New Year New House Plants

People always seem to start the New Year off with resolutions. Plants are no different here are some varieties you can look for that can provide different looks on some old favorites.

Here’s a quick list:

Spindle Palm (Hyobphorbe verschaffeltii)
An elegant single-trunk palm that might as well be made of plastic…

Aglaonema ‘Rhapsody in Green’
One of the Elite Aglaonema series, this plant looks great as an 8″, 10″, 12″ or 14″ pot specimen…

Aglaonema ‘Maryann’
Looks like a much-improved ‘Maria’ or ‘Emerald Beauty’ with its broad, silvery-green-marked…

Aspidistra ‘Milkyway’
This plant has been around for awhile longer than the above selections, but not commonly in the trade.

Dracaena ‘Lisa’ and ‘Michiko’
Their close genetic relationship and similar appearance, these improved ‘Janet Craig’ types are great as canes or large bush forms.

Spathiphyllum ‘Starlight’
A semi-dwarf peace lily that should replace S. wallissii. It resembles a more robust, fuller version of same…

Ficus ‘Monique’
An improved benjamina type with wavy-edged foliage, a soft, weeping habit and mushroom-shaped caonopy.

Ficus ‘Amstel King’
An improved ‘Alii’ type, the broader foliage creates a very desirable fullness, and helps to camouflage any interior thinning that may occur…

Azalea indica ‘Inga’
Not really a new variety, and I picked this as a representative of the group because of its exotic flower coloration…

Zamioculcas zamiifolia (”Z.Z.”)
What looks like a cycad, acts like a cast iron plant and will jazz up any interiorscape? “Z.Z.”, an aroid (philodendron/spath/aglo family member) originating in Zanzibar (how much more exotic can you get?)…

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House Plants and Winter Plant Light

Winter Plant Light: We know the light source and light intensity changes have you thought of the possible…

Let’s take a look at winter light and a few things to keep in mind.

As we start dragging out all the holiday decorations, it’s easy to make room for everything else by pushing our plants into the corner and out of the way.

We know that the light source and light intensity changes and/or decreases in winter, but have you thought of the possible reduced light sources, and light intensity?

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Cacti and other Succulents

To be more botanically accurate all cacti belong to the succulent family. Succulents are plants whose native habitats are dry desert areas where the rain-fall is so small these plants to survive in nature have special properties.

There are two main types of succulents, those which have developed defenses against drought in the form of leaflessness or a shiny coating to reflect the light and heat, and those which have developed a water-storing mechanism which allows them to soak up and retain a considerable amount of water during a period of rain for use during the dry periods.

We are interested here only in the second category, as all the cacti and other succulents cultivated for home use are of the water-storing variety.

Although most people who have never grown any of these desert plants often think of them as small, uninteresting spiny blobs - nothing could be farther from the truth. Some cacti are among the most beautiful of all flowering plants, bearing large, extremely colorful blossoms. The Christmas Cactus, is one of these beautiful house plants. They come in all shapes and sizes from minute one-inch plants to immense fifty-foot giants; from round porcupine-like shapes to plants that look like furry miniature telephone poles.

Window Gardens - Return to Nature on a Smaller Scale

Would you like to get back in touch with nature, but feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of filling your yard with massive, sweeping colorful garden beds or just feel as though there is no way you could possibly handle gardening on a large scale. Well there is a simple solution - create a miniature garden in a container, instead.

It is no surprise that window gardening is rapidly increasing in popularity. After all, when you garden in a window box, you can keep your garden looking perfect without hiring a team of dedicated landscapers.

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House and Garden Plants Bring Back the Classics

Plants for the home (houseplants) and gardening has long been an enjoyable and rewarding hobby - for centuries in fact. However, during the Victorian era, gardens and plants really came into their own.

Many of the wonderful heirloom plants from this time period are overlooked as people look for the newest and best plants each year. Why not bring a few of these tried and true classics into your life?

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