Gardening

Today I am sharing one my biggest loves-houseplants.

I absolutely love everything about the planty things. I love learning about plants, caring for plants, buying plants and sharing it all with you.

Today I am re-potting a Dracena plant I own. I believe it’s “Jenny Craig” and I picked it up from what I have dubbed “death row” at one of the local big box stores. The plant was in rough shape and deeply discounted however it had a pretty pot so I decided to pick her up and see if I could save her.

Dracenas are considered a tropical every green plant and are pretty hardy if you are new or unsure about caring for house plants. They like medium to low light which means the light you have already in your home is probably adequate for these plants. You wouldn’t want to place them where the sun is shine right on their leaves as they are prone to burning but putting them in a room that gets lots of bright light will have your Dracena living the good life.

As with pretty much all houseplants you want to use well-draining soil. Most plants if they are planted in a pot with heavy soil that is soggy will end up developing root rot. You want the soil to be evening moist but not soggy. I am re-potting my Dracena today using some Orchid Bark Mix (available at your big box stores or online) along with some regular old houseplant potting mix. You could also add some perlite to houseplant mix to make sure your soil drains well.

Another key to happy houseplants is putting them in a pot with drainage holes. You can always put that pot into a more decorate pot and take it out when you water your plants-let them drain well into the sink and put them back in their decorative pot.

You don’t need to worry about humidifiers or pebble trays for these plants as the average humidity in your home should be adequate unless you are in a super dry and hot climate. It’s best to let the top few inches of the soil dry out before watering again but these plants will forgive you if you let them get dryer than that. They will show they are thirsty by a bit of leaf curling that usually bounces back after a good drink.

Pruning this plant is necessary but doing so can encourage a bushier, fuller plant. It’s also what I did to remove some of the damaged leaves.

You normally want to re-pot in early spring or summer but since this plants soil was a little over-watered and it was struggling I decided to do it today. Once you re-pot you want to give your plant a little water to help settle the soil around the roots.

Dracenas are toxic to pets if ingested so be sure to keep them away from your furry friends and children or any random guests you think might take a nibble.

And that’s it for Dracena care! You can watch me chatting and re-potting in the video below but feel free to post any questions below.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Today I am sharing some plant fun. We had snow flurries today and my garden is well packed in for the season but thankfully inside I have my own little green babies growing happily. I find such peace in walking around during the day and checking on them. Often times in the evening before bed I will walk around and do a little pruning, watering and that’s also when I turn on my humidifier in the living room for some of my more particular plant babies and also the one in our bedroom.

Houseplants bring me such joy and last week I was browsing around looking for some local houseplant shops I could visit. I was so excited when I found a wonderful shop not far from me. Wandering their greenhouse was the therapy I needed after feeling a bit out of sorts the past few weeks. And, of course I treated myself to a few new little plants.

I am by no means a plant expert but I did some research on my new plants and thought I would share what I found with you. The shop offers details on their website which is great. So here is what I picked up:

“Purple Passion” Gynura aurantiaca:  This plant is one my mother always had at home and was one of the first ones I purchased when I got my own place. I have been on a search for it recently and was so happy to see it here.

Gynura aurantiaca like most houseplants like bright indirect light which basically means a sunny room but not where the sun is shining directly on the leaves which could cause scorching. Your average well-draining potting soil works perfectly along with a balanced fertilizer which I only really do when it’s spring or summer or if my plants really seem to be growing a lot.

The fuzzy leaves on this plant can hold moisture and cause rot and my mother always said you didn’t want to get them wet so bottom watering is advised. Keeping the soil slightly moist is ideal but if it gets a little dry in the winter it’s not the worse thing. Like most house plants you want them to be watered well but never in soggy soil which can promote rot. I purchased a moisture meter for about $6 and it’s my favorite thing! I never really saw a necessity but it’s great for letting you know whether your plant needs a drink or not.

Next up I purchased a Peperomia ‘Quito.’ Peperomia have become one of my favorite plants of late and this one with it’s peachy leaves really brought a smile to my face and that’s the best reason to bring home a plant. For light we are again looking for bright indirect sunlight and this plants like the top inch or more of it’s soil to dry out before you water it again. Use a well draining soil and if you can put these in a group of other humidity loving plants, on a pebble tray or near a humidifier they will love you for it! They like it warm between 65-75F and fertilizer during active growth with a balanced fertilizer.

Burro’s Tail is an adorable succulent that I brought home. The texture on this plant is absolutely stunning and I love that the little leaves can grow you new plants. Easy propagation of more plant babies is always a plus!

This succulent love bright indirect light but avoid sunshine on the leaves. Like our Peperomia it loves temperatures of 65-75F, a well-draining cactus soil and to be watered sparingly especially in the winter months. Succulents usually tell you that they need water when their leaves start to wrinkle. You also want to avoid wetting the leaves as this could cause them to rot. These plants don’t need high humidity so if your house tends to be on the dryer side this plant is perfect. Fertilize during the growing season only.

Alocasia ‘Silver Dragon’ has to be one of the coolest plants I have. It’s leaves feel so incredible textures it almost reminds me of plastic. The veining is gorgeous and I am so happy to have it sitting in my living room.

Again this plant loves bright indirect light, warm temperatures with higher humidity and a well draining soil that stays moist but never soggy. Like the other plants you really only need to fertilize during the spring and summer unless you notice your plant growing a great deal during the winter months.

Peperomia ‘Hope’ attracted my attention right away! I love the plump leaves and the trailing vines of this plant. It’s currently on one of my shelves keeping some of the books from TBR list company.

With average humidity levels and bright indirect light this Peperomia is less particular than some. It likes the warm temperatures of 65-80F and well draining soil that is allowed to dry out for the first top inch or so before being watered again.

Last but certainly not least are two little baby jade plants.

Now I was looking for a jade plant but when I saw the story of these I loved it even more! These little plants are from a cutting of plant they had in the green house that is 80 years old. That was just too cool to pass up! I love to think that these little guys could grow into large plants that I am able to share cuttings with friends and family for the next 100 years!

Jade plants or Crassula ovata, are succulents that like very well draining soil and you want to keep the soil damp-like a wrung out sponge but never soggy. Growing them indoors you can give them full sun so they grow well however gradually acclimate them to it. Start them in bright indirect light and move them closer and closer to that sunny window.

So that was my most recent plant haul. I hope you enjoyed this and I would love to hear what some of your favorite house plants are.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante