Ask the Expert: What is the best Blue Hydrangea for bouquets?

Could you give me info about what type of blue hydrangea works best for a hand tied wedding bouquet and tips for timing & using the fresh cut blooms from my yard..thanks! Jen

Ask the Expert: Sunny wanderer

Hello,  I am in the process of making a rock/wheel landscape area in my yard.  It gets full sun all day.  Any suggestions on what to plant around this?  Also if you have any suggestions on a climbing, trelling plant/flower that can handle the full sun.  the wheels have spokes on them and thought it would look nice to have something vining through and around.  Thank you, Mary

Ask the Expert: Easy care Plant for Coffee table? I want to purchase an easy care green plant for my coffee table that receives morning bright filtered light. I don’t want a plant that gets very big. Which species would work for me?
Thanks,
Susan

Ask the Expert: I have a question and was in hope you could help me. I have a peace lily and it is beautiful. It blooms continous but the blooms are always a light green instead of white. What can I do to change to white? Thank you. Patrick

Ask the Expert: Croton vs. Rubber plant?

I want to purchase either a croton or varigated rubber plant for my southeast window to be placed about4-5 feet away. Which would do better for that location and which would be easier for me to care for?
Susi

Ask the Expert: How to condition plants to lower light

How can I condition houseplants (and which specis) to accept lower levels of light from a southeast window?

I will soon move to Okinawa, Japan, where I hope to plant a lush flower garden (my first!). Okinawa has a subtropical climate. I would like to know if you can help me determine which flowers will do well (and which will not) in such a climate. These are flowers that I am considering planting there:

petunia
pansy
begonia
hollyhock
Sweet William
cockscomb
Cosmos

shell flower / shell ginger / pink porcelain lily / light galangal (Which name is most common?)

kahili ginger (Can this flower be planted in a garden, or does it only grow
in the wild?)

May I ask whether you can identify any of the flowers pictured (the photos
do not appear to be labeled with names):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/casablanca_moon/sets/72157601112067256/

I really do appreciate your help! Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

Richard Tyler

Ask the Expert:

Which dracaena can take low light(opposite of south east window approximatly 14 feet). I would like something varigated. Please advize as to which dracaena or any other varigated plant.

Thanks, Susi Stein Omaha
Susi,

There are few plants that you can use in this situation. You could use a type of variegated Schefflera arboricola. If you want a variegated Dracaena that works well use my favorite the Warneckii goldstar. Another great low light plant that is easy to grow is the Golden pothos seen here . Pothos is also a great trailing plant for baskets. The Aglaonema ‘Silver Bay’ is a fairly easy to grow low light plant that has broad leaves and a silvery variegation. Any one of the above plants should work for you.

Dracaena – Warneckii Goldstar

Golden Pohtos

Aglaonema ‘Silver Bay’

Thanks to Bernecker’s Nursery for the Photos.

Jamie

Ask the Expert
please send a list…. i am looking for edible flowers and herbs that do flower for a restaurant.can you please advise….and this is in south new jersey i cant remember what the zone is here…thanks for your help….ed roberts

Linda Asks:

Several years ago, I read about house plants that are good for ‘eating’ unpleasant or toxic house odors.
I have forgotten what they were, except maybe the Peace Lily. I live in a small apartment, am not able to care for large or troublesome plants,  and have limited sunlight. Any suggestions?

Thanks for any help.

Staff reply:Thaks for your question. We touched lightly on this subject way back in our April, 2001 newsletter ( http://flowershopnetwork.com/pages/newsletter/NewsletterApril2001.php ). Many studies have shown that houseplants are effective at removing carbon dioxide and toxic gases such as formaldehyde from the indoor environment. Members of the easy-to-grow Aroid family– including peace lilies, philodendrons, Chinese evergreens and deiffenbachias — are especially effective at this, as are Areca palms, spider plants, ivies, and ficus trees. Interestingly, some of this research has been conducted by NASA, with the intention of studying closed, self-contained environments — such as a space craft — that can utilize plants to generate oxygen while removing toxic elements from the air.

Here is a link to an article from ‘Peace and Environmemt News’ that gives more details on the subject: http://perc.ca/PEN/2000-05/s-battle.html .