Anthurium in Red (Photo courtesy oglesbytc.com)
Blooming Plants cure Winter Blues
During winter, I love having
blooming plants inside my home.
The flowering plants that help me get through the winter are
kalanchoe, Anthurium and winter blooming jasmine (Jasmine polyanthum).
Kalanchoe comes in a variety of colors. My
favorite this month are red and white. This plant loves bright, indirect light. Blooms for two months and
requires little water.
Anthurium has a
beautiful heart-shaped leaf and flower and comes in shades of white, pink and
red. Oh, how it reminds me of
Hawaii.
I am in love with winter
blooming jasmine. Often found this time
of year just coming into bloom, this highly fragrant plant can fill your home
with a sweet aroma. Jasmine can bloom
several weeks in your home and loves to be placed in a southern window with
plenty of humidity. The soil must be kept moist and kept in a cooler room.
Kalanchoe in white, orange and yellow (Photo courtesy of IndoorFlowers.net)
Beautiful Houseplants for Difficult Places
Dark corner? Lots of
sunshine? Bookcase with low light? Office cubicle?
Here are some plants that are nearly indestructible:
- Dracaenas
are a tall strappy leafed plants that love a dark corner. They need very little attention and very
little water. They are great for
softening a corner of any room.
- Z.Z. plants (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) are super
easy to care for structural plants that love low to medium light and fit nicely
into a bookcase that might need a little greenery.
- Lots of Sunshine and want Drama? The slow growing Pony tail palm (Beaucarnea
recurvata) makes a statement in any room.This plant is actually part of the Yucca family and stores water in its
bulbous base.
- Want a little greenery in your work space? If you have little or no natural light, it is
best to go with a philodendron, pothos or spathiphylum. All of these air purifying plants tolerate
low light and will add some joy to any work space.
Variegated Pothos (Photo courtesy of women.sanook.com)
Helpful Winter Tips for Houseplants
Here are some tips to help your houseplants through the
increased darkness and dryness of our winter months.
- Increase
the humidity around your plants. You can
achieve this by misting your houseplant weekly or by placing it on a rocked
filled tray that is kept full of water.
- Keep your houseplants away from cool drafts and
heat registers.
- If you can, give your plant more light by opening your shades.
- Plants are less active during the winter
months. It is a good idea to cut back or
stop fertilizing and water your plant less. Once spring arrives, start
fertilizing once a month.
- Misting your plants is also a great deterrent
for spider mites, which like to find their way to our plants during the winter
months.
Photo Courtesy of IndoorPlantExpert.com
Blog post by Stacy Lyon, Store Manager and houseplant guru, Ravenna Gardens