Send A Holiday Norfolk Island Pine

Until recently I did not realize the impression that norfolk island pine houseplants can have on someone. I decided to visit Aunt Cathy one day and stepped into her office for some chit-chat. In a corner of the room stands this incredible plant that towers over a small file cabinet. It certainly adds a grand atmosphere; that's for sure!

Well there are many reasons why Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) plants are so popular, especially during the holiday season. You can place these plants in an office, a corner, or in brighter lights. The room can be slightly cool, normal, or warm. Norfolk Island Pine thrives in all of these environments.

Bright fluorescent lights of an office work just as well as the incandescent bulbs of a home or the natural sunlight of a patio. It's a pretty versatile plant. Most people wanting to send the gift of a houseplant gravitate toward Norfolk Island Pine for this reason.

Caring for Norfolk Island Pine is a breeze compared to plants of similar stature. I was rereading some plant care information about Norfolk Island Pine houseplants and had the following reactions:

• "Keep the soil surrounding the plant evenly moist." Uh huh. Can do.
• "Norfolk Island Pine requires ample light but never direct sunlight." So you mean I don't have to keep transferring it inside and outside of my house to make sure it has enough light? Score! "
• "Another unique use for this popular plant is for bonsai, the Asian art of sculpting miniature trees." I've been needing a new hobby. And short trees. I definitely need short trees.

Because Norfolk Island Pine houseplants come in a variety of sizes, these plants make excellent gift ideas. If your friend needs a colorful way to decorate an office nook, send them a Norfolk Island Pine plant. If your loved one wants to fill out a sunroom with more greenery, give this plant.

Another great thing about this plant (as if these weren't enough reasons) is that it has a lot of great qualities that people look for in a holiday gift idea. Norfolk Island Pine plants are easy to care for so you are not putting a burden on your loved one with these plants. You're lightening up their scenery. You can find these plants in many sizes. In this way, it's easy to satisfy the recipient whether the plant is for an office, an indoor living space or somewhere else. Because I'm a bit quirky, my favorite thing about sending houseplants for Christmas is that you can wrap a pretty red bow around the baskets of the green plants. Now you're talking quick and simple gift wrap in Christmas colors.

Let's review:  1) Caring for Norfolk Island Pine doesn't require much effort. 2) You can't get more simple but appropriate with the gift wrap. 3) This plant thrives in many environments. 4) Big enough or small enough for most homes and offices.

What's not to love!?

Ask the Expert: what plant is good for the house
I was told at one time, there was a plant that works well witht the air in thehouse for breathing, is this correct? If so, what is that plant?
Thank you,  Brenda

Dish Gardens Add Beauty To Every Indoor Space

The beauty of a garden has long been a cherished addition to the landscape of many homes. Working in a garden is for many a great bit of exercise, a calming place to unwind after a long day, and a wonderful reminder of the collective beauty of fresh flowers and plants. The trick for many gardening enthusiasts becomes bringing this beautiful, calming garden atmosphere into the home.

A great way to share in the joys of a garden from within the home is by caring for a dish garden.  A dish garden provides an assortment of fresh plants that is all the joy of having a tiny garden inside of the home. Dish gardens usually require only the same amount of care as a houseplant making them great home decor accents and excellent gift ideas as well!

Read the rest of How To Bring A Garden Atmosphere Into The Home »

I get lazy around the holidays and very much enjoy the chance to relax with my family and friends. This is probably the biggest reason why I chose to highlight the Green Schefflera plant this month. Schefflera plants (Schefflera actinophylla or Brassia actinophylla) are easy to care for and easy to love. Ask almost anyone and you’ll hear the same resounding praises about buying Schefflera houseplants for beginners or sending Schefflera as gifts.

The world is such a green place to live right now with a rise in eco-friendly activism. Certain members of my family have bounced onto the environmentally friendly bandwagon. It’s very hard to shop for someone who is so particular. The great thing about houseplants is that you cannot find a more green gift—literally! Beginners or seasoned houseplant experts love Green Schefflera plants and can always find fun new ways to decorate their homes with the wonderful houseplant.

Though I prefer a different kind of green gift, there is one thing that strikes my fancy about my Schefflera plants. They flourish in my home with little effort from me. I’ll put that in a way that deserves more fanfare. Green Schefflera plant care is simple enough for everyone. Schefflera plants require only very basic attention. Water occasionally, make sure it receives adequate light, repot in the spring and you’re done!

Green Schefflera plants add an unparalleled ambiance to any room. Going to work is just a bit more fun when you are able to look forward to gazing at Schefflera plant all day. The rich green color of Schefflera houseplants adds pep to boring rainy days. It’s almost a certainty that whatever your mood, Schefflera plants make it better. Easy care and a more fulfilling environment. What more can you want from a houseplant?

Green Schefflera plants make great gift ideas!

Fall has come to life now in the first few weeks of the season. Warmly colored fall flowers and plants are among the many wonderful autumn decorations. Trends in decorating for fall this year are starting to include a more popular use of bromeliads and other fall blooming plants. Excellent as centerpieces, colorful houseplants, and patio decorations, bromeliads provide warmth and color associated with autumn's changing season.

Bromeliads Add Flare To Fall Decor

Decorators and gardeners aren't the only bromeliad enthusiasts this fall. Florists are seeing a rise in the popularity of blooming plants, especially bromeliads which exist in enough varieties to meet any decorating need. Whether housing in full sun, partial shade, a rocky garden, as a houseplant, or using as a colorful centerpiece, bromeliad plants add the charm and pleasure desired. Why wouldn't someone choose to warm up autumn with colorful bromeliads from a local florist today.

Holidays can be very busy times. The many holidays during the fall such as Halloween and Thanksgiving keep busy hosts and hostesses bustling between rooms. Bromeliad plants have a special place for busy party hosts also! Bromeliad plants are rather resilient despite neglect. Already easy to care for, bromeliads continue to enhance fall décor with light, life and comfort-and you're not left with dirty dishes and pounds of holiday fruitcake when they're gone.

I hope that many who read this are chuckling because they know that Golden Pothos is actually one of the most versatile and popular houseplants. Easy to care for and pleasing to the eye, Golden Pothos is the exact opposite of Porthos, the colorful and arrogant character in the famous book by Alexandre Dumas.

Golden Pothos (Scindapsus aureus) plants are great gift ideas for those just getting started with gardening or caring for houseplants. When I say that Golden Pothos plant care is easy, I mean even black thumbs have a shot of maintaining a healthy plant. Golden Pothos plants thrive in the low light levels of a home, near windows, under bright fluorescent lights, or in the full light of the sun in a garden or as a patio plant. Pothos plants can be grown indoors or outdoors. They can be trained as climbers or cared for as houseplants.

I hardly think that it is a stretch to say that it is easy to grow Golden Pothos houseplants. Even watering your Golden Pothos requires minimal effort. Less is more because of a shallow root system. Because less soil must be penetrated to reach the roots, less water is required. The soil around Golden Pothos should be kept evenly moist but not wet so an occasional watering does wonders for the plant. Most pest and pathogen problems are causes of excessive watering or location and can be easily remedied.

For these reasons I say, "Bravo!" to sending a gift of Golden Pothos plants to your friends. Houseplant experts will enjoy going back to the basics. Beginners will enjoy learning the basics. Regardless of expertise, Golden Pothos are also popular for their beauty and dynamic addition to the décor of any room. How can anyone go wrong with this gift idea? Oh that's right. You can't.

Buy Golden Pothos houseplants from your local florist.

There’s nothing quite like getting the best of both worlds in something that is important to us. Such is the case with African Violets plants which merge the easy care and health benefits of houseplants with the beauty and wonder of flowers. African Violets (Saintpaulia) are a real crowd pleaser and it’s easy to understand why.

Everyone knows that owning plants in the home increases the quality of Read the rest of African Violets Help Gift Givers Breathe Easily »

When I think of houseplants that are easy to care for, simple for beginners to gardening, and rather enjoyable to behold, I count Mother-in-law’s Tongue among the tally. This starter houseplant is amazing! It is tolerant of slight neglect, only needs to be watered moderately, prefers partial shade but can survive in full Arkansas sun (the proof is in the picture), and grows quickly so that I have a beautiful plant to look upon for months at a time! Thankfully, I've discovered that you can also buy Mother-In-Law's Tongue houseplants for nearly anyone because of just how simple it is to care for them!

I’ll admit it. I traded a green thumb for other talents. While I still contend that the powers that be have brilliantly gifted me with these, it does my heart no good to enjoy a home with pitiful-looking houseplants. For people like me who have had to earn our gardening merits, a really great basic is the Mother-In-Law’s Tongue houseplant. With the ability to produce beautiful white to cream-colored blooms next to the bold interweaving of light and dark green striped leaves, Mother-In-Law’s Tongue beautifully completes the décor of any home or garden.

Also known as Snake Plant or by its scientific name, Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii, Mother-In-Law’s Tongue delivers boldly striped beauty in a very proud fashion for homes needing a subtle dash of attitude in the home décor. Unfortunately, my house is filled to the brim with this type of confident charm and our houseplants need only add casual visual appeal. The good news for me is that Mother-In-Law’s Tongue houseplants can be stylish, subtle, casual, bold, decorated creatively, or used just to add color to a bland room. The sky, rather the ceiling I suppose, is the limit with Snake Plant houseplants.

My good friend Jamie Jamison Adams of the Ask The Expert blogs has proven that Mother-In-Law’s Tongue is also a very sustainable garden plant. Even better! Arkansas heat can sometimes feel like Calcutta in July only more humid. Though typically thriving in indirect light, Jamie’s Sansevieria plant accents her garden and has bloomed nicely in full sun and a healthy dose of Arkansas heat. While Jamie is an expert plant care provider, experienced gardeners, beginning gardeners and everyone in between should feel at ease with caring for Mother-In-Law’s Tongue plants. Busy lives seem only to be getting busier. For the busiest of us all, these plants are simple and hardly time-consuming, in other words, perfect houseplants!

Buy Sansevieria For Your Garden!

We've all been there. The beautiful terrarium gift from a friend resides on the mantle, the piano, a table, a shelf, or somewhere around the house but mostly because terrarium plant care is lost on us. Luckily for those of us with a less than green thumb, terrariums are very easy to care for. Terrariums thrive best with slight neglect, normal amounts of light, and almost no watering and fertilization. The easy care of terrariums make them wonderful gifts for houseplant beginners as well as experienced planters.

Plant care for terrariums is pretty simple. Leave it alone! Neglect it for a while! Terrariums tend to recycle their own moisture so it is essential not to over water the plants. Check the water level of the soil monthly and apply more water when the soil has become almost completely dry. Terrariums are self-contained for the most part because they live off of the moisture and nutrients already present. Therefore, replenishing the soil is rarely necessary but may be done from time to time by scraping off the top layer of soil and replacing with a fresh layer of well-draining potting soil. This will keep the appearance of the houseplants in royal order while maintaining a healthy plant. Care for terrariums by placing them in areas with a moderate amount of light but never direct sunlight. If you can read by the light, your terrarium plant can live off of it. Pruning your terrarium is also easy. Simply pinch off new plant growth for a bushier appearance once the plant has nearly reached its desired height. That’s it! It’s as simple as that.

There are several plants suitable for terrariums. Fittonia (Nerve Plant), Podocarpus (Buddhist Pine), Creeping Fig, Sinningia, Boxus (Boxwood), miniature African Violets, several small palms, many small ferns and more are appropriate for small to medium terrariums. Some larger houseplants are also suitable for medium to large terrariums. Philodendron, one of the most popular houseplants, does very well in large terrariums. Golden Pothos houseplant care gains a new level of excitement inside large plant terrariums. Arboricola, tall palms, Dracaena plants, and Prayer Plant are just a few of the plants that perform beautifully in terrariums.

Looking to buy plant terrariums for a friend? Florists are now adding terrariums to the product mix. Terrariums make great gifts for loved ones in a variety of ages. Aquarium terrariums are a fantastic way to recycle those unused glass boxes by turning them into fantastic terrariums for kids. After all, it’s never too early to perk a child’s interest in science and nature. Glass terrariums beautifully accent a variety of home décor styles so you can never go wrong with this gift idea when you see terrariums for sale. Contact your local flower shop for more great terrarium gift ideas and care information. Oh, and fret no longer. That terrarium is now in good hands!

Born July 23^rd through August 22^nd, Leos are powerful and confident people who are the “fearless leader” of the group. Sincere and trustworthy, Leos are the premier leadership choice of the zodiac sign. Providing this kind of reliable guidance can take it out of someone very quickly. Though they like to be the center of attention, Leos need positive interaction and feedback from others. When buying a birthday gift for this fiery sign, fill their hearts with the affirmation and attention they crave by sending a zodiac-inspired flower arrangement.

Even the flowers represented by the Leo astrological sign scream "power!" The Venus fly trap is a carnivorous plant. I’ve yet to see more powerful foliage. Cactus and red hot poker need no explanation. These unique plants compliment the feisty side of your Leo. Sometimes the most amazing people are the ones that throw us for a loop. For a Leo with a softer side, contact your local florist for a flower arrangement made of peony, carnations, hibiscus, or anthuriums. You know your sweetheart better than anyone else so visit your local flower shop today for a treat that your honey is sure to adore!

Powerful peonies flower arrangement for your Leo!