Container gardening: The rules to know, and the rules to break
May is the month to assemble pots and containers for the rest of the growing season. They aren’t just for summer; spared an early frost, tender container plants can still look great at the end of October, so it pays to devote some time and resources to getting them right. Lushly planted containers bring the joy of gardening to the smallest of urban spaces. In larger landscapes, they help carry the garden through high summer, when the general show is dulled by the heat. They also have an important design role, in announcing an entrance, softening corners and even screening unwanted views. The popular formula for composing a garden in a pot is to observe the mantra of “thriller, filler, spiller.” The reference is to a single upright specimen (thriller), annuals that trail over the lip (spiller) and others that fill the remaining gaps (filler). Some of my horticultural friends…
Choosing the Right Pot for Plants
Houseplants are a living accessory for interior spaces, introducing texture and color. Your houseplants can infuse your home with warmth, soften transitions between spaces, and serve as the focal point of a room. Pairing pots, plants and the right decor enhances health and make plants a hardworking accent to your home. Large Potted Plants vs Small Potted Plants In a too-large pot, soil dries slowly, making your plant more susceptible to root rot. When a plant is too large for its pot, it also has a tendency to tip over. In a too-small pot, soil dries so quickly that you will be challenged to water frequently enough. Your plant could become root-bound and exhibit stunted growth. Ideally, for a large plant, pots that are the same size it is growing in is preferable. When transplanting because a plant has outgrown its current pot, shift to a pot 2-4 inches larger in…
How To Choose The Right Pot: A Guide To Repotting Houseplants
You might be feeling pretty confident in your houseplant prowess, but many of us who are new to the world of plants hesitate when it comes to repotting for the first time. How to choose the right pot and making the switch can seem daunting as you realize how many variables there are to consider (or how one wrong move could mean the demise of your happy plant). Daunting though it may be, repotting is an important skill for any gardener (indoor or out) and like many things in life, simply requires gentle confidence, common sense, and a little know-how. In this guide to repotting, we’ll help you master a few basic concepts that will help you figure out how to choose the right pot for your plant every time. HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT POT WHEN IS IT TIME TO REPOT? When do you know your plant is ready…
21 Best Patios Plants for All Gardening Levels
Create a Potted Plant Portal on Your Patio Plants for patios can make an outdoor space feel more inviting and welcoming. Depending on what type of plants you choose, they can carve out a tropical retreat, a formal entertaining spot, a family-friendly area, or a bird and butterfly zone. Whether your patio basks in the sun all day or functions as a shady retreat surrounded by trees, there’s a perfect bloom to refresh your open-air room. Some of the easiest potted plants do well in container gardens, while others can be planted in the ground to add an element of privacy screening around your patio. Some even look for plants to help repel mosquitoes, like lavender, marigolds, and lemongrass. Here are the 21 best plants for a patio to make your outdoor oasis burst with greenery, color, and texture. Croton You may see croton plants (Codiaeum variegatum) in the houseplant section of the garden center, but they make excellent patio…
30 Gorgeous Indoor Plants That Are Almost Impossible to Kill
These sturdy beauties can handle a little neglect. Maybe you just spent hours on Pinterest or have been wanting to want to create a more relaxing bedroom to retreat to at the end of your day. Whatever your reason, adding more green, luscious leaves to your home can be a great way to freshen up your place and create a calming environment. Of course, not everyone has a green thumb when it comes to keeping plants thriving, but that’s alright because there are plenty of hard-to-kill houseplants out there that you can fill your rooms with. Don’t be fooled by their delicate appearance, they are more durable than you think; some can even withstand some serious neglect. So instead of trying to individually tend to each plant’s frequent watering schedules, we are sharing some of the best indoor plants that don’t require a ton of attention at all. Before you set your heart on a plant you found on…
Unique & Interesting House Plants You Will Love
If you want to decorate your home by only placing one plant, you’d better consider plants with ornamental functions. Usually, taller plants can achieve such goal and catch people’s eyes with their shape-exaggerated leaves. Due to their eye-catching forms, it is better to place them alone, as it will be out of harmony to place them with other luxuriant plants. When placing them, you should find a spot that can better serve their features, such as in a corner or niche that echoes the plants, or against white wall that can be used as background. Since those special plants occupy larger space, it is more suitable to place them in spacious living room or dining room. Of course, if your bathroom or kitchen is big enough, you can also leave them there. In the night, plants need some light to create a comforting atmosphere, just like the sculptures in museum or art gallery, which are often under suitable spotlight. Actually, if you are…
Running on Delicious Healthy Plants
Since you cannot grow crops outside, why don’t you create a “kitchen garden” in your house? After all, nothing is more comforting than eating the fresh vegetables planted by yourself. The home-planted “crops” can both make your kitchen present a fresher and more beautiful atmosphere and provide you with available cooking materials since the crops are planted in containers. For many of us, growing food by ourselves is a romantic thing with special feelings. However, if you are really determined to get your hands dirty at home, you should first know what kinds of plants are feasible to grow. There are relatively fewer plants that are both edible and easy to be kept, especially at home. You can consider Dwarf Citrus, escarole as well as some Lycopersicon plants such as berry and plum. If the condition permits, you’d better start with plug seedling (a popular seedling cultivation technique where some holes are reserved in the culture medium with nutritional ingredients…
Aesthetic Plant That Will Brighten Up Your Home
When greenery and soil styles are still valued, these houseplants that were popular in the 1970s will make a comeback. They are all evergreen plants featuring clear outlines and interesting branch and leaf shapes, which make them a direct improvement in indoor environments. * Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) * Bird’s-nest fern (Neottopteris nidus) * Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) * Fatsia (Fatsia japonica) * Rubber plant (Ficus elastica) * Mexican-breadfruit (Monstera deliciosa) * Bowstring Hemp (Sansevieria trifasciata) Discerning readers may have noticed that evergreen plants have been the principal choices of designers. This new trend is seen as a result of the anti-minimalism wave. Seeing too many monotonous simple-styled homes, all-white interior decor, and austere lines makes one reflect that the home should be a haven for oneself instead of the perfect prototype room in sales brochures given out by real estate brokers. Decisions regarding…
Benefits of Having Plants in Your Life
Do you remember the comfortable feeling brought by the new green shoots in parks and streets in early spring? Such a feeling will be around you all the seasons if some green plants are taken home. The most immediate benefit of green plants for your soul is to create a chance to access nature. Nowadays, most would like to stay at home and surf the internet for a long time. Bringing outdoor plants indoors has a positive effect on our health, especially when there is no direct access to the garden or a lack of outdoor landscapes, indoor greenery are even more significant. Also, green plants can create oxygen through photosynthesis, which never is superfluous in your home. Honestly, the specific benefits of each plant for health still need to be further studied. However, the fundamental research of…