Decorating Your Home
With Houseplants

Bring the bright atmosphere of tropical vacation lands into your home this winter with houseplants. An integral part of your home décor, houseplants not only artistically improve your home, they also cleanse and freshen your indoor air quality. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release clean, pure oxygen. Some plants even absorb certain air toxins, or absorb potentially harmful radiation. Houseplants also add welcome humidity to the air we breathe, and filter dust particles. While houseplants can improve your life in many ways, they must be selected to fit successfully into your lifestyle.

When selecting a foliage plant, first determine what type of light you have. Look at the area the entire day to determine if the light changes. You will also want to keep in mind the time of year – the light will change with different seasons as well.

Types of Light:

Low Light – 3 to 4 hours of indirect light. Don’t confuse this type of light with no light. If you can sit in the room and read comfortably without turning on a light, it is low light. If you must turn a light on, then it’s considered no light.

Medium Light – 4 to 6 hours of indirect or direct morning sun.

High Light – Direct or indirect sun for 6 to 8 hours a day. Direct afternoon sun in the winter can be too hot. Be careful this time of year because many plants can get sunscald.

Selecting a Houseplant:

Following is a listing of some common plants and light requirements. We also recommend you talk to one of our experts about your particular situation for best results.

Low Light Plants

Medium Light Plants

Ficus Alii

High Light Plants

A Word About Watering

Remember, the smaller the pot, the more frequently you will need to water. Small pots (2 to 3 inches) might need water every day. A 4 to 6 inch pot may need water every 3 to 4 days, whereas a 10 inch pot (or larger) usually only requires water every 4 to 6 days. These guidelines can change depending upon the location of the plant, the type of pot, variety of plant, soil, time of year, and the weather conditions. Plants don’t utilize as much moisture on gray days as they do on sunny days. Note, determining the watering schedule for large pots (over 10 inches) can be difficult. To help, take a natural wooden dowel and push it into the soil until it reaches the bottom of the pot. After you pull the dowel out, you will be able to see the wetness on the bottom of the stick (if there is any). Also, remember that the larger the pot, the more water will be held in the soil at the bottom – even if there are drainage holes.

Fertilizing

Most green/non-flowering houseplants prefer 20-20-20 fertilizer once a month, year-round. You can increase the feeding to twice a month during the growing season.

Early Spring-Blooming Perennials

Early spring flowers are precious proof that winter is on its way out. Yet, we often forget these beauties, overcome with the bold bulb displays of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and more. This is unfortunate, because many of these perennials have a subtle charm that complements bulbs and shrubs which bloom in early spring. Plan to add these beauties to your landscape in early spring! Listed are a few of our favorites:

For a sunny location:

Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
English Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Mountain Pinks (Phlox subulata)
Rockcress (Aubrieta)
Candytuft (Iberis)
Wall Cress (Arabis)

For part to full summer shade:

Bleeding Heart

Pasqueflower (Anemone pulsatilla)
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia)
Columbine (Aquilegia)
Dead Nettle (Lamium)
Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis)
Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera)

Columbine