Houseplants for Cleaner Air!

Need to freshen up your home or office? Let a plant do the dirty work. For instance, a spider plant gets rid of formaldehyde fumes from your new carpeting, thanks to microorganisms living in potting soil that use airborne toxins as a source of food. Plant roots absorb the waste produced by those microorganisms and release cleaner air in your home. “Some plants work better because their root systems prefer pollutants...

Tips for Healthy Houseplants

Keeping your houseplants healthy during winter months may seem difficult. Light from windows is reduced, days are shorter and humidity may be lower due to heating. But by making a few changes, you can help keep your houseplants healthy. Keeping things light In winter, your plants receive sunlight for less time and in less intensity. Houseplants native to rainforests that are used to lower light will be fine with that, but...

Bring Your Garden Indoors

As we put summer and fall to bed and ready ourselves for winter, we often forget that the beauty left behind outdoors can often be moved indoors. The choices are plentiful and the lighting indoors is bright but not too hot-perfect for developing window gardens accented by topiaries or standing indoor trees. •Pick a spot in your living room, dining area, family room or kitchen opposite a source of good lighting or...

Bringing Your Plants Indoors

Many winter- and spring-flowering houseplants spend the summer outdoors. Make sure these are brought in before the first frost threatens. Clear away the mulching material if the pots have been plunged into the ground and mulched to reduce the need for regular watering. If the pots do not come up easily, insert a garden fork a little distance away and lever them gently to avoid damaging the pots. Remove leaves and debris from...