nbls A-Z Apartment Garden

Going on hiatus...

2010-03-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Need some time to re-group so I am taking a break from blogging. But my blogs and the Enlightenment website have lots of good information so be sure to check out the archives.

Oxalis - if you got one for St. Patrick's Day...

2010-03-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

Shamrock plants are popular party favors on the holiday, but what do you do with them once you get them home? Proper care for a houseplant starts with knowing what you have—its Latin name. Then you'll know where it's ancestors came from and what conditions the plant prefers to live in. Oxalis regnellii is often sold as the Shamrock Plant. It comes from South America.LIGHT-TEMP: Bright light =

Office plants - for your home away from home

2010-03-18T05:06:00.000-07:00

You don't have to turn your office into a jungle, but why not add one carefully selected low-maintenance houseplant and make a real difference. Right away you will notice a change in your own attitude when you have an easy-going friend sharing your space, then co-workers will stop by, admire & bring in their own plants. Houseplants in the office are a very inexpensive way to improve:

Oregano - pizza, marinara, focaccia ... what's not to love?

2010-03-17T05:15:00.000-07:00

Oregano thrives on a sunny sill or under cabinet grow-lights. You could just reach out pinch a few leaves for dinner! This herb stays compact as you use it but every time you snip off a leaf the plant is encouraged to grow even more. Just because you don't have a yard doesn't mean you can't grow fresh herbs. LIGHT: Likes a lot! All day under fluorescents or on the balcony in full sun.

Overwatering - the leading cause of houseplant death!

2010-03-16T05:08:00.000-07:00

Potted plants need good draining soil so roots do not drown and do get some air. If your houseplant has brown leaf tips and the pot feels heavy, it's probably been overwatered. Slide the plant out of its pot. If roots look soggy, leave your plant out of its pot for a few hours, snip off any dead roots, re-pot...and water less! SEASON: Only water regularly if plant is actively growing—less Nov.

Orchids - you can grow them ... start with Moth Orchids

2010-03-15T05:35:00.001-07:00

Moth Orchids have multiple flowers on delicately arching stems that last for weeks in white or shades of pink, salmon & lavender. They are just about the easiest to grow in an apartment garden because they don't need special conditions like other orchids. A plant flowers for years and makes tiny plantlets to grow more. LIGHT: Bright to medium light, no sun. East or West window or fluorescents.

New clock for us - same clock for houseplants

2010-03-12T05:10:00.001-08:00

Daylight savings time starts this Sunday, March 14th, at 2 a.m. ...unless you're a plant. Outdoors, plants tell the time of year by how long the daylight lasts each day. Plants know what needs to be done, depending on their ancestors, as the days get longer or shorter—even indoors ... unless you have no windows at all! What do longer days mean for your houseplants?SEEDS: even under soil they see

North-facing window - don't throw away your money!

2010-03-11T04:56:00.001-08:00

If you don't have windows that face the South, East or West you already know your apartment is dark. Here in the U.S. the sun travels across the the Southern sky, from East to West, so the North side always gets less sunlight. If you have North-facing windows, don't buy flowering plants unless you also buy lights. Here are some houseplants you can buy that don't need a lot of light:Maranta (

Narcissus - get 'em while they last!

2010-03-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

Narcissus, paperwhites, daffodils, jonquils...you'll see these bulbs in every garden center, department or drug store then they'll go away until next Spring. Unless...you find the perfect flowers now, display them for a few weeks & save them for next year—all you need is a cool dry spot. No? Then gift them to a friend with a yard. LIGHT: Shady until flowers are ready to open then bright light

Nitrogen deficiency - stymies houseplant growth

2010-03-09T04:23:00.000-08:00

Nitrogen is the mineral most-needed by plants. Without nitrogen your houseplants cannot use sunlight to make the food they need to grow (photosynthesis). Too little nitrogen not only slows down growth but creates a chemical imbalance so your plant might not be able to use other minerals. Signs of nitrogen deficiency are: Pale leaves. Color goes from light green to yellow to brown … then leaf

Neoregelia - what the heck is a bromeliad?

2010-03-08T05:13:00.001-08:00

Think pineapple, before its flowers merge to become 1 big fruit. Bromeliads have a 'vase' of leaves with a central flower 'spike'. Some of their roots—pineapples—feed in soil. Others—like the Neoregelia—have anchoring roots that don't need to be in soil. The leaves take-in water & nutrients from the air and the vases. LIGHT: Bright light for flowering, in West window. Direct sun burns leaves.

March Flower Shows - coming to a city near you?

2010-03-05T05:13:00.001-08:00

Google it! For the most current try Google News for flower shows. You can be more specific and add your home town or nearest big city to your search. The Fast Flip feature lets you view the actual newspaper articles. Add a Google News Alert—you won't miss a show; they'll send you an email. Here's a short list of big shows: PA—The Philadelpha International Flower Show: Feb. 28 – March 7, 2010

Miniature Gardens - select a theme for success

2010-03-04T05:06:00.001-08:00

Everyone's into gardening these days and just because you live in an apartment doesn't mean you can't have a garden. But keep it simple, start with one idea. Think about what you really want, gather some ideas, pick the best and run with it—Spring is here! A few ideas to get you thinking about your apartment garden... CLASSIC: Indoor foliage & flowers only, arranged to create a mood or style.

Marigolds - easiest way to start an apartment garden

2010-03-03T05:06:00.001-08:00

Sunny window or balcony? Get a packet of marigold seeds and start growing! Marigolds sprout in just three days if kept in a warm place, then you'll have flowers all summer long. Seeds are starting to show up in stores. Make sure you get the right right height, and you may want an unscented hybrid indoors. LIGHT: plenty of sunlight. These tough little plants can spend all day in sun. TEMPERATURE

Misting - just how dry is the air in your apartment?

2010-03-02T04:48:00.000-08:00

Not talking about watering, but humidity. Plants—just like most people—prefer humidity levels of at least 40%. For houseplants that came from the rainforest, a level of 60% is better for them but intolerable for you. To find out the humidity level of the air in your apartment, you'll need a hygrometer—digital or analog. FERNS: like it wet, so mist often or grow in humid room—bath or kitchen.

Mushrooms - did you say mushrooms?

2010-03-01T04:55:00.001-08:00

Yes, mushrooms are not plants. They're fungi. But you can grow them in your apartment & eat them...like indoor herbs or veggies. Unlike other 'houseplants', mushrooms do not require as much looking after—once you get them set up properly. If you have a little curiousity & love the taste, why not give mushrooms a try? Keep it simple. Start with an indoor mushroom growing kit which will have:a

the Lorax - remember plants' real best friend

2010-02-26T04:40:00.001-08:00

Dr. Seuss was born on March 2nd—that will be Tuesday. His creation, the Lorax, spoke for Dr. Seuss (and all of us) when he first 'spoke for the trees' almost 40 years ago. Perhaps the most appropriate thing we could do in his memory is to introduce a child to plants. And indoor plants are so convenient! But why? ISSUE 1: Plants rule. Without them, less oxygen & food is produced...for us. ISSUE 2

Light meters - fun...but not really necessary

2010-02-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

Don't invest in a plant light meter unless it gives you confidence. Light meters give you too much information. Your eyes are not good enough to tell exactly how bright light is, but you can easily work with distance indoors. The range is limited. The concept easy. For houseplants direct sun is too hot & no light is too dark. Plants need 12 hours of light. Fluorescent travels 3 feet. Sunlight

Lavender - all you need is sun!

2010-02-24T04:55:00.001-08:00

If your balcony gets sun all day, pick up a lavender plant at the garden center. Lavender leaves are fragrant year-round & the white, pink or purple flowers from Spring through Summer. If you need to pollinate a vegetable container garden, lavender attracts butterflies and bees. This herb is fragrant and edible. Lavender loves sunlight. Grow it on a patio or in a sun room that faces South. Leave

Leaves – pretty little houseplant factories

2010-02-23T04:53:00.001-08:00

We ignore them when there are flowers around—unless those leaves have an unusual shape or prettier colors. Sometimes we notice the shine (or dust) in the sunlight. But leaves are vital to us and our planet. Only plants have learned how to take the sun's rays and turn them into food—for both them and us! As thin as they are, leaves have 'machinery' in between two protective layers. The top layer

Lilies – keep 'em cool & they'll come back!

2010-02-22T05:16:00.000-08:00

Easter Sunday pops up in six weeks (on April 4th this year) and those tall fragrant plants will be tempting you from every store. Without a yard you can't plant them outdoors after they bloom, but if you have a cool dark spot in your apartment and don't let them totally dry out, you can have your Lilies next Easter too. While in flower (about 4 weeks) keep plant in bright light but no direct sun

Kitchen Gardeners International - you're not alone!

2010-02-19T04:45:00.000-08:00

You can't wait for Spring and the garden centers to open so you can pick up your patio tomatoes...or you really couldn't wait so your pepper seeds are already sprouting under the grow-lights. You wish you could share your joy of gardening and great ideas. Kitchen Gardeners International is just waiting for you! KGI is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 by Roger Doiron of Maine. The KGI

Knife for pruning – keep it sharp, sterile & handy

2010-02-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

Damaged, dying and dead parts of your houseplants should be cut off as soon as you notice them. If your pruning knife is not ready, you'll probably put it off and your plant will continue to suffer. You can often just use some small pruning snips but the knife won't crush stems and you may have an old paring knife. Fading flowers should be removed a.s.a.p. so plants use energy on new ones.

Kamut seeds – start a sprout garden with Egyptian Wheat

2010-02-17T05:48:00.001-08:00

Sprouting seeds is one of the easiest ways to grow healthy food. You can sprout almost any seed but kamut is more nutritious than regular wheat and tastes great on salads, in stir-fry or in home-made bread. You can use a fancy sprouter, a mason jar or sprouting bag—find online or at your local health food store. Start by soaking seeds for a few hours. The water tells them it's okay to grow.

Kitchen plants - an easy way to start an apartment garden

2010-02-16T06:06:00.000-08:00

The most natural place for an apartment garden is the kitchen. It's usually warmer from cooking & more humid from washing. The sink is handy for watering plants. You can probably find a cupboard to store tools & fertilizer. Houseplants in the kitchen pull the eye away from cold stainless sinks & plain appliances. WINDOW: Use sunny sill or add grow lights under cupboards over counter. SINK: Be