The Plant Dictionary

The Plant Book

2010-05-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

There is nothing like sharing my love of gardening with those who love it just as much. I have missed blogging so much that I had to jump on and share my adventures of this season. This blog will be changing to a new platform and have a new name "The Plant Book". It is taking me a while because I am working on it between kids, gardening and work. So here is a preview of what I am working on in

Composting Basics

2009-09-22T11:53:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaAs I have said in a precious post, I started the plant dictionary not as a professional gardener but as a student. As I research what I want to know, I share with everyone else. Just makes sense to me. I didn't realize just how much there is to learn not just about plants but everything that goes into growing strong healthy plants. One thing that is very important to me is

Magnificent Mums

2009-09-20T01:43:00.001-04:00

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Christmas Cactus

2008-12-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

Image via WikipediaThis beautiful houseplant blooms just in time for the holidays! The Christmas cactus is available in pink, white, red and violet.The Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is a thornless member of the cactus family, the Christmas cactus can make an easy -to-care-for addition to your collection of houseplants. They require bright, indirect light and, different than most

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

2008-11-26T18:03:00.000-05:00

All of your window space taken? Trying to find a spot to fit just one more houseplant?The Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) is one of the few foliage plants that will flower in low light. These plants periodically produce lightly fragrant, beautiful white flowers.LIGHT: This Plant tolerates medium to low light, but thrives in bright, filtered light. Avoid direct sunlightwhich can burn the

My First Chritmas Tree

2008-11-25T14:31:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, this will be my first year with a real Christmas tree in my home. I have wanted one for a while now but my kids were young and i didn't want them playing with or eating a Christmas tree. Now they are old enough and the baby isn't old enough to get to the tree, I figured now is my chance. Here is some information I found on how to care for a fresh Christmas tree. Wish me

Year Round Care Of Poinsettias

2008-11-22T14:45:00.000-05:00

Image via WikipediaPoinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) remain one of the most popular holiday flowers. Hybridizers have expanded the range of colors from the familiar red to pastel yellow and vibrant bi-colors. One of the most common questions after Christmas is “How can I care for my poinsettia so that it will bloom again next Christmas?”. While this can be done, it’s a very fussy, exacting

EasyBloom Plant Sensor

2008-11-11T11:34:00.000-05:00

Look what I found! Can we say Christmas present? I want one! The only bad review on this product is that it is not Mac compatible even though it says it is, the Mac software will not be available until January at the earliest. Other than that, everyone seems to love it. Check it out.EasyBloom Plant SensorThe EasyBloom Plant Sensor helps you grow a perfect garden without all of the

Corn Plant (Dracaena Fragrans)

2008-11-10T20:35:00.000-05:00

This is the first plant that I have blogged about that I don't actually have. It will probably be my next plant because of it's tropical bigness. LOL. Here is how to best care for your corn plant.Place the plant in a location where it gets light, just not direct sunlight. Best location is to the side of a south or east window. The plant can be directly in front of the window only if the window is

Jade Plant

2008-11-09T19:12:00.000-05:00

The Jade plant (Crassula ovata) is a succulent plant, meaning the leaves are swollen and fleshy from the water they store. It is a native of South Africa and is a very common, easy to grow houseplant. Jades enjoy normal watering in summer, when soil is dry and very little water in winter. Overwatering will cause the plant to lose leaves. To identify overwatering, the leaves will be crinkly

Forced Bulbs

2008-11-04T17:10:00.000-05:00

Is there frost on your windowpanes...or is the view looking out starting to appear just plain dreary? What's a cooped-up gardener to do? Raise flowering bulbs!Yes, the same types of bulb you planted outdoors this fall—the ones that won't poke their heads up out of the ground until spring—are the ones that can be blooming your house all winter. Take your pick: tulips, daffodils, crocusses...even

Pothos - The Beginners Houseplant

2008-11-03T20:22:00.000-05:00

Three years ago, my sister gave me my first plant, the pothos. I remember being a little overwhelmed as to what to do with this plant. I immediately thought I would kill it for sure. After spending a few months bonding with my new pothos friend, I realized it was not so hard. This is when I started adding more plants to my collection but my other plants kept dying. Why, you ask? Because the

Orchids

2008-10-31T11:46:00.000-04:00

My first plant I will be writing about is my absolute favorite. The orchid. I have two orchids that are not in bloom right now so I will not be posting a picture of them. I should have listened to my sister when she told me to take a picture while they were in bloom. Oops. Over the last 150 years Orchids were widely crossed in cultivation to produce over 110,000 hybrids. One orchid can

The Plant Dictionary

2008-10-29T20:26:00.000-04:00

"Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes,grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. About 350,000 species of plants, defined as seed plants, bryophytes, ferns and fern allies, are estimated to exist currently. As of 2004, some 287,655 species had been identified, of which 258,650 are flowering and 18,000