If
holiday gift shopping makes you feel like a Grinch, don’t despair. ‘Tis the season for giving, so why not give a
gift that lasts all year, whether practical or just pretty, garden gifts aren’t
just for dedicated gardeners.
A plant is a special gift that
brings beauty to the home and to the heart as you help a living thing grow.
Holiday plants might open the door to the enjoyment and pleasure of nurturing
other plants indoors throughout the winter.
Just remember: a green thumb is
simply a positive state of mind.
Indoor plants keep us in touch with
nature and in a sense bring the outside in.
Working with living plants provides some new and exciting challenges,
but by paying attention to a few simple details, it is possible for almost
anyone to have beautiful indoor plants in winter – and year around.
The secret to growing houseplants is
providing the right conditions. As much
as today’s homes need plants, houses can be a hostile environment: low light, desert-like dryness, heat, drafts
and infrequent watering compensated by over-watering.
If you have a holiday plant, the
easy first step is to identify it. Then
learn light, watering, humidity, soil-type and fertilization requirements. If you can meet these conditions, chances are
good that the plant will flourish under your care.
Typically, poinsettias reign at Christmas. But, numerous other plants are highly
desirable for indoors. Look for
cyclamen, kalanchoe, azalea, Christmas cactus, orchid or miniature rose.
When buying, select plants that will
grow in your environment. Picking the
right plants is easy; changing conditions in the home is not.
If there are no bright, sunny
windows, do not select plants requiring lots of light. If the air is hot and dry during the winter,
avoid plants requiring cool temperatures or high humidity.
Select plants that appear to be
insect and disease free. Check the undersides of the foliage and the axis of
leaves for signs of insects or disease.
Select plants that look sturdy, clean, well-potted, shapely and
well-covered with leaves. Plants which
have new flowers and leaf buds, along with young growth, are usually of
superior quality.