Plant Gardens 101

Vines and windows just naturally go together; each helps the other to brighten a room and give it a garden air. And most windows are so light and bright, you’re not limited to the trustworthy foliage vines. You can have flowers. And you have a wide, wide variety of vines to choose from. Even a shaded window is the best place to display some sun-loving plant you’ve grown to full flower in other, more suitable quarters.

A single hanging container displayed at eye level – a luxuriant tuberous begonia or fuchsia spilling cascades of glowing flowers; the silver-patterned, plum purple Cissus discolor; or the brilliancy of an ivy geranium – will stop visitors in their tracks. Or use a matching pair of wall brackets, one at each side, to soften the straight lines and sharp corners of the window frame, with a flowering or foliage variety that drifts down or climbs up the casing. Or set a fast-growing specimen like velvety Cissus in an urn on the floor at one side of the window, and let it scramble up cords strung inside the frame.

Use vines to unify and frame a group of potted plants in a window garden, or to tie two or more windows together. Replace an old-time bay window with floor-to-ceiling glass, and arrange plants for an eye-catching focal point in living or dining room. Or install a window greenhouse – ready-made or do-it-yourself – and arrange vines to frame it inside or dangle from the shelves. (more…)

House plants have problems just as your outdoor plants do. They can range from diseases and insects to over and under watering or over and under fertilizing. Knowing what cause the problem is the first step in curing it. With house plants if the base of the plant stem is soft and seems weak, then more than likely the cause is from over watering, simply allow your plant to dry completely out before watering again or re-potting with a good draining soil with a little sand mixed in will also improve your plants.

Leaf Drop “drooping leaves” are another common house plant problem commonly caused by an over exposure to cold or drafts, over fertilizing or to much sun. You should stop fertilizing for three to four weeks and move the plant to a window with a little less sun and check the rooms’ temperature and for drafts also the cold from the window at night. (more…)

Kalanchoe plants are pretty dry garden bloomers known for their bright colorful flowers. They’re great succulent plants for dry landscapes or as houseplants in container gardens indoors. Kalanchoes are in the Crassulaceae or, Stonecrop family. Most varieties are perennial and evergreen.

One of the most popular form of kalanchoe species grown today is kalanchoe blossfeldiana and its many hybrid plants. Kalanchoe blossfeldiana plants grow up to 2 feet tall and as wide. They have large, leathery leaves about 2 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The leaf edges are usually lightly scalloped and may have a slight tint of red or other color. Some hybrid plants have smooth edges and different colors on the leaf.

Flowers bloom in upright, large clusters from 2 to 3 inches across, and are made up of small daisy like flowers of 5 petals. The stamens are usually yellow and can stand out brightly depending on the flower color. Flower colors can range from white, yellow, orange, red, pink and everything in between. Flowers can also be creamy, dreamy pastels, or have flowers with more than one color, but kalanchoe blossfeldiana are mainly known for neon bright colors. These drought tolerant plants make a bold statement in the garden with their glowing, bright flower colors. Bloom is heaviest in spring, but they can bloom all year with a little feeding of fertilizer after the first bloom.    (more…)