Author Archives: Driftwood Garden Center

Love in a Houseplant – Heart-Shaped Houseplants

While roses are red and violets are blue, consider gifting your Valentine something different this year. What better way to say “long-term relationship” than with a heart-inspired houseplant? Let love blossom as your love does with these gorgeous, eye-catching, heart-shaped plants.

Driftwood Garden Center has so many options for you to choose from but let us help narrow your list. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Hoya Kerrii
    Gift this solitary, waxy, succulent-like heart to the one who has claimed yours. This houseplant is available in solid green or variegated. Extremely slow growing, Hoya will eventually grow into a vining plant if given the right conditions.
  • Anthurium
    Perfect for Valentine’s Day! This tropical-looking houseplant, with heart-shaped spathes in shades of red and pink, favors bright, indirect sunlight and high humidity. Enjoy its long-lasting blooms for years to come!
  • Heartleaf Philodendron
    This slow-growing, long-living, easy-care plant is perfect for the inexperienced houseplant lover. Heart-shaped leaves frame delicate, wavy stems. Whether hung from the ceiling or trained to climb, Heartleaf Philodendron are sure to earn a place in your Valentine’s heart!
  • String of Hearts
    Perfect for those forgetful plant parents, this delicate-looking plant is tough and thrives on neglect. The String of Hearts houseplant showcases beautiful, grey-green marbled, heart-shaped leaves tinged with pink. Tendrils of love will seek your affection with its tumbling vine display. This succulent will fit right into any esthetic.
  • Arrowhead Vine
    Bring the tropics home with this luscious heart-shaped vine. Flaunting beautiful, variegated leaves, let this velvety-textured houseplant capture your loved one’s heart. Arrowhead Vines are low-light thriving plants, sure to add interest to any decor.
  • Peperomia
    This decorative houseplant flaunts intricately patterned leaves of green and cream. True to its succulent nature, the waxy, thick leaves are as hardy as your love! From alluring, ornamental foliage to air-purifying properties, Peperomia is a gift that just keeps on giving.
  • Cyclamen
    Heart-shaped leaves weave an elegant pattern of greens, while petite, elegant flowers brighten up a room with dynamic reds, pinks, and whites. This houseplant is sure to bring a smile to your Valentine’s face. Not for the faint of heart, cyclamen can be forced to bloom again after dormancy.

Why stop there? Complete your Valentine’s Day gift with a decorative pot and fertilizer needed to care for a new houseplant. We have everything you need to set your sweetheart up for success!

Stop by Driftwood Garden Center and check out our selection of houseplants, pots, supplies, and more! Our friendly staff is here to help guide you on your journey to a victorious Valentine’s Day!

Heart-Shaped Houseplant
Heart-Shaped Houseplant
Heart-Shaped Houseplant

Kokedama: Easy How-To Instructions

Are you a gardener with a minimalist vibe? Well then, kokedama will give you all the right feels!

What is Kokedama?

Kokedama, loosely translated as “ball of moss,” has become a popular trend in recent years, and for good reason. This Japanese art form eliminates planting pot use by wrapping moss around the root ball to create a beautifully minimalist plant display. If you’re interested in adding some greenery to your home and are looking for a space-saving option, then kokedama is for you.

One reason for kokedama’s recent surge in popularity is its practicality. Unlike traditional potted plants, kokedama is versatile and can be either hung in the home or placed in a saucer or bowl atop a table, shelf, mantle, windowsill, or other surface. Hanging as a display option is perfect for those with limited space. Additionally, kokedama is an enjoyable, easy, and unique way to create a stunning display that can last for years with just a little bit of maintenance. Also, it is an excellent winter gardening project that is fun for the whole family.

Materials

Before you start your kokedama, you’ll want to gather your materials, and it’s important to choose the right ones.

  • Plants
    Most small houseplants will do. We recommend anthurium, dracaena, ferns, peperomia, philodendron, pilea, and pothos as great beginner plants. Ease of care is important when selecting your plant, but more importantly, consider where you have the room to display your kokedama. You will want your chosen plant to be displayed where its light, temperature, and humidity needs are met.
  • Moss
    Select sphagnum, either fresh or dried.
  • Soil
    Any good quality potting soil will do. Potting soil with a bit of compost for nutrition and vermiculite for aeration is an extra good choice.
  • String
    It is best to avoid using jute or cotton string. These are attractive with a natural look but break down rather quickly compared to waxed string or fishing line.
  • Incidentals
    Scissors are the only tool necessary to cut the moss and string.

How To Construct

Once you have your materials, it’s time to get kokedama construction.

  1. Premoisten the moss just enough so that it maintains its shape when it is formed into a ball.
  2. Gently remove the selected plant from its pot, shake off excess soil, and mold the potting soil ball around the plant roots.
  3. Lay an adequate-sized piece of moss flat and place the soil ball in the middle.
  4. Surround the soil ball in moss, trimming away any extra.
  5. While holding the moss in place, tie a string loop around the soil ball.
  6. Continue to wrap the string around the ball, tugging as you go to keep it taunt until the moss is secured to the ball. Tie off the line and cut away the excess.
  7. Add a tripod of long strings, as long as you like, and evenly spaced around the ball. Tie them to the line that is wrapped around the moss ball.
  8. Gather the three strings at the top and balance the kodedama so it hangs correctly. You may eliminate this and the following steps if you choose to display it in a saucer or bowl.
  9. Fold the three strings down about three inches and knot them to create a hanger.
  10. Hang your kodedama and enjoy!

After Care

Familiarizing yourself with your chosen kokedama plant will assist you greatly in caring for it correctly. Depending on the type of plant you choose, you’ll want to make sure that all its needs are met.

  • Water
    Water as needed. Check every few days or so by sticking a finger through the moss to assess dryness. Water using a bowl, soak the ball thoroughly, and squeeze out all the excess water before rehanging.
  • Light
    Provide adequate light for your selected plant and position accordingly.
  • Humidity
    Humidity is necessary for all plants, but some more than others. Be sure to have a spray bottle filled with fresh water nearby. Mist your kokedama frequently, especially in the winter when the air indoors is particularly dry.
  • Feed
    Fertilize your kokedama during the growing season with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer. Use at a quarter strength in the soaking water. Follow the manufacturer’s recommended instructions for frequency.
  • Groom
    Groom your kokedama as necessary, snipping off any browning bit and keeping vining plants in bounds.

In conclusion, kokedama is an easy and trendy way to bring some greenery into your life. With a little time and a few basic supplies, you can create beautiful, pot-less, hanging plant displays that will impress your friends and family.

Kokedama
Kokedama
Kokedama

New Year Gardening Resolutions

As a new year begins, so do our garden plans. Winter is now halfway through; day length is increasing, and exhilarating notions of having the best garden ever consume our thoughts almost daily. Here are some resolutions to help make your dreams come true this gardening season.

  • PLAN – A little garden planning goes a long way. Layout your garden design for vegetables, herbs, and flowers, even trees and shrubs, to maximize space, efficiency, and beauty.
  • IMPROVE – Healthy soil equals healthy plants. A soil test will tell you what needs improvement. Add the recommended amendments to feed both the soil and plants for a vibrant, beautiful, and productive garden. Resolving to stick to a regular weeding, feeding, and watering schedule will also help improve your garden results.
  • START – There’s just something special about starting seeds indoors. Maybe it’s the improved cultivar selection, the excitement of beginning a new gardening year, or simply getting your hands in the soil during the winter months. Whatever the reason, it’s beneficial to get a jumpstart on the season by starting and growing seedlings under grow lights.
  • TRY – This year, resolve to try something new every season. Experiment with one unusual vegetable, herb, or flower. This is an excellent way to increase both plant and garden knowledge and may result in a delightful, unexpected outcome.
  • ATTRACT – Plant more bee-friendly plants to attract pollinators. Some of the best plants for this purpose are native. Be sure to include early, mid, and late-season bloomers to ensure that veggie plants are pollinated and producing and to keep pollinators active, plump, and happy all growing season long.
  • IMPART – What greater gift can you impart to children than a lifelong love of gardening? This year, involve the whole family, from youngest to oldest, by giving kids their own small plot, raised bed, or container to plant, nurture, and learn from.
  • PRESERVE – Don’t allow your hard work to go to waste. Harvest fruits, vegetables, and herbs at peak ripeness when they are their tastiest. Preserve the abundance. Can, freeze, or dry extra produce so you can enjoy homegrown all year.

This list will start you on your New Year’s gardening journey. Feel free to add to this list to personalize it. Use it to evaluate your successes at the end of the year and for planning purposes next January as you resolve, yet again, to have the best garden ever!

New Year Gardening
New Year Gardening
New Year Gardening

Veggie Gardening in Zone 10b Southwest Florida

A tremendous aspect of gardening in southwest Florida Hardiness Zone 10b is enjoying fresh, homegrown produce year-round.

Best Vegetables to Garden in Southwest Florida by Season

Many types of veggies can grow well in zone 10b, depending on when they are planted, their general time to maturity, and their individual growth needs, such as soil type, sunlight levels, and fertilization and watering requirements. Whether seeds or seedlings are planted in the garden will also impact the best time to start different veggies, but there is great flexibility to what you can choose to fill your garden and your table.

Veggies to Plant in Spring

Spring in southwest Florida is a short season, earlier than most springs in northern areas, and marked by warming temperatures and gradually increasing rains. In general, spring conditions will be felt in February and March, which is a great time to plant:

  • Arugula
  • Bell peppers
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Collards
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplants
  • Kale
  • Mustard greens
  • Spinach
  • Turnips
  • Zucchinis

Veggies to Plant in Summer

Summer is a long, hot, humid season in southwest Florida, subject to intense thunderstorms and the possibility of tropical storms and hurricanes. Fewer veggies will thrive in this season, which runs from April through August or mid-September. Options that can make the most of the growing season include:

  • Black-eyed peas
  • Bell peppers
  • Hot peppers
  • Celery
  • Cucumber
  • Okra
  • Onion
  • Squash
  • Sweet potatoes

Veggies to Plant in Autumn

Like spring, the autumn season in southwest Florida – encompassing September, October, and November – is a fleeting season with few signs of seasonal change other than lower humidity and fewer rainstorms. Landscapes remain lush and green, leaves stay intact, and great vegetables can be grown, including:

  • Beans
  • Beets
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Eggplants
  • Leeks
  • Lettuce
  • Peas
  • Sweet corn

Veggies to Plant in Winter

A southwest Florida winter stretches from December to January or mid-February, a short season but one that could still see intermittent frosts and cooler overall temperatures, as well as less sunlight. The region’s mild winters permit great veggies to thrive, including:

  • Beets
  • Bell peppers
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Okra
  • Rutabaga
  • Tomato
  • Turnips

It should be noted that depending on the exact planting date, there can be significant overlap between which veggies can be grown in which season. For example, some vegetables that are easy to grow in late summer will also do well in autumn.

Tips for Veggie Gardening in Zone 10b

Regardless of the season, there are steps you can take to ensure productive harvests and the tastiest veggies from your southwest Florida garden.

  • Provide Proper Drainage
    With excessive rain and torrential downpours, a fact of life in southwest Florida, soil must be well-draining. Unfortunately, although Florida’s sandy soils drain well, they don’t always have the best nutrition. Containers and raised beds will work well if they are well-draining and can be filled with the best possible soil for veggies to thrive.
  • Promote Air Circulation
    Frequent rains and high humidity – which describe most of the year in southwest Florida – can create ideal conditions for fungus, mold, and other garden pests to thrive. Space vegetable plants properly, giving them enough room to ensure adequate air circulation, and thin plants as necessary to keep gardening spaces from becoming overcrowded.
  • Be Prepared With Cold Protection
    While Florida’s winters are decidedly mild, there can still be occasional cold nights that will damage veggie gardens, especially younger plants. Watch weather forecasts closely for cold fronts, and be prepared with row covers, cold frames, cloches, or other protective options to keep plants cozy when cold weather threatens.
  • Fertilize Appropriately
    Because veggies can be grown year-round in zone 10b, the soil does not have a chance to rest and naturally break down enough organic material to nourish a new crop of vegetables. Choose appropriate fertilizers and apply them as needed to ensure the veggies receive adequate nutrition to reach their full potential for the best harvest every season.
  • Keep a Gardening Journal
    One of the best tools to make the most of your veggie gardening efforts is a journal to track what works, what doesn’t, what you’ve tried, what conditions impacted your harvests, and other details. Over time, your journal can be a powerful tool to tweak your gardening plans, veggie choices, planting calendar, and other processes to improve the outcome.

Veggie gardening in Southwest Florida can be challenging, but it can be gratifying once you adapt to the region’s unique conditions and make the most of the richness it can bring to your harvest.

Hurricane Prep for Plants

Hurricanes can be devastating for even the best-laid landscapes, bringing violent winds, torrential rains, storm surges, salt spray, and other impacts to yards even a significant distance from the coast. There are steps you can take as hurricane preparations for plants, however, that can help minimize such damage and protect your landscape from these storms.

When Is Hurricane Season?

The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins annually on June 1 and lasts through November 30. Historically, the busiest and strongest part of the season is from mid-August through September, but a powerful hurricane can occur anytime during the season or even outside the typical season dates.

In fact, tropical storms can inflict severe damage even if they aren’t classified as official hurricanes, and in Florida, we are susceptible to strong thunderstorms and other damaging fronts, including potential tornados, throughout the year.

Best Hurricane Prep for Plants

Fortunately, there are easy ways to practice hurricane prep for plants long before storms form and extra safeguards that can be taken as a storm approaches. After the storm, proper care can help plants recover quickly so within just days or weeks, the landscape will be lush and thriving again.

Before the Storm

The best way to prepare plants for hurricane impacts is to start preparation months or even years in advance. In particularly sensitive areas, such as immediate beach properties or regions that may see multiple storm impacts in just a few years, choosing wind-resistant and salt-tolerant plants can go a long way to ensure landscaping isn’t fazed by most hurricanes. Choosing native plants adapted to Florida’s unique climate, soil, and storm conditions will also help ensure a healthy landscape that can adapt to the occasional hurricane.

Keeping plants as healthy as possible will help them resist any storm’s impact. This includes ensuring proper nutrition through good-quality soil, appropriate fertilization, and watering as needed, as well as pruning away any dead wood or damaged sections. Take care that trees and shrubs are not damaged by lawn care, and ensure there is proper drainage around all plants so they are not sitting in sogginess after rains.

Each spring, well before hurricane season begins, inspect plants for any damage or infirmity, and prune or remove the plants as necessary. Similarly, check support structures such as stakes, trellises, arbors, or fences and repair or replace them to be sure they are stable and secure. Check that you have ample ropes or other gear on hand if a storm threatens, such as covers or additional stakes for extra security if needed.

When a Storm Approaches

Once a hurricane has formed, there will generally be several days of advance warning before it makes landfall. During that time, finish all emergency preparations and take any extra steps to prepare plants. This may include cleaning up and discarding yard debris, or weighting down piles of debris if they cannot be picked up before the storm arrives so loose branches do not become projectiles in high winds. Extra stakes or support can be added to more vulnerable plants, and the most tender new plants could be covered with buckets – held down with bricks – to protect them from high winds.

In the days before the storm, ensure plants are thoroughly watered but do not oversaturate the soil, as Mother Nature will likely bring a good deal of her own water with the storm. This is a good time to turn off any irrigation system or timer. Pick any ripe fruit and enjoy it before it becomes windfall during the storm. In the last hours before a storm hits or you must evacuate, bring containers into sheltered locations – in a shed, garage, screen porch, entryway, or at least in the corner of a fence to protect them from the full force of the winds.

During a Hurricane

When a storm hits, staying safe is the ultimate priority and it is no time to worry about landscaping. Seek shelter or evacuate as needed, and wait until the storm is well passed to venture outdoors to assess any damage.

After the Storm

Once winds have died down and waters have receded, first ensure the area is safe from downed wires or any hidden hazards before checking landscaping. Take care of any immediate threats first, such as branches or trees that may have caused structural damage, and notify authorities if any overhead electrical lines or underwater pipes might be affected by either downed or uprooted trees.

If plants are severely damaged, they may need to be pruned or replaced, but native, storm-resistant varieties can be surprisingly hardy and may recuperate naturally within a few weeks. Other debris will need to be cleared, and broken branches trimmed.

Some plant damage is likely inevitable from any hurricane, but with proper preparation in the months, weeks, and days before the storm that damage can be minimized. Sooner than you realize, your landscape will look just as lush and beautiful as it did before any storm warnings were issued.

5 Most Common Houseplant Pests

It’s not unusual or a sign of failure if houseplants become infested with some common potted plant pests. This problem is more pervasive when introducing newly purchased plants to the home, moving tender houseplants from the outdoors back inside with the changing seasons, and finally, when houseplants are under stress. These buggers can wreak havoc, leaving plants unhappy, unhealthy, and downright unattractive. However, even the most tenacious pests can be controlled with conscientious care. By acting quickly when these unwanted guests are first noticed, you can completely remove an infestation and keep your houseplants healthy, happy, and thriving.

Top 5 Common Houseplant Pests and Controlling Them

There are quite a number of houseplant pests that can make both you and your plants miserable. We’ve covered the five most common ones in this article.

Fungus Gnats

These tiny, flying pests, resembling fruit flies, don’t harm houseplants in their mature, adult form, but fungus gnat larvae live in houseplant soil and feed on organic material. This not only robs the plant of nutrition, but the larvae may also nibble on the plant’s roots. While they don’t cause much overall damage to an otherwise healthy plant, fungus gnats can be very irritating when they form cloud-like flocks hovering around a plant’s foliage.

Overwatering encourages fungus gnats, and they can be notoriously difficult to eradicate. Begin control by repotting the plant in fresh potting soil. Before repotting, rinse the roots to wash away any larvae. If reusing the same container, be sure to sterilize it before repotting. Use a high-quality, well-draining potting mix. Once repotted, reduce the amount of water and frequency, allowing the top inch of the soil to dry between waterings. Bottom watering will also make the environment less attractive to fungus gnats. In addition, mixing diatomaceous earth into the potting soil, adding a layer of chicken grit to the soil surface, or applying Bt var. israelensis (Bti-H14) will all help to control fungus gnat larvae organically.

Mealybugs

The tell-tale sign of these tiny, sap-sucking insects is a white, waxy, cottony substance frequently found on the underside of plant leaves and in plant stem crotches. As they suck the plant’s sap, the leaves wither and wilt. Yellowing leaves can also indicate an infestation, mainly if leaves are seen throughout the plant rather than just older bottom foliage.

When a houseplant is heavily infested with mealybugs, the fastest way to control the pests is to prune away infected foliage and prudently discard it. If the infestation is light, the bugs can be deterred first with a strong stream of water followed by an application of Neem oil. Rubbing alcohol is also an effective control measure. Apply the alcohol directly to the pests with a cotton swab or ball soaked in alcohol. Regardless of the control method used, immature mealybugs can be easily missed. Keep an eye out and retreat the plant as necessary.

Spider Mites

These pests are very destructive to all houseplants and can be challenging to get rid of. The mites themselves are so tiny that they may not be noticeable even with a heavy infestation, but their webs on the undersides of foliage or stretching between stems are easier to see. Leaves that show yellow stippling may also indicate an infestation.

Spider mites thrive in dry conditions, so keeping houseplants’ humidity high is an excellent way to deter them. Running a humidifier, frequent misting, grouping pots, and sitting pots on a water-filled pebble tray are all helpful solutions. When the bugs are present, neem oil spray should be used weekly to remove them and keep them from returning. Alternatively, light cleaning with insecticidal soap is also an effective way to control spider mites.

Aphids

While better known for their outdoor infestations, aphids can also be a problem for indoor houseplants. They are tiny insects, no more than one-eighth of an inch in size, and range from green or black to reddish or white. They are plump insects and get that way as they suck sap from the plant, usually on the foliage or stems. The plant will gradually wilt as it is unable to stay firmly upright while the aphids drain its sap.

Aphids are easily dislodged with a blast of water, so a cleansing shower is an excellent way to remove them without any unnecessary chemicals. If the infestation is extreme, washing the plant gently with an insecticidal soap may be necessary. Neem oil spray can also be effective for controlling aphids on houseplants.

Scale

These insects have a hard, oval-shaped shell that gives them a tough, scale-like exterior as they line up on a plant’s stems in tight clusters, similar to barnacles on a boat’s hull. These pests suck sap from the plant and then produce a sticky, honeydew residue that can coat the plant and lead to mildew or may attract additional pests.

Your first line of defense is gently scraping scale bugs off with your fingernail, taking care not to scratch or damage the already stressed plant. Dabbing the insects with a cotton swab or ball soaked in rubbing alcohol or spraying with neem oil can also be effective.

Minimizing Houseplant Pests

No matter which pests present a problem, it’s always best to avoid infestations altogether rather than try to control them after the insects have already appeared. To minimize the risk of bugs taking over your houseplants…

  • Purchase new plants only from a reputable retailer like Driftwood. We offer pest-free houseplants, effective plant care products, and the support you may need to identify and combat pest problems.
  • Using the “We the Wild” organic preventative spray to ensure your plants are pest free.
  • Use high-quality, well-drained potting soil for all houseplants rather than garden soil that isn’t sterilized and can harbor pests.
  • Provide houseplants with optimum care so they are not stressed, as this can make them more susceptible to pest infestations.
  • Sterilize all houseplant equipment regularly, including pots that will be reused, pruners and shears, and watering cans, to be sure no pests are carried between plants.
  • Stay alert at all times for signs of possible insect infestations. The faster you act, the easier it will be to control these houseplant pests.

Finding pests on your houseplants can be frustrating or downright frightening, but don’t worry; with careful monitoring, appropriate control measures, and Driftwood in your corner, your plants will soon be pest-free.

Houseplants for the Home Office

Houseplants can be a wonderful and invigorating addition to the home office, bringing different benefits to your workspace. But which houseplants are best for a home office setting and what care do they need to thrive?

Benefits of Home Office Houseplants

Houseplants bring a touch of nature into your home office, nourishing peace and tranquility that can reduce stress no matter what the workday brings. Studies have shown office plants can boost productivity and creativity, enhancing your work and increasing job satisfaction. This is ideal for the home office, where distractions and erratic work hours can be a constant concern.

Office houseplants also offer a range of physical benefits. These plants act as a natural filter for cleaner air, reducing dust and allergens to help alleviate respiratory problems. Houseplants also reduce odors and airborne chemicals and can be especially effective in the small or unusual spaces such as closets or niches that so often become home offices. Houseplants also improve indoor humidity, which can further improve breathing and ease dry skin.

Best Houseplants for the Home Office

There are many beautiful options for home office houseplants. When choosing the best plant, take note of the office’s sunlight levels and typical temperatures, and select plants that can thrive in those conditions. Furthermore, plants that won’t spread too dramatically are often preferred for the home office so they don’t usurp extra desk space. Top houseplants for the home office include…

  • Snake Plants – Also called sword plant, mother-in-law’s tongue, and sansevieria, these hardy, upright plants come in different sizes and thrive even with irregular care. They are slow growers, making them perfect for office spaces.
  • African Violet – These bushy blooms add a burst of color to any desk, and they thrive in the same temperature and humidity conditions that are often found in home offices. Furthermore, these flowers are happy in fluorescent light, and miniature varieties are great for small desks.
  • Air Plants – Different tillandsias are easy houseplants for any space and are very low maintenance. Because they do not require soil, there is no need for planting in a pot. They are also beautiful accents in miniature terrariums.
  • Lucky Bamboo – Actually a type of dracaena, these upright plants are believed to channel good vibes and positive fortune – the ideal choice for any workspace. They can grow well in low light conditions, and their slow growth means they will keep their form well for years.
  • Peace Lily – These easy-to-grow plants come in medium and large sizes, and their dark green, glossy foliage is an elegant accent to any office space. They do require brighter light, and rotating them regularly can help keep their growth even.
  • Succulents – There are many different succulent varieties that can add a bit of whimsy to any office space. Choosing succulents that thrive in lower light are best for offices, including jade plant, zebra plant, and echeveria species.
  • Nerve Plant – Or fittonia, is a colorful plant comes in green, white, pink, and reddish foliage, allowing for personalization in the office space. There are several size options as well, and the 4-inch plants are best for offices. These plants do require higher humidity to look their best.
  • Parlor Palm – A larger plant that adds a tree-like accent to a larger office, the parlor palm is a dramatic option for the appropriate space. These plants still thrive in low light conditions, however, making them a good choice for home offices with tucked away corners.

Caring for Office Plants

No matter which houseplants are part of the home office, they need appropriate care just like houseplants in any other room. Choose a pot of the appropriate size for the plant’s needs, and be sure the pot has adequate drainage holes. Potting soil mix formulated for houseplants is best, and specialized plants such as succulents or flowering plants will thrive in soil mixes that meet their specialized needs. Adding a slow-release fertilizer can nourish office plants to keep them at their best.

Take care not to overwater office plants, as overwatering can lead to discoloration, root rot, soil funguses, and plant death. A small watering can is ideal for watering these plants directly at the base so the foliage is not soaked, which could attract different pests. As the plants grow, trimming them with a sharp pair of hand pruners will keep them neat and manage their size so they always bring their best to every work day.

Houseplants can thrive all over the house, including in the home office. By choosing the best type of plant to suit the office space and providing it with exceptional care, you will be nourishing not only the plant, but your own professional productivity as well.

Fall Chrysanthemums

No flower is more iconic of autumn than the chrysanthemum, and these beautiful mounding perennials are ideal for fall flowerbeds, pots, window boxes, borders, and many other uses. How will you get creative with chrysanthemums this fall?

Why We Love Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums, or mums, are coming into their glory during the cooler months with a range of stunning autumn colors. Depending on the cultivar, these plants sport yellow, white, red, orange, bronze, pink, peach, wine, purple, and bicolored blooms. The flowers range from small, button-like blossoms to larger blooms reminiscent of daisies. Mum blooms are long-lasting when cut and they’re just as lovely in floral arrangements and bouquets as they are planted in containers, flowerbeds, and the landscape. This makes mums extremely useful for all manner of autumn décor.

Chrysanthemums are native to east Asia and northern Europe and were first domestically cultivated in China nearly 600 years ago. Today, there are more than 20,000 chrysanthemum cultivars worldwide. They are a hardy option for landscaping beds, and with a bit of thoughtful care, these tender perennials can be a wonderful addition to any flower garden or fall containers.

Caring for Chrysanthemums

The hardiness of chrysanthemums depends on the cultivar as well as the local climate and even the microclimate in your landscape. These flowers prefer well-drained, rich soil with a neutral pH, so it is best to use a good quality potting soil in containers. When planting chrysanthemums in the garden or landscape, mixing compost or fertilizer in the planting hole will help increase drainage and nourish the soil to promote the best blooms. A good rule of thumb is that if soil is good for vegetables, it will also be good for mums – making them a wonderful choice to refresh a garden after the summer harvest has finished.

Chrysanthemums grow best in full sun requiring a minimum of six hours per day. If mums are planted in containers, consider using a mobile plant cart or a stand with casters so that the pots may be moved to brighter areas, if needed, as the season progresses.

Chrysanthemums prefer evenly moist, but not soggy, soil. Because of their thick, mounding habit, it is best to water mums from below suing a soaker hose or irrigation drip system in garden beds. In pots, mums should again be watered from below the plant but above the soil line. A watering wand will make this job direct and easy. Be sure to drain excess water from saucers after watering so the roots do not remain continually wet.

Fertilizing chrysanthemums every month through the spring and early summer, with a balanced fertilizer, will help them grow and bloom well, but if mums are planted in the Fall, they should not need extra feeding as long as they were planted in rich, nutritious soil. Deadheading spent blooms by pinching them back can encourage more flowering and help mums maintain their compact, mounding habit.

Decorating with Fall Mums

Chrysanthemums are a beautiful choice not only in the garden, but are equally lovely in welcoming porch pots, deck or patio containers, or even small indoor pots and arrangements. Add an extra touch of fall with rustic containers, such as wine barrels, baskets, or terra cotta pots, or glam up your mums in hammered copper or bronze pots that will accentuate their color. A burlap ribbon or bow can be a charming accent, and you can give more seasonal flair to mum arrangements or flowerbeds by adding pumpkins and gourds as fun decorations. Indoors, use small pails or pots for petit mum arrangements, or add them to larger arrangements with grain sprigs, dried pods, colorful leaves, or twists of grapevine for additional texture.

Fall chrysanthemums can be a pleasant burst of autumn color, whether they are part of the landscape or are used in containers, pots, or arrangements and we carry a wide selection to make your fall home suit the season!

Kale, the Super Food

Did you know kale is a super food? Kale belongs to the same family as cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. It is a rich source of vitamins C, A, & B6, and is loaded with manganese, calcium, copper and potassium, with no fat or cholesterol. Add it to your garden for a healthy harvest!

Planting

In the fall, set out transplants or sow kale seeds about 6-8 weeks before first coldest nights in deep rich soil. Kale will need at least 6 hours of sun per day. Enrich your planting soil with plenty of compost. Planting kale in nutritious soil will promote faster plant growth and thus provide a tender, richer crop. Soil pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8. Sow seeds roughly one-half inch deep and thin seedlings to 8-12 inches apart to provide adequate air circulation. When thinning kale shoots, however, bear in mind that larger spacing will produce larger plants, larger plants produce larger leaves and larger leaves are generally tougher. Keep soil moist and mulch to control weeds. Water when planting and during dry spells.

Harvesting

Harvest the outer leaves of kale as they are needed for salads and recipes. Young tender leaves will grow from the center of the plant. Use the young leaves for salads and keep older leaves for cooking, which will help tenderize those larger leaves. Kale will continue to produce throughout fall in our area. In low lying areas or where it is colder, use floating row covers or low tunnels to extend the life of your kale. Kale will bolt (elongate) and flower in the spring. This signifies the end, and it is time to pull it up and compost the remaining plant.

Cooking

Kale may be used fresh or frozen. It may be steamed or stir-fried, or used in soups, stews, omelets and casseroles. It is a tasty base for salads or can be added to sandwiches. It may be used in recipes as a replacement for spinach and collard greens. It even makes fantastic chips!

Kale Chips

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Clean Kale and spin dry. Remove all the tough stems.
  • Drizzle about 8 cups of leaves with one tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat.
  • Place Kale leaves in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes or until leaves are crisp but not scorched.
  • Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with generous amount of flaky sea salt.
  • Devour!

With so many tasty options for kale and so many nutritional benefits from this super food, there’s no excuse not to add this easy-to-grow dietary wonder to your garden!

Get Started Composting

Fall is an excellent time to start a compost pile with all of the leaves falling, and if you develop compost now, you will have a rich source of organic material for your garden and flowerbeds in spring. Getting started with compost is fairly simple if you keep in mind the following…

  • Size Matters
    Smaller particles break down faster than larger chunks. Shredding or mulching garden wastes will help speed up the process and develop usable compost faster. Chop up larger pieces of household materials before adding them to your compost pile to speed up their decomposition.
  • Take a Turn for the Better
    Turning helps aerate the pile and shifts outer parts closer to the center where they can heat and decompose more effectively. A well-mixed pile will also have better consistency and more evenly distributed nutrients. Use a pitchfork, spade or rake to gently turn your pile periodically, such as once every 1-2 weeks or whenever you add a large amount of new material to the pile.
  • Know What to Compost
    Materials that can be composted are sod, grass clippings, leaves, hay, straw, manure, chopped corncobs, corn stalks, sawdust, shredded newspaper, wood ashes, hedge clippings and many kinds of plant refuse from the garden. Some household waste, such as coffee grounds, banana peels, eggshells and vegetable peelings are also ideal for a compost pile and will reduce the trash you accumulate.
  • Avoid Unwanted Materials
    Materials to avoid composting are large amounts of weeds, grease, fat, meat scraps and bones, cheese, coal ashes, diseased plants, cut weeds and charcoal. These materials do not decompose readily and can create poor quality compost. For example, meat, grease or dairy products in your compost will begin to smell strongly, which could attract rats, raccoons or other unwanted visitors. Diseased plants or weeds can survive in a compost pile, contaminating your garden when you add the compost to the soil in spring.
  • Cover as Needed
    Covering your compost pile with a tarp or large piece of carpet can help preserve the heat and moisture essential to promote appropriate decomposition. The cover can also keep the pile from freezing or getting too wet in winter conditions, and it can easily be removed to add new material or turn the pile as needed.

Before you toss out your next bag of trash, check for compost material and start your pile today! Your garden will thank you tomorrow.