House Plants Blog

Sun Lovers

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:45:30 GMT

Got a sunny window, porch or patio? Pot up some sun-loving flowers and enjoy the show all season. Tropical beauties, such as Bird of Paradise, Hibiscus (shown at right), and Mandevilla love to bask in the sunshine. Climbing Bougainvillea will need support from a trellis to show off its big trumpet-shaped flowers. Small pots of Miniature Roses and Geraniums add a splash of color to a kitchen window or your patio table.

Dragon Wing Begonia House Plants - Tips for Growing Begonias

Sat, 12 May 2012 18:59:45 GMT

Dragon wing begonia features glossy, scalloped dragon-winged leaves and cascading sprays of flowers. Get care tips for growing dragon wing begonias indoors, how to overwinter, propagate and more.

Make Your Herbs Thrive Indoors

Tue, 08 May 2012 19:52:05 GMT

Now is a great time to plant culinary herbs. Whether you're starting from seed or buying herb plants, pot them in small terra cotta pots. Herbs need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, making 4- or 6-inch pots ideal for a sunny kitchen window. Don't have a sunny spot? Put them under a grow light, keeping the light 6 inches above the tops of the plants for about 14 hours a day. Some popular culinary herbs that do well indoors are rosemary, parsley, chives, mint, basil and oregano. To keep herbs small, prune them back during the growing season. If you regularly harvest herbs for cooking, you're already doing this.

Go Green for Earth Day

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:55:37 GMT

3 Tips for Greener House Plants

Choose air-cleaning plants. Many easy-to-grow tropical plants efficiently remove toxins from indoor air. Check out these house plants that clean the air.
Catch the rain. Use a rainwater barrel to collect water for watering your house plants. Rainwater doesn't contain chemicals like tap water so it's good for your plants. Best of all, it's free!
Use organic fertilizer. This All-Purpose Fertilizer is easy to use and provides just the nutrients your plants need for healthy growth. Good for your plants, good for the planet...what's not to love?

Flushing Salts

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:02:45 GMT

Wondering about that white crusty stuff on the surface of your plant's potting mix? It's a build up of soluble salts that come from tap water and fertilizers. These salts not only look unsightly, they can damage foliage and roots. You'll notice the plant damage as wilted, yellow or scorched leaves. Fortunately, getting rid of excess salts is easy. Place your house plant in a sink or take it outdoors on a warm day. Slowly pour tepid water over the potting mix. Allow water to drain out the drainage holes of the pot. Pour more water through the pot, then empty the drainage tray. This simple task will make your plant healthier and takes only minutes to do. Get more house plant tips in this Spring Checklist.

Self-Watering Container - Self-Watering Flower Pots, Planters, Hanging Baskets

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:15:40 GMT

A self-watering container makes watering plants easy, even saving time and effort. Find self-watering plant pots, containers and self-watering hanging baskets.

Cylindrical Snake Plant - Sansevieria cylindrica Care Tips

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 22:20:17 GMT

Cylindrical Snake Plant has upright, tubular leaves that make a striking house plant. Find out how to grow, water, fertilize and propagate this succulent plant.

Growing Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine Plants

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:34:32 GMT

Sweet potato vine makes a stunning ornamental vine. Discover varieties of colorful sweet potato leaves such as 'Blackie' and 'Margarita'. Find out how to grow sweet potato plants.

Trailers and Climbers

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:44:47 GMT

English ivy looks good spilling over the side of a hanging basket or climbing a trellis with its aerial roots. It's one of the most versatile plants you can grow. Newer variegated ivies are beautiful growing alongside upright foliage or flowering plants.

Want another easy-to-grow trailer? Creeping fig is often overlooked as a house plant. Many varieties are available with variegated foliage. It makes an elegant hanging basket plant. Or, make it stand out by placing it on a pedestal plant stand.

Wax plant, jasmine and passion flower vine are all drooping plants. Show off their breathtaking blooms by tying their stems to trellises or wire hoops inserted into pots.

Any plant with tendrils or aerial roots need some help from you to climb a support. Florist's wire or other plant ties do the job. Tie stems loosely at intervals, adjusting the ties as the plants grow. A little work--yes--but the results are worth it.

Success with Succulents

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:37:52 GMT

Desert-dwellers store water in their fleshy leaves, making them drought-tolerant and easy to grow in a warm, dry environment.

Their unusual and varied colors and textures make them beautiful accents. Display a few together to show off their dramatic shapes.

Echeveria, Living Stones, Tiger's Jaw and Haworthia (shown here) offer a variety that make excellent indoor plants. Place them in bright light and they'll feel right at home.

Succulents are growing in popularity as indoor plants...it's easy to see why.

Wooden Plant Stands, Wooden Pedestal Plant Stands

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:39:24 GMT

Looking for wooden plant stands? You'll find them here in a variety of decorative styles and finishes, including wooden pedestal stands for sale.

Crown of Thorns Plant - Euphorbia milii - Picture, Care Tips

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:39:22 GMT

Crown of Thorns plant is a succulent house plant capable of blooming almost year-round. Find out how to prune, propagate, and get the most flowers.

Indoor Azalea Care Tips - Planting, Growing, Pruning Azaleas

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:29:45 GMT

Florist's azalea care tips for growing azaleas as house plants. Get tips for growing, pruning and fertilizing azaleas indoors.

Swiss Cheese Plant - Monstera deliciosa - Picture, Care Tips

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:52:02 GMT

Lush and bold, Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa) makes a good accent if you have the space. Find a plant profile, picture and care tips here.

Indoor Gardenia Care Tips - Gardenia jasminoides

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:52:01 GMT

Gardenia care tips for indoor house plants. What to do about flower bud drop, yellow leaves, plus how to get the most blooms. Discover Gardenia jasminoides care for growing gardenias indoors.

Chinese Evergreen Plant - Aglaonema hybrids - Picture, Care Tips

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:52:00 GMT

Chinese Evergreen plant is easy to grow, and tolerant of low light and low humidity. House plant profile, picture and care tips.

Indoor Plant Lights

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:08:12 GMT

Discover your options for indoor plant lights. From single-plant LEDs to multi-tier light stands, you'll find just the right indoor garden lights.

False Aralia Plant - Dizygotheca elegantissima - Care Tips, Picture

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:21:00 GMT

False aralia plant has narrow, serrated leaflets that give it a lacy appearance. Find a picture, profile and house plant care tips for false aralias here.

Lipstick Plant Care Tips - Aeschynanthus lobbianus

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:20:59 GMT

Easy-care Lipstick Plant is ideal for a hanging basket. Lipstick Plants long, trailing vines are thickly covered with leaves and red, tubular flowers.

Donkey's Tail, Burro's Tail - Sedum morganianum - Succulent Care Tips

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:20:58 GMT

The weight of this succulent plant's leaves cause them to overlap like the coarse hair of a donkey's tail. Find a picture, profile, and succulent care tips here.

Forcing Bulbs Indoors - How to Force Bulbs

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:53:18 GMT

Enjoy spring flowers anytime by forcing bulbs indoors. Find out how to force bulbs such as hyacinth, daffodils, tulips and more into bloom.

Grow a Culinary Herb Garden Indoors

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:23:33 GMT

Grow your own culinary herbs? Admit it, you've always wanted to. You can grow them indoors, if you have enough light. Take a look at indoor herb gardens for ideas on what to grow, plus all the how-tos for successfully growing herbs. Planning to grow an outdoor herb garden? Get off to a good start by starting seeds indoors. You'll discover what it takes to get started, and several resources to make growing herbs easier.

Fluorescent Grow Lights

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:05:10 GMT

Discover advantages to using compact fluorescent grow lights for plants. Choose which grow lights are best for you.

Satin Pothos Care Tips - Scindapsus pictus 'Argyraeus'

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:31:49 GMT

Beautiful satiny gray-green leaves makes Satin Pothos a favorite house plant. It also happens to be easy to grow. Find a profile, picture and care tips here.

Green House Plants - Easy-to-Grow Foliage House Plants

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:41:39 GMT

Green house plants that are easy to grow. Discover new types of easy-care house plants, tips for caring for foliage plants, help for choosing the best varieties and more.

Water Beads for Plants - Crystal Soil

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:20:52 GMT

Ditch the Dirt: Find out how to grow house plants in water beads. Discover how this water-absorbing crystal soil works and where to buy it.

House Plants that Grow in Water

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:19:44 GMT

Discover house plants that grow in water without soil. Get tips for plants grown in water beads, plus which types of tropical plants grow well with hydroculture.

Hydroculture: Growing Plants in Water

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:17:54 GMT

Hydroculture is the method of growing plants in water. Discover soil alternatives, find out how to transfer plants to hydroculture, fertilize plants grown in water, and more.

Hyacinth Flower - Forcing 'Woodstock' Hyacinth Bulb Indoors

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:17:53 GMT

Hyacinth flower is easy to force into bloom indoors. Get how-tos for forcing hyacinth bulbs in pots and vases, hyacinth care tips, pictures.

Winter Bloomers

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:49:43 GMT

After the tinsel has been taken down and the tree kicked to the curb, you can bring a fresh, new splash of color to your home. Florist shops are already bursting with blooming plants, such as hot-pink azaleas, snowy white kalanchoe and deep-blue African violets. Winter-flowering cyclamen rarely blooms longer than a month, but its gorgeous red, pink or lavender back-swept petals are so spectacular, it's worth it. Want more inspiration? You'll find more winter flowering plants here.

Take cover. Keep in mind that these tender plants are cultivated in greenhouses, where they enjoy constant warm temperatures. Even a short blast of frigid air can cause their buds to drop. Cover them in plastic for the ride home to prevent sudden exposure to cold drafts.

Indoor Vertical Gardens

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:33:07 GMT

Vertical gardens are the hot, new thing for house plants. Discover creative ideas for displaying your indoor garden on the wall.

House Plant Diseases - Plant Fungus, Powdery Mildew, Leaf Spot

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 23:22:57 GMT

Find out how to identify and treat house plant diseases. How to prevent and how to treat house plant fungus such as bacterial leaf spot, gray mold and more.

Growing Christmas Cactus, Care Tips, Picture - Schlumbergera bridgesii

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:43:57 GMT

Christmas cactus care will keep your plant healthy and blooming year after year. Get tips for growing Christmas cactus, pruning, repotting and more.

Angel Trumpet Plant - Brugmansia hybrids - Plant Care Tips

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:34:39 GMT

Grow Angel Trumpet Plant in a container and enjoy spectacular trumpet flowers all summer and fall. Get tips for growing and training this tropical vine, planting, pruning, propagating. How to overwinter indoors.

Iron Cross Begonia House Plants - Begonia masoniana

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:43:37 GMT

Iron cross begonia is distinguished by its iron cross patterned leaves. Get care tips for growing begonias indoors, how to water, propagate and more.

Do You Know When to Water?

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:28:35 GMT

House plants rely on us to meet all their watering needs. Without water, they'll die. Even a short time without it will cause stems and leaves to droop and leaf edges to turn brown. However, overwatering is the top reason house plants die. Yellow leaves and limp stems are two signs of overwatered plants. Soggy soil can cause root rot, which can also kill plants. How do you know when it's time to water? Sticking your finger in the soil is one way to tell, but the finger method won't allow you to feel the moisture deep in the pot, where the plant's roots are. The most accurate way to gauge the amount of moisture deep in the container is to use a plant moisture meter. It's the best way to take the guesswork out of watering. Water plants thoroughly to ensure that all the roots are wet, then check the meter before watering again.

Indoor Watering Can - Decorative, Copper, Brass, Plastic

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:50:49 GMT

Need an indoor watering can? You'll find a variety of small watering cans here for indoor plant watering. Decorative, copper, plastic, metal and more.

Glass Cloche - Bell Jars for Indoor Gardening

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:29:27 GMT

How to use a glass cloche for humidity-loving indoor plants. These old-fashioned garden cloches are a beautiful way to display tropical house plants.

Indoor Rock Garden - Growing Succulents and Cacti Dish Gardens

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:51:42 GMT

How to make an indoor rock garden. Get ideas for indoor succulent gardens, where to buy supplies, choose types of succulents and cactus plants to grow together.

Tradescantia pallida - Purple Heart Plant Care Tips

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:54:17 GMT

How to grow Purple Heart Plant indoors. Caring for Tradescantia pallida is easy and its bunches of rich purple foliage make it a beautiful house plant.

'Janet Craig' Dracaena - House Plant Care for Dracaena deremensis

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:54:16 GMT

Is 'Janet Craig' the perfect house plant? This easy-to-grow Dracaena plant is tolerant of varying light and humidity levels. Get tips for Dracaena propagation, pruning and more.

Glory Lily Plant Care - Gloriosa superba 'Rothschildiana'

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:01:33 GMT

Tropical Glory Lily has scarlet-red, back-swept petals. Find out how to grow Gloriosa lily house plant, how to train its climbing vines, how to propagate tubers and more.

Growing Achimenes House Plants

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 18:33:45 GMT

Showers of colorful flowers makes Achimenes a beautiful house plant. Find out how to care for Achimenes indoors, how to start plants from rhizomes, and why it's called Hot Water Plant.

Carnivorous Pitcher Plant Care - Nepenthes species and hybrids

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:41:52 GMT

Tropical pitcher plant is an epiphytic carnivorous plant that prefers warmth and high humidity. Get pitcher plant care tips for these unusual and fascinating plants.

Types of Tropical Flowers as House Plants, Buy Tropical Flowers

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:35:43 GMT

Discover types of tropical flowers that make beautiful house plants. Get care tips for growing rare tropical flowers and tropical flowering trees indoors.

5 Ways to Find Plant Bargains

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:00:27 GMT

Want to expand your collection of house plants without spending a fortune? Many low-cost sources abound -- if you pay attention and aren't shy about asking. Here are some money-saving ideas to try:

Check out your local garden centers for end-of-season clearance sales.
Watch for community plant sales
Scope your local farmer's market for tropical plants and succulents.
Ask (good) friends for seeds, cuttings and divisions from their house plants.
Don't forget online sources for summertime close-outs and special deals. DirectGardening.com offers exotic indoor plants.

Care for New Guinea Impatiens

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:48:08 GMT

How to care for New Guinea impatiens. Find out how to grow impatiens in containers, how to care for impatiens indoors, repotting, deadheading, propagating.

Wardian Case - Decorative Terrarium for House Plants

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:46:23 GMT

Explore different styles before you buy a Wardian case. Get tips for choosing one of these decorative terrarium cases for your house plants.

Swedish Ivy Plant Care - Plectranthus species

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:05:23 GMT

Swedish Ivy house plants are ideal for beginners. This one of the easiest types of ivy to grow and propagate. Get tips for growing ivy indoors.

Cactus Dish Garden - Growing Succulents, Plants, How-to

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:26:57 GMT

Make a cactus dish garden. Find out which types of succulents will thrive, tips for growing succulents, plants for sale. Get all the how-tos for succulent gardens here.