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Tips for Decorating your Home with Lovely, Large Foliage!

2016-02-18T22:24:00-06:00

By Stacy Lyon, Store Manager & Interior Plant Specialist

One of the easiest ways to soften a room and enhance your interior space is to add large foliage.

Here are a few things to consider before choosing which large plant is right for the interior of your home:

Look at the directions that your windows face. Northern light in the Northwest is considered low light. Eastern facing windows offer medium light and southern facing windows will give you high light or the best light exposure during the day.
Once you have looked at your available natural light, you can start to think about your space and how tall and wide you'd like the plant to be.
Most tropical plants like to have some protection from direct sun rays and be placed away from heat or cool drafts. These plants like to be watered thoroughly, so that it comes through the bottom of the pot, but do not like to sit in water.

Here are a few large tropical plant suggestions that are easy-to-grow indoors with a little love.

Low Light Plants:

Image Credit: ModernFindings.com

Dracaena Lisa: (featured above) This is one variety of many dracaenas that love a lower light home. This lovely strappy plant fits perfectly in a narrow spot in your home. It has glossy green leaves and the trunks are at varied heights for visual interest. Dracaena Lisa likes to be watered thoroughly approximately twice a month. It can grow up 6 to 8 feet. Feed this plant with a well-balanced houseplant fertilizer during the months from March through October.

Bamboo Palm: This beautiful palm is dense with foliage from the bottom to the top of its arching fronds. It is one of the easiest house plants to grow. Loves to be misted and can grow from 3-10 feet tall. It should be watered thoroughly when the first three inches of soil dry out. Feed this plant with a well-balanced houseplant fertilizer during the months from March through October.

Medium Light Plants:

Schefflera arboricola: This plant is often found in small tree form. But comes as a bush as well. Often called the umbrella plant because the oval leaves spoke out of each stem like an umbrella. Sturdy and hardy this plant loves bright indirect light and can dry out between watering. Feed this plant with a well-balanced houseplant fertilizer during the months from March through October. This plant can grow up to 8 feet tall.

Image Credit: Houzz.com

Dracaena Marginata: (featured above) Great plant of structural interest for your home. Dracaena Marginata’s spiky leaves can create height, texture and drama to a room. They are easy to care for. Allow to dry out between watering. This plant can grow up to 8 feet. Feed this plant with a well-balanced houseplant fertilizer during the months from March through October.

High Light Plants:

Remembering that all tropical plants need some filtering from harsh sun rays, these two plants grow very well in a southern or filtered western exposure.

Schflerra Amate: This is shiny leaved plant is beautiful and bushy and can grow up to 8 feet tall. It has large strappy leaves that are dark green. You can let this plant dry out between watering. Feed this plant with a well-balanced houseplant fertilizer during the months from March through October.

Image Credit: ApartmentTherapy.com

Fiddle leaf Ficus: (Featured Above) The most dramatic of the ficus family, the fiddle leaf ficus loves to grow in the brightest light you can give it. Named for the shape of its leaf, this ficus comes in both tree and bush form. Little fiddle (with a smaller leaf) is also an option. It can grow up to 12 feet. This plant likes to be kept slightly moist at all times. It really enjoys to be fertilized on a regular basis. This plant loves a little added humidity in the form of misting and does not care for drafts.

No matter which large leaf tropical plant that you choose - the interior of your home will have a green makeover that not only adds a living element to your room, but also one that will make you feel more refreshed and healthier.

About Water..

2015-09-17T00:42:00-05:00

This year has been rough for gardeners in the Pacific Northwest. In Seattle alone, we have had several weeks on end with record-setting temperatures and lack of rain. Long range forecasts predict another drier than normal winter here in the Pacific Northwest, so correct watering techniques become especially important during these times. Here are some Watering 101 strategies we have found to work for our gardens:

Tips:

Mulch, mulch, mulch! It is extremely important in the garden. It helps to reduce water evaporation and fends off weeds, which means your ornamental plants don’t need to compete for water.

Water longer and less often. Deep watering is much better than shallow! This means to hold the garden hose on your containers, beds and raised boxes for several minutes until water can be seen draining from containers. Deep watering promotes extensive root growth and this is ideal in hot conditions vs. watering often with small amounts of water creates shallow-rooted, thirsty plants.

Do not over fertilize! Doing so during a drought can cause plants to put on excessive growth, meaning they will need more water to support them.

Install a drip irrigation, if you are unable to water each day. Having underground sprinklers is a bonus as well, but can be costly.

Watering in the early morning will help to avoid as much evaporation during the day as possible. Don’t wait to water if a plant is showing extreme signs of stress from lack of water.

If container gardening, plant in larger containers. Due to the large surface area of the soil volume, it retains and holds moisture a lot better than smaller containers that need to be watered several times per day.

Water your vegetables! This is not a place to skimp, remember it takes water to grow food.

Remember, new plants, even drought-tolerant plants, need regular watering for the first two years until established.

By constantly following these best practices for watering during hot, dry summers and dry winters, your garden will have a great chance of surviving such extremes in the weather. For further questions about watering, please contact us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Ravenna-Gardens or in-store.

Design Tips for Container Gardens

2015-02-23T13:28:00-06:00

Our container designer, Barbara Libner, shares her tips for creating your own fabulous containers:

Style

I think of planting a container as creating a living sculpture. I rely heavily on colorful, evergreen foliage and sculptural, unfussy shapes to create impact. Working with a limited color palette helps me create maximum drama. Letting each plant's natural form and texture contrast with its neighbors allows even the most common plants to look new again.

Inspiration

Both the setting and the container inspire my plant and color choices. Often one glorious plant catches the imagination and suggests companions. I am interested most in showing off the best qualities of each plant by pairing them with suitable, and often surprising, partners. Just walking past the flats of plants at the store, soaking in all of the wonderful colors, makes me want to start playing with combinations.

Tips for Success

Limiting your color palette is my best advice to new gardeners. It allows you to pay attention to the other important attributes of form, texture and scale. Your design will be much richer and more complex than a simple riot of color can provide. Also be sure to use plenty of plants...I consider containers to be instant gardening and pots should look full from the moment of planting. Tuck in a simple ground cover to provide a finished quality. Pebbles or glass mulch can not just cover bare dirt, but be an intriguing design element as well.

Favorite Plants

I look for slow growing evergreens to anchor my plantings, which can stay in place for several years while the annual color changes with the season. Conifers are a passion - I love using any variety of Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), or Cryptomeria 'Black Dragon' for their elegance. Euonymus 'Green Spire' is my hands down favorite broadleaf evergreen. For daintier foliage, Heuchera provide indispensable color year round, and every year new varieties cry out to be tested. Simple violas provide many months of nonstop color in spring and fall.

Above all else, remember that your container designs need only please you! I still learn from every combination and am always analyzing combinations for improvements. The whole process of creation is such a pleasure that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.

Written by Barbara Libner

Beat the Winter Blues with Houseplants!

2015-02-04T17:21:00-06:00

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

6 Tips To Get the Most out of the NW Flower & Garden Show!

2015-01-11T14:57:00-06:00

Guest post by Courtney Goetz, Social Media Manager for NWFGS

“Romance Blossoms” at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, February 11-15

The Northwest Flower & Garden Show provides imagination and inspiration with its magnificent showcase of gardens big and small, over 110 free seminars, a huge line-up of exhibitors in the Marketplace and more. February 11-15, 2015 at the Washington State Convention Center.

“Romance Blossoms” is the theme throughout this BIG event and there’s plenty to see and do.

Here are some tips:

Before you arrive:

Visit the website - Gardenshow.com is THE go-to resource for planning your visit. Get a sneak preview here, including seminar topics and times. And follow the show updates on gardenshowblog.com and @NWFGS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Buy tickets now. Purchase your tickets in advance for added value: adult $17 “Early bird” discount tickets (reg. $22) are available up to Feb. 10.

Check the seminar schedule. Whether you have a green thumb or are a “newbie,” the Show offers over 110 seminars presented by a line-up of top-tier experts, all free with admission to the show. It’s a great way to jump-start your gardening experiences and learn about trends that not only beautify, but are practical too.

When you arrive:

Bring a camera. Top Garden Creators are embracing the Show’s theme—and there will be more eye-popping color than ever. The amazing collection of 23 marquee display gardens will feature upwards of 50% more flowers in bloom! These gems are not only stunning to admire, but also full of take-home ideas. There’s also the gorgeous floral competition to greet you right when you enter the Show.

Visit the expansive Marketplace. The bustling Marketplace is a shopping destination with over 350 exhibitors offering the hottest new tools and other gardening gear, plants, and unique art for the home and garden. The popular ‘Vintage Garden Market’ returns with re-purposed and “shabby-chic” treasures for the garden and home.

Discover the exciting daily activities. A new feature this year is “Garden Wars,” an event benefiting local charities. Inspired by reality-based competitions, it takes place from 1-3 pm each day in the North Hall. Joe Lamp’l, host of the PBS series Growing a Greener World® will guide your favorite news anchors on teams from KIRO-TV, KING-TV, KOMO-TV, KCPQ-TV, and Click 98.9 FM and Warm 106.9 FM as they create 10’x10’ gardens.

We could talk about all the amazing things you’ll see, the new plants you’ll discover, and the unique memories you’ll make at the 2015 Northwest Flower & Garden Show. But it’s easier to find out for yourself. See you there!

Top Plants for Indoor Gardening

2014-09-17T16:58:00-05:00

Written by Stacy Lyon

Why do I love indoor plants so much?

They clean the interior air of my home, they are pleasing to all of my senses and they allow me to bring a little bit of outdoors into my living space.

And…wait for it …they are easy-to-care for!

Three factors contribute to indoor plant success.Correct light, just the right amount of watering and room temperature.To make it easy, light requirements for plants usually fall into three categories: low, medium and high.

Two plants that I love to grow in low light, which is an interior of a room or northern

light, are the Neanthe Bella Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) and the Neon Pothos (Scindapsus aures). Both are hardy, usually thrive by watering thoroughly once a week and one grows upright and the other one trails.

Moving on to medium light requirements, which is usually an eastern or southern exposure without being in direct sunlight. I favor two plants that that are structurally beautiful and super easy-to-grow because they take very little watering.The snake plant (Sansevieria) and the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamifolia) are upright structurally and only need to be watered once a month.

Plants that require high light or direct southern or western exposure are sun loving succulents of any kind. My favorites here are the Haworthia and the String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus). Both require very little water and high light.

Five must-have plants for the young and green at heart:

Succulents. Why? They are small, they fit perfectly on a window sill. The only need to be watered twice a month. They are a great way to make a statement on a small budget.
The Snake plant (Sansevieria). It's structurally beautiful. Grows in a variety of light conditions and needs to be watered only once a month.
The Homalomena plant. Beautiful and green with heart shaped leaves. This plant will live in low and medium light and the leaves always stay nice and green with no browning at the tips.
The Bird’s Nest fern (Asplenium nidus). One of the easiest ferns to grow in medium light. Watering once a week and you have this tropical beauty thriving in your living space.
The Neon Pothos (Scindapsus aures). Lime green adds a pop to any dark corner.This low light plant likes to stay on the drier side and will trail wherever you want it to.

Indoor plants are a great way to bring the outdoors inside. Stop by Ravenna Gardens and we would be happy to talk more about the beauty and ease of indoor gardening.

Growing and Caring for your Air Plants

2014-08-06T14:29:00-05:00

Tillandsias, or air plants, are easy to grow. Why? These bromeliads are epiphytes and get all of the water and nutrients they need from the air through their leaves. They use their roots only for attaching themselves to rocks, trees, shrubs and the ground. Native to the southern United States, Mexico, Central & South America, air plants are warm-weather lovers that can thrive on neglect. Here are our suggestions for keeping your Air Plants happy and thriving.

- Tillandsias need bright, indirect light.

- Constant air circulation is paramount to keeping your plant happy.

-Water your tillandsia by misting it two to three timers per week, andby submerging it in room temperature water for 15-20 minutes every week. Watering is one of the most important keys to succeeding with Tillandsias, and one of the most misunderstood. People tend to think that because the common name is Air Plant these plants need little or no water (as living on air). This is the biggest mistake you can make. They need water, although they can survive for long periods of drought, they are not growing or thriving in these conditions, they are going dormant.

- Fertilize monthly in spring and summer, using a low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer mixed at one-quarter strength.

-In summer, most air plants need protection from full sun.

- Don't let an air plant sit somewhere colder than 45 degrees, it will die at those temperatures. If you live in Zone 9 or warmer, you can grow an air plant outdoors all year if you keep it dry during the winter (In the Pacific Northwest, you can give your air plant a treat and put it outside in the summer, but be sure to bring back inside when night time temperatures are below 50 degrees).

Air plants make a great architectural element in your home and also work well in a terrarium. At Ravenna Gardens, we have a great assortment of glass (hanging and not) and also decorative rocks, perfect for making your own air plant garden.

Caring for Your Fermob Furniture

2014-07-08T19:12:00-05:00

Have you ever wondered the best way to care for you beloved Fermob furniture? Fermob has added a section to their website that gives their advice on the best way to clean and maintain Fermob furniture. Scroll down to read some excerpts of their advice...

Cleaning Your Furniture:

Metal furniture can be cleaned using either clean water or water containing a non-detergent soap.
The furniture should then be wiped dry to remove any smears or traces of limescale.
Abrasive sponges should not be used to scrub the furniture, and no abrasive powders or other types of detergent should be used.
For dirt that is more heavily ingrained, you should use either a window-cleaning product that contains alcohol, or a specific product such as Star brite® Multi-Purpose Cleaner.
For furniture incorporating both metal and outdoor technical fabric, the fabric should be cleaned with soapy water. For ingrained dirt, you should use a brush and a specific product such as Star brite® Multi-Purpose Cleaner.

Maintaining Fermob Furniture

All our products are delivered with pads that protect the furniture feet as well as floor surfaces. These pads prevent any degradation or damage to the feet resulting from contact with the ground, which can sometimes be damp or harsh. We recommend that you replace any lost pads by ordering a new set from your Fermob dealer.

You should not allow water to accumulate on or around your furniture, especially around the feet and pads.

Any scratches should be quickly treated using the available Fermob after-sales tools (such as touch-up pens and sprays in the colour of your furniture). If rust begins to appear as a result of a scratch or bump, you should not sand it, but instead, repaint as quickly as possible the area using the appropriate Fermob retouch pen or aerosol spray. If rust develops on stainless-steel parts, then a polish (liquid or paste only) should be applied as soon as the first traces appear. The sooner action is taken, the less the rust will spread.

Some Fermob furniture includes wood treated with Textrol® to protect it from the weather. By its very nature, wood requires special care: a wood seal such as Textrol® should be regularly applied, with the prior application of a wood cleaner such as Net-Trol® if necessary.

Table tops should not be covered with plastic sheeting: the chemical components in this type of material can, over time, alter the appearance of the paint as well as its protective anti-corrosion and anti-UV propertie

Furniture that features OTF (outdoor technical fabric) should be protected from potential damage from contact with sharp objects or sources of heat such as cigarettes.

Due to the nature of the material used, iron furniture does not react well to highly saline environments. For coastal environments, we recommend our aluminium products.

The lifespan of your furniture will vary in relation to the conditions and type of use. To maximise the lifespan of your product, we recommend that you store it in a dry, well-ventilated place during the winter, and ensure it is protected from any knocks and bumps.

To prevent scratches and water retention, we recommend that you do not place decorative objects or flower pots on tables. Please avoid stocking your chairs upside down on tables.

We recommend that you clean off any traces of bird droppings as quickly as possible, as these can be particularly damaging and may lead to the permanent corrosion or staining of your furniture.

Republished from Fermob website