Houseplant 411

Christmas trees such as firs, pines, and cedar are mildly poisonous, sometimes causing drooling in pets and vomiting in children. The good news is that a child or pet would have to eat quite a bit to become sick and people and pets usually don’t like to eat Christmas trees.  The toxicity of the tree … Read more

The old tradition of kissing under the mistletoe has been around for a very long time, and the temptation for a small child or pet to munch one of the pretty red berries is always there. So is mistletoe really poisonous or is it just an old wives tale? The truth is that it really … Read more

Poinsettias, with all their new colors and shapes make wonderful cut flowers if you just follow a few simple rules. 1. Cut some poinsettia stems with colorful bracts. The bracts are what most people refer to as the flowers of the plant. Think before you cut, so you won’t have to cut the stems a … Read more

Most plants grow very slowly during the winter months some even become dormant. They have very different care requirements when days are short and the weather is cold LESS is the word to remember. Since there is less growth, less light, and less humidity, plants need less water and less plant food. Light: During the … Read more

Many of the bulbs we plant, such as Grape Hyacinth, Daffodil/Narcissus, Fall Crocus, Lily, Tulip, SnowDrop, Bearded Iris, are hardy and can survive cold winter temperatures. These don’t need to be removed from the garden unless you want to move them to a new location or they’ve become too crowded. When bulbs are too crowded, … Read more

I love to garden both outside and indoors. I don’t like to wear gardening gloves. I always want my nails to look pretty. There is a way to make this work that is both simple and inexpensive. The only thing you need is a bar of soap. I use Ivory or Dove Soap since both … Read more

The holiday season is approaching and we all want our homes and offices to look festive. Flowering plants are a great addition to your holiday decor, but be careful, many are poisonous and should be kept away from small children and pets. Here are are just a few to be careful with: azaleas, anthuriums, amaryllis, … Read more

Two of everyone’s favorite plants for the Holiday Season are the Poinsettia (Euphorbiaceae pulcherrima) and the Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera briggesii or Zygo Cactus)). However, these plants don’t necessarily bloom naturally during the month of December. They are both photoperiodic plants and have to be tricked into flowering at the right time. Poinsettias and Christmas Cactus, … Read more

How to grow and care for a Swedish Ivy plant( Plectranthus); also called a Creeping Charlie plant. Learn lighting needs and how to water, fertilizer, propagate, and prune.

It’s finally vacation time, and one of the decisions we need to make is how to take care of those special houseplants we’ve babied all year. My first word of advice is to not go the easy route and ask a family member or neighbor who knows nothing about plants to care for them. Nine … Read more