I thought I would convert them in to planters. One was chipped on the inside lip and the other has a chipped handle. Make Teacup Planters for Your Windowsill Steps to make these into a planter are very simple. Since there are no holes for drainage, I recommend putting … [Read more...]