Keeping House Plants Alive

{via}

House plants add so much life to a room.  However, as I mentioned yesterday in my post about plants in design, for some reason when it comes to indoor plants, I have had a major learning curve.  Outside plants - great.  Inside plants - droopy, sad, desperate looking.  Thankfully I have a mother who is the plant whisperer and has taught me a few tricks over the years.  

Here are a few tips I've learned from my mom that have increased the survival rate of house plants in my abode, and can increase yours too!

#5 Buy low-maintenance varieties.  Here are some suggestions that I shared yestereday:

[1] philodendron {via}  

[2] golden pothos {via}

[3] peace lily {via} 

[4] umbrella plant {via}       

[5] rubber tree {via}  

In addition to these, the Madagascar dragon tree (aka Dracaena) is very hearty.  {Here is one of mine TEN YEARS ago when it was just a baby, in the sunroom of our old house.  If I can keep a plant alive for a whole decade then so can you!}

Another wonderful plant to explore is the succulent, which comes in many varieties.

I bought this one at Ikea about 6 months ago, and I can't get over how little care it needs.  I am entirely neglectful of this little guy who lives on Mark's bedside table, watering only when I realize I haven't payed attention to him in ages, and yet he continues to thrive.

#4 Consider the soil and pot.  When you first buy a plant, it likely has enough healthy soil for the time being.  However, as your plant grows, make sure to give it plenty of space and a good potting soil to help it to thrive (which may mean repotting your plant into a larger container).  Also, any container will do, from recycled plastic containers to beautiful ceramic pots, but make sure the pot your plant is living in has drainage holes on the bottom, otherwise your plant will get soggy and it's roots will rot.

#3 Shed some light on your plants.  While your bookcase may be screaming for a little green, if it's across the room from the windows your plant is going to get very wilty.  Most house plants like bright but indirect light.  That means near a window, but you also don't want the strong midday sun burning up your little plant.  If the edges of the leaves turn brown or have brown spots on them, your plant is getting too much sun.  Try moving your plant to a window in another part of your house if it's not thriving in one location.

#2 Give your plants a little food.  About once a month, I add a few drops of Miracle Gro for house plants to the water.  I do it round the first of the month, and actually put it on my calendar because otherwise - forgetaboutit.  Over-fertilizing can burn and kill your plant, so use it sparingly.

{via}

And now - the most important rule to keeping your house plants alive……...

#1 Don't over-water!!!

Overwatering is the single biggest reason house plants die.  Overwatering rots the roots of your plant and makes it unable to drink.  I water most of my plants about once a week.  Wait until a good inch of the top soil is dry; it's usually okay even if your plant starts to wilt a bit - both my pothos and philodendron will perk back up again soon after a watering.  If your plants are small enough to carry, bring them to the sink, give them a good soak and let them drain.

Don't forget #4 - use a pot with drainage holes to let that excess water out.

Keep in mind that 

brown leaves = too little water*; 

yellow leaves = too much water.

*brown edges or spots = too much sun

In my floor plants I use these Aqua Globes.  Ask any serious gardener (or read gardening forums) and they will tell you not to waste your money, but I like them.  They're pretty, plus they are handy when you are on vacation.  You fill them up with water, make a hole into the soil of your plant (all the way down to the roots - I used a metal skewer that I moved around a bit to create a wide enough hole) and insert the Aqua Globe.  They don't take the place of regular care, but for those of us who may tend to neglect plants, they ensure your plant will stay hydrated.  

{via}

They also come in a mini version for smaller plants.

{via}

For you black thumbers, I hope Mom's tips help you to not only keep some houseplants alive, but actually get them to thrive!  If I can do it, so can you!

Plants in Design

Today my heart goes out to all those in Oklahoma who experienced such devastation yesterday.  I wish I could jump in my car and drive out there and help in some way.  I watched the news until way too late last night and as soon as daylight hit I raced downstairs to see if there was any word from our friend Jennifer at Dimples and Tangles.  Thankfully she and her family are safe, but so many others lost their lives, loved ones, and homes.  Like Boston, I know the outpouring of help and love will be strong.  As the Irish proverb goes:

It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.

God bless all our neighbors in Oklahoma.

********************************************************************

 So - lets talk about plants.

{via}

A part of design that I really think makes a room sing is a bit of living greens.  Even the most modern of spaces needs something organic and fresh to warm it up.

Take a look at these rooms and try to imagine them without plants.  They would be pretty flat, wouldn't they?

{via}

{via}

{via}

{via}

{via}

 Pottery Barn stylists know the importance of a well placed plant in a room:

 {Pottery Barn}

{Pottery Barn}

{Pottery Barn}

Whatever way your decor leans - traditional, rustic, urban - plants give a space energy.  

{via}

{via}

{via}

{Classic Casual Home}

{via}

The fiddle leaf fig tree is currently the sweetheart of the design world with it's glorious leaves!

{Grant K. Gibson}

In my experience they are a bit finicky, so read up on caring for fiddle leaf fig trees before investing in one.  

I am the first to admit that I have trouble keeping houseplants alive.  (My mother will gladly second that.  She is constantly trying to revive small plants around my house.)  The ficus in particular does not thrive in my care.  However, there are some house plants that even my neglect won't kill.  I have had wonderful luck with this variety - the Madagascar dragon tree:

The lighter green one on the right has been with us for almost a decade (!!!!!) and started out as a little baby.  The dark green one on the left is a newbie and is filling up space in our under-decorated living room.  

Are you hesitant to bring plants into your home because you have a special gift for killing them off?  Here are some suggestions for you fellow black-thumbers:

[1] philodendron {via}  

[2] golden pothos {via}

[3] peace lily {via} 

[4] umbrella plant {via}       

[5] rubber tree {via}  

For more hard-to-kill houseplants check out this article at  DIY Network.

Not only do large house plants fill up space in a room and bring in some life, they improve the quality of the air you breathe.  To read more about the best plant air filters, visit this article at Mother Nature Network.

So tell me…...

{via}

...do you love plants in design as much as I do???

{Source Unknown - House Beautiful??}

Planting Herbs In Containers

Last week I crossed my fingers that no more cold spells would befall Massachusetts this spring, and planted my deck herbs.  I love to put them in containers because they are handy for snipping just a few feet from the kitchen, and they look so pretty when they fully bloom.

Here are a few tips for creating your own container herb garden.

First, find a spot that gets a lot of sun.  Most herbs thrive in full or partial sun.

Second, make sure your containers have good drainage since herbs, as well as most other plants, don't like to sit in soggy soil.  Conversely, pay attention to your herbs and make sure they don't dry out.

I like to start with fresh potting mix each year to give my herbs the best chance to thrive.  I start by cleaning out the old soil….

 placing a coffee filter over the drainage hole to prevent the soil leaking onto my deck…..

and then adding filler rocks to the bottom of the pot.  This decreases the amount of potting mix I need to use, and also aids in drainage.

This year I have also started using cow manure in all my pots and garden plantings after reading an article on the wonders of manure at Nest of Posies.  If the thought of cow manure makes you wrinkle your nose, here's something about cow manure that you buy in a bag for gardening purposes:  it's been processed and it doesn't smell.  (That's what held me back all these years - I was kind of grossed out.  But now that I know it's just like a bag of potting soil, I'm so over it!)  I bought an organic cow manure compost at Lowes and it's super cheap (about $2.50 a bag).  A handful at the base of where you are placing your herbs will do.

(When I told my mom, who grew up on a farm in Ireland, about my cow manure discovery, she was like - um, YE-AHHHH -  why do you think Ireland is called the Emerald Isle??  There is no shortage of cow manure, lovely soil, rain, sunshine and therefore glorious vegetation in Ireland, that is for sure!  Hoping a little manure works wonders for my little plants here in Massachusetts too.)

Basil (on the right) flies solo in a pot because on it's own, and with a little love, it will flourish into a massive plant - perfect for making pesto, or layering with mozzarella and tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar…..yum!  In my center pot above I planted thyme, parsley and rosemary together, with a couple of flowers mixed right in.

I always pot mint because it's very invasive in a garden - it spreads and causes a ruckus.  Even though I don't use the herb a lot in cooking, it smells so wonderful on the deck, plus I have visions of mojitos with my girls Betsy & Jackie this summer :)

Chives are insanely hardy.  Despite the fact that this pot was left on my deck all winter, in the freezing snow, and I have shown it no love, come the spring the chives sprouted up again all ready for a new year.  I have added some green onions that were growing wild in the garden to this pot as well.

Keep in mind that unglazed terra cotta pots in particular dry out really easily, so keep a good eye on anything planted in them in the summer.  (Decorating terra cotta pots is a fun activity to do with kids.  About 10 years ago, way before I ever heard of a blog, my kids and I decorated pots with paint markers.  They live outside and I'm amazed how the writing on this one, an ode to my Gram, has held up.  And the crazy thing is - whatever I plant in that pot always thrives.  Thanks, Gram, for looking down on us!!)

Oh!  While we're on the subject of herbs, let's not forget wine cork markers!!

Since I started making these a couple years ago, I have discovered that it's helpful to use a very small drill bit to make the hole into the cork a little wider than the corkscrew hole.  With the cork pre-drilled, it's much easier to push the wooden skewer into it.

Also, someone once commented that the corks and wooden skewer got mildew on them over the course of the season, after being exposed to the elements.  I had this happen to me one year but not the next, and I imagine that the growth of mildew would be directly related to how wet of a summer you have.  If the wood and cork doesn't dry out after a rainfall, I'm guessing that's when the mildew would kick in.  You could try using stainless steel metal skewers if this concerns you.  Here are my mildewy corks after several months outside vs. new corks.  I make new markers every year.  

A really cute gift for Mother's Day or friends' spring birthdays is a set of herbs with herb markers!

Hopefully in a month's time these herbs will be spilling out over the pots.

Find some thyme to plant some herbs this year…..you'll be glad you did!


I'm linking up these inspiring blogs!

Our Fifth House

This and That

So, there's this:

No, I haven't finished all those lingering furniture projects I committed to for Linda's Project Procrastination, but at the low low price of $39.99 for this extremely heavy coffee table  I couldn't very well leave this behind, could I?  Currently halfway through a makeover, should be done around July.  (If I was Cassie, this makeover would have been banged out the day the table came home with me!)
{{from my favorite haunt, the Salvation Army store in Norwood, MA}}

***********************************************************************

What WHAT???  Chicken shredded in the mixer?

Who knew?  Thanks to this little trick I found on Pinterest, I've been poaching chicken and then shredding it for chicken pot pie, chicken tacos, quesadillas, and barbecue chicken sandwiches.  The process is so quick, you will not believe it!  A game changer for busy night dinners.

How to poach chicken you might ask?  Here's Martha Stewart's recipe (I use this technique with just chicken broth or straight up water depending on what the chicken is going into.)  Poaching vs. boiling ensures that your chicken stays nice and juicy instead of getting overcooked.

***********************************************************************

How smart is this idea for your kids' team rosters?  The laminated list of kids and their numbers is hole punched for parents' key rings.  The team mom or dad who made these for my friend B was so stinkin clever.

**********************************************************************

Do you have a bunch of votive candle holders with old melted candles in them?  That doesn't look very pretty.  To clean out your votives, put them into a bowl or sink of hot water.  When the wax warms it will soften and you can pop it right out with a knife, then use a paper towel to clean off the wax residue.  Much better!

**************************************************************************

Last but not least, there is this to tell you about.  If you have teenage boys with insatiable appetites, boys who come down to the kitchen after everyone else is in bed so they can raid the pantry, you know why this is a necessary course of action.

Last year when I organized my pantry, I hid the crack baking supplies in a decoy box.  Inside - not recipes but the good stuff:

This decoy lasted a good year before being discovered.  I would go to make chocolate chip cookies only to discover the bag of chips was half empty.  Hmmmm.  Mice?  Or 14 year olds with a sweet tooth?

New decoy, which I think shall remain untouched by said teenage boy for just about ever……

In the back of the pantry, with the "contents" of the box in clear sight, and the real contents safe and sound!!

{{That was another Pinterest find.  It was too hilarious not to do - even if I'm the only one who knows what's in there!}}

Hope you're having a great week, friends!