They’re out there and waiting for you – little pots filled with bright colour that will make your indoor spaces blooming beautiful in winter.
The easiest way to stay in touch with nature and to add a little homeliness and style to any room is the flowering houseplant. Thanks to modern growing techniques and state-of-the-art greenhouses, we can pick and choose between a wide array of flowering favourites such as African violets, chrysanthemums, cyclamens and azaleas, just to name a few.
The advantage of the colder months is that the flowers of many houseplants last much longer than they normally would in summer. You are thus making a good investment in eye candy if you buy them now.
Flowering houseplant rules
Stick to these basic rules and the pleasure and value of flowering houseplants will be yours:
Water: Too much of it is sometimes the reason why houseplants die. The key to success lies in the simple ‘sense of touch’. Push your finger into the soil to feel if the top layer has dried out. The golden rule for most flowering houseplants is to ensure the soil never dries out completely. So if it feels dry it probably is, and then you should give it water. In winter, it is best to use tepid water and not ice-cold tap water.
Denne historien er fra August 2016-utgaven av The Gardener.
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Denne historien er fra August 2016-utgaven av The Gardener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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FIRE AND Feathers!
On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!
GET THE ladies in!
At this time of year, early-flowering shrubs vie with each other to get the most attention. We say: Trust those with female names for frills and butterflies. They go the extra mile to flower their hearts out.
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
Boiled, baked or braaied, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious and healthy winter comfort food. Just a dollop of butter, a little seasoning and you are good to go.
Pretty and functional
If cooking is your main thing, you would probably be more interested in the culinary value of the three herbs and some of their varieties we are describing.
Dried Seedheads & Pods
Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...
What makes a garden sustainable?
It is interesting to note that the United Nations defines sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
Nestled within Prince Albert's rustic embrace lies a gem that is a testament to the transformative power of human vision and nature's bounty.