Category: Houseplants
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Walking on Eggshells: Calcium for Your Garden
When you grow plants, they absorb nutrients and transform them into vegetables, fruit, and flowers. Harvesting removes these nutrients, so fertilizing your garden is crucial for its growth. Eggshells are an excellent source of calcium, vital for fruiting plants. Besides preventing issues like Blossom End Rot, eggshells benefit earthworms and help alkaline-loving plants. Sterilizing and…
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Gnats No More: Getting Rid of Fungus Gnats in Indoor Gardens
Fungus gnats may be tiny, but they can cause big headaches for indoor gardeners. These pesky insects are common nuisances in houseplants and indoor gardens, but with the right knowledge and strategies, you can effectively manage and eliminate them. In this guide, we’ll explore what fungus gnats are, why they’re attracted to indoor plants, and…
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Year of the Dragon: The Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
The Chinese New Year just started, marking the Year of the Dragon. To celebrate, a deep dive into the Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata) is offered. The author shares a personal connection with this plant and discusses its characteristics, propagation, care, common problems, and significance as a lucky plant. Through a personal anecdote, the acquisition and…
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Poinsettia History: How a Mexican Flower Became a Symbol of the Holiday Season
It’s impossible to visit a store during the holidays and not see with the showy sight of bright red, white, or multicolored heads of Poinsettias. This week, I wanted to delve into the history of how the poinsettia singlehandedly took over the plant industry for a month out of the year.
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Propagating Prayer Plants by Stem Cuttings
Pruning your prayer plant (Maranta leuconera) should always be a part of the regular care of your plant. But propagating you prayer plant through stem cuttings is a fabulous method to get more out of your plant without harming the parent plant in the least. In fact, propagating your prayer plant can make your parent…
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Anthuriums by Seed: The Lifecycle of an Anthurium
Most gardeners acquire their anthurium as a fully-grown plant. If you’re looking to propagate your anthurium, its easiest to propagate by cuttings in water. But for the patient gardener looking for a challenge, or maybe even trying to create your own hybrid, you can propagate anthuriums by seed. In this post, I’m doing a deep…
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Thomas Jefferson’s Cayenne Peppers
Cayenne peppers have been a mainstay at Eastborn Gardens since 2014. These plants are descendants from the seed stock grown at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home. More than that, cayenne peppers represent my second start in gardening, and the reason I wanted to become a gardener.
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How to Move With Plants Without Really Crying
The easiest way to kill a house plant is to move. But there are things that you can do to prepare your houseplants and give them the best possible chances to survive in your new home. Here’s what I learned when moving cross-country with my container garden.
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The Best Housewarming Plant Ever: Snake Plant (Dracaena (Sansevieria) Trifasciata Laurentii)
I once thought that I could kill any houseplant. As a busy business professional, I had better things to do than care for another living thing. But when a friend gifted me with a Snake Plant as a housewarming plant, everything changed. Learn all about the Sansevieria, an un-killable houseplant perfect for all levels of…
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Living on a Prayer Plant: Maranta leuconeura
When I was an office worker in the burlap cube farm, I was looking for an office plant with minimal light and water requirements, something to keep me company while I worked, a plant unique enough to invite comment and discussion with my new co-workers. The Maranta was the perfect solution!