Keep Close to Natures Heart
John Muir
Potted plants and trees can make a patio or screened porch look gorgeous in the summer. But when the weather turns cooler, you need to be creative with arranging and displaying tropical plants indoors without creating a jungle.
Here are a few things I've tried that keep my trees and plants looking good when I bring them indoors for the winter.
- Keep your potted plants off the carpet and hardwood floor - This is a mistake you only make once! Water is not a friend to your wooden floor or carpet. The plastic or ceramic saucers are good but still cause condensation under the tray and on your floor. Put plants on tables or plant stands. You can build shorter stands out of plywood too. Just remember, you don't want to put a potted plant directly onto a floor or carpet.
- Re-pot plants while still outside - Fresh potting soil will provide the nutrients your plants need to thrive through the winter. If the plants are already indoors, add potting soil to pot and clean any dead leaves.
- Place small plants together in a single pot - Putting small plants together and covering the soil with sheet moss or peat moss holds in moisture and looks great.
- Group plants closely together - Try putting several plants close together-different heights and sizes. This creates a green space that can be very relaxing to look at. It's also great to have plants, like peace lily's, to remove toxins in the air.
- Buy natural houseplant and garden insect spray - Bugs can kill plants and ruin your green space. There are many different brands of insect sprays. If you have allergies or any sensitivities, choose a natural spray or essential oils to get rid of bugs.
- Use grow lights to keep larger plants happy in the winter - We brought our tropical ferns and trees inside for the winter. Hanging grow lights in part of our storage area, we put lights on a timer and placed all the ferns and trees in the lights. This isn't pretty but it keeps them growing until we can move then outside in the late spring.
- Know what plants are poisonous to animals - Azaleas, cyclamen, autumn crocus, oleander and daffodils are all toxic to animals. If you have these plants, keep them away from pets.
House plants are a relatively inexpensive way to dress up a living space. North facing windows will offer the least amount of light. East and west facing windows will give you sunshine for part of the day. (As long as your windows are blocked by large trees or buildings)
If you have south facing windows, you are in luck! Your plants will thrive all year long!
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