Courtesy of my Mom, Jeanette (because I did not inherit her green thumb)…
Last Spring Becky asked me to write a post about outdoor plants and flowers, so I did. Now, she asked me to write about indoor plants, so I will do that as well. Needless to say I like all kinds of plants, but indoor plants add something special to a home, the are great decorating accents, and they help clean the air inside just like they do outside.
At the moment I have ten plants throughout the house plus three more wintering in our basement until it is warm enough to bring them onto our enclosed porch for the summer. I will probably bring one that is almost ready to blossom up from the basement soon as I don’t want to miss the flowers. I also have a pea plant Annabelle, our great-granddaughter, started at Children’s Church a few weeks ago and a tiny pot she and I are watching for a watermelon to break through. We may have to plant a new watermelon seed.
I also add a few plants now and then as I see an area that needs a fresh look or when a current plant has grown too big for the windowsill. And every now and then I lose one. The ivy I had in the window near my piano died this Winter and I’m not sure why. Maybe it just got too cold during some of the coldest days even though it had lived in that window a couple of years. Oh, well. I also have a Christmas cactus that has never blossomed for me. I may try planting it in the ground outside for the Summer. What do I have to lose?
Once or twice a summer I try to put my plants outside when there is a gentle rain to wash the leaves, but putting them in the shower also works, it’s just a little messier. Every few years as plants grow I either re-pot them or divide them and sometimes I change the soil. If a plant gets too leggy or spindly, I pinch it back or take a cutting and put a piece of it in a vase or jar until roots develop. I put a plant I started from a cutting on the window in Becky’s cottage and she and I both think it looks right at home there. I visit to water it once a week when she’s not around (thanks Mom!).
One caution before I close. Some plants can be harmful to children or pets. Check on-line to be sure what you have is safe for those in your home or put them on a high shelf then enjoy the freshness and beauty plants add to your home.
In a lot of ways I take after my Mom, but this just doesn’t seem to be one of them. I’m thankful for her knowledge…and so are the few plants I’ve managed to keep alive for any length of time.
Have a great weekend!
I’ve never heard of the finger test but I love it.
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She swears by it! hopefully it will be helpful for you
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