Archive for houseplants
a gardening carnival – November 25, 2009
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to the November 25, 2009 edition of a gardening carnival.
Wise_Bread presents Stock A Natural Food Pantry For Less posted at Wisebread.
gardening
Surbhi Bhatia presents Vertical Farms posted at The Viewspaper » The Viewspaper.
The Backyard Grower presents Row Covers, Hoop Houses posted at Bobbie Whitehead.
Ryan Hawkins presents Garden Pots Galore posted at Timber & Textiles, saying, “Most gardens have potted plants and flowers as well as planted ones. By paying attention to the garden pots you choose, you can add more beauty and diversity to your garden.”
Stephanie presents Strawberries Gone Wild posted at Stop the Ride!.
Kobus Venter presents Make charcoal in your own backyard posted at Vuthisa, saying, “Don’t burn your yard waste. Make your own charcoal instead.”
house plants
Deborah Niemann-Boehle presents Antiquity Oaks: Update: Growing your own pineapple posted at Antiquity Oaks, saying, “Since cold weather is upon us, I thought this would be a good time to talk more about growing pineapple, since it’s a potted plant for those of us who don’t live in tropical zones.”
kids gardening
Vera Lang presents Balcony Halloween Display posted at Fine Craft Guild .com, saying, “Kids will love to help making some Fall / Halloween balcony /patio splendor. Spot the handmade flower for recycled orange and white veggy & fruit packaging in mine. It’s easy to make fun displays that look great and cost ‘nil’. Find your ‘ingredients’ list here.”
lawn care
Erik presents Automatic plant watering tips with Lawn Belt posted at Home garden tool.
Samantha Marks presents How to Use a Lawn Roller posted at backyardsandgardens.com.
patio furniture
Sandra de Charo presents How To Prepare Your Swing Set For The Winter? posted at Outdoor Swing Sets, saying, “The winter is coming, get your garden furniture ready for it!”
Case Ernsting presents How To Care For Outdoor Patio, Porch or Deck Solid Wood Furniture | Home and Decor posted at Home and Decor, saying, “Caring for your patio furniture is crucial, especially if you have spent a pretty penny buying it. Our post provides some easy to follow tips to preserving your patio furniture for years.”
ponds
Wanda Reynolds presents Choosing Garden Pond Fish | Garden Decor posted at Garden Decor, saying, “hope I’m not too late”
vegetables
kara thurmond presents Be Like The Squirrel posted at An Hour In the Kitchen, saying, “Tips for storing vegetables.”
Wren Caulfield presents Homemade Pico de Gallo with Garden Tomatoes posted at True Adventures in Money Hacking, saying, “Use Your Garden Produce to Make Your Own Salsa!”
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of a gardening carnival using our carnival submission form. Our next edition of a gardening carnival will be available on December 30, 2009.
Technorati tags: a gardening carnival, blog carnival.
a gardening carnival – October 28, 2009
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to the October 28, 2009 edition of a gardening carnival.
Olga Poltava presents Help! Mysterious Rose Death posted at Olga’s Home & Garden Blog, saying, “I would appreciate any advice.”
Samantha Marks presents Garden Décor: An Informal Process posted at backyardsandgardens.com.
Sharon Cowart presents Native Azaleas: Plant Now for Spring Blooms & Fragrance posted at Plant Native.
flowers
Hortist presents Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower garden posted at Hortist, saying, “Keukenhof is the world’s largest flower garden with 7,000,00 (seven million) planted in it anually. to visit this bulbous paradise virtually, visit my blog.”
gardening
Theodore Pappas presents Heather Blackmore | Britannica Blog posted at Britannica Blog, saying, “Master Gardener Heather Blackmore discusses in her weekly column the growing popularity of poison gardens, and the toxic plants commonly found in own backyards. This month she’s highlighted Castor Bean and Rye.”
Chris Mathew presents Types Of Poisonous Mushrooms ? Little Brown Mushrooms (LBM) posted at How To Grow Mushrooms, saying, “Learn how to grow mushrooms at home, indoors or outdoors!”
C Merrick presents Get A Hyroponics Growing System and Grow Pesticide Free Fruits and Vegetables posted at HotLinkZ – Shopping Bargains, Deals and More!.
Kare presents The Garden’s Last Breaths posted at The Hazel Bloom, saying, “A celebration of the last breaths of our rookie garden’s amazing first year.”
The Backyard Grower presents Spring Onion Planting posted at Bobbie Whitehead.
Grandpa Oddball presents Lettuce not Forget « GetOddNews posted at GetOddNews, saying, “Gardening is sometimes not as easy as it looks!”
The Backyard Grower presents Leaf Lettuce In Winter posted at Bobbie Whitehead.
2 Green Acres presents Climate Change and the Home Garden posted at 2 Green Acres.
Susan Vinci presents 10 Tips for Winterizing Your Garden posted at Home and Gardens, saying, “10 tips to get your garden ready to weather the winter and come back strong in the spring!”
Hortist presents Plants in the holy Quran posted at Hortist.
Hortist presents English vs. American Autumn, a Poetic comparison posted at Hortist.
house plants
Baywords presents For Safety’s Sake, Vaccinate Your Houseplants posted at Swine Flu Shot Safety Program.
kids gardening
presents Pumpkin Templates for Halloween posted at Home Life Weekly, saying, “Here are a great looking free pumpkin templates for Halloween to help with designing your Halloween pumpkin carving for the kids”
landscape
Shortcut Sleuth presents Landscape Supplies Personalize Your Outdoor Space posted at backyardsandgardens.com.
Donald Rickerby presents How To Build Perfect Wooden Sheds posted at Best Wooden Sheds, saying, “This article covers how to build your own “perfect” garden shed.”
organic gardening
Scott Mills presents How to Make a Sprouter posted at Wisdom Lion, saying, “This sprouter was cheap, easy and fun to make. Now I am never more than a few days away from some super cheap, super healthy sprouts!”
Sadie423 presents Growing Season 2009-Wrap up posted at It’s a Boy’s Life.
ponds
Katy Hefley presents Tips when considering a water fountain posted at Selkirksolar’s Blog.
vegetables
Kare presents The Optimistic Roma Tomato posted at The Hazel Bloom, saying, “Hi! This hilarious tomato grew in my garden this year. I just had to tell his (slightly racy) story. This is the first time I’ve submitted to a carnival – I hope I’m doing this right. Thanks for your consideration!”
Wren Caulfield presents Hello October, goodbye summer vegetable garden posted at True Adventures in Money Hacking.
Kerry Fletcher presents How to Grow Huge Pumpkins | eHow.com posted at FaithAllen.
Hortist presents Greenhouse on the Mars posted at Hortist, saying, “If you like and appreciate out of box thinking and want to know why and how to make Greenhouse on the Mars successfully, please read my blog.”
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of a gardening carnival using our carnival submission form. Our next edition of a gardening carnival will be available on November 25, 2009.
Technorati tags: a gardening carnival, blog carnival.
Houseplant Basics 101-Containers
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Photo Provided by kevinrosseel
Your houseplants need a suitable home to live successfully indoors. That is why your choice of a container is critical to the success of your houseplant. With such a wide range of containers available, you should be able to find just the right home for your houseplant. The two most important factors to consider when choosing a container are size in both depth and diameter and drainage.
Size
Make sure that your plant has the proper root to soil volume. This simply means choosing a container that will accommodate a plant’s root system and a sufficient amount of soil to sustain it. An oversized pot holds more soil than is needed and that soil can easily become saturated with water. This will disrupt the air/water balance and will increase the houseplant’s chance of dying of root rot. You should never increase soil volume by more than one pot size when repotting.
Drainage
Unless you are growing an indoor water garden, be sure to choose containers that have drainage holes. Water must be able to drain through the soil and out of the pot. Without proper drainage, your houseplant is likely to die. If you are thinking about putting rocks at the bottom of your container to help with drainage, don’t do it. Pebbles and rocks will shorten the column of soil which will allow for the soil to become more easily waterlogged.
Aesthetics
Just because a container has to be functional doesn’t mean that it can’t be attractive too. Garden centers are full of beautiful containers that will fit any style and budget. The right container can make just as big an impression as the plant itself, so take your time and pay attention to those finishing touches, as they have a way of making all the difference.
Tips
- Remember to buy a saucer or tray to go under a container. Many containers are sold with a container already, but make sure to get one if your container doesn’t have one.
- Add caster wheels to the bottom of a large container for easy mobility.
- Use decorative moss, pebbles and driftwood on the soil surface to create visual interest and to discourage pets from digging.
- Conceal less attractive pots and saucers in decorative baskets, crocks or plant stands. Be sure to remove any plastic liners that may prohibit drainage. This is a common problem for many sick houseplants as their roots are literally being drowned and smothered. Remember that the roots need air to survive.
What are some of your favorite containers for your houseplants? Leave me a comment and share.
