How Hard is it to Grow: A Short Guide to Flowers and Houseplants

How Hard TTew is it to Grow? A Short Guide to Flowers and Houseplants Easy To Grow Houseplants Norfolk Island Pine Snake Plant Dracaena This plant's main concern is getting lots of light and humid air. Ten feet is as tall as they tend to get when grown indoors. These plants can grow between 6 and 10 feet tall, so it may be necessary to prune the canes as they grow to control their size. Use soil that drains well and don't over-water! These plants make an excellent accent piece in almost any room. It's renowned for its resilience and tolerance to neglect. Aloe Vera Peace Lily Use some cactus potting soil or add some building sand and perlite to regular potting soil to keep aloe vera happy. Give them bright light and only water them when their soil is totally dry. This elegant beauty takes about a glass of water per week and thrives in nearly all levels of light. Water with room temperature water - and if you're in a place where your water is chlorinated, let your water sit for a few hours first before feeding it to a peace lily. That way, the chlorine will evaporate off. Outdoor Plants Dicentra spectabilis (Bleeding Heart) This plant sprouts its easily recognized bleeding heart blossoms in mid to late spring. This plant enjoys shade and moist soil, and when well taken care of, can grow into shrubs that are Ruffled Velvet Prairie Splendor Purple Coneflower Siberian Iris These self-sufficient perennials bloom in late spring to early summer and come in purple, pink, yellow, and white hues. Native to the American Midwest, this perennial is drought-resistant and attracts bumblebees and butterflies to your garden. 10 feet across! Elegant Candy Daylily "Bright Eyes" Garden Phlox Hibiscus You'll be admiring the vibrant colors of this daylily all season! Hemerocallis "Elegant Candy" loves the sun, but will still grow in partial shade. As they age, they tend to flower less often - but dividing them every four years will keep them young. Phlox are a joy to have in any garden - there are so many blossoms! Bright Eyes blooms, mid to late summer and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. They love being in the sun, and this particular variety is hardy and resistant to mildew! Hibiscus bushes can be finicky, but the main thing to remember is that they love the heat and the sun. They in bloom mid summer and last through early fall. When well watered and cared for, they can grow 3 - 4 feet tall and only need dividing every 8 to 10 years. For a Challenge, Try.. Houseplants Venus Flytrap Indoor Azalea Dwarf Cavendish Banana Plant Dionaea Muscipula, or the Venus Flytrap, requires a lot of humidity. You might need a terrarium to keep humidity high for this plant. Its soil should never be dried out or fertilized, and it's quite sensitive to chemicals in the This is a beautiful flower Bring the rain forest to you! But when you do, make sure it will be and can bring the beauty of the great outdoors into your home. but it has some specific living needs. Never let its soil dry out, keep it in a humid location that never exceeds 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and give it bright indirect light. Even after the blooms have faded, you can keep this plant around, and if well cared for, it will reward you year after year! between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and always moist (especially in the spring and summer months!). The Dwarf Cavendish loves sunlight and needs a few hours of direct light every day. water. Use distilled water. If the flytraps don't show a pinkish-red interior, they're not getting enough water. You do need to feed them live insects. They can go a month or two without eating. Gardenia Calathea Ornata Well-known for being fussy and generally difficult to get along with, but they are pretty and smell amazing! Gardenias are native to Japan and China. They need bright light, relatively humid air, and cooler temperatures. It needs direct sunlight for at least half of every day. Winter is a particularly hard season on this houseplant. These tropical plants are well-loved for their striking stripes - but in some ways, they're even pickier than a Venus Flytrap. They don't eat insects, at least. They don't like direct light, but they can't thrive in shade. Humidity is a killer - you might need a terrarium to keep Calathea happy. Keep the temperature above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Calathea is extremely sensitive to cold and drafts. They're also well-known for becoming infested and destroyed by spider mites. Outdoor Plants Tulips Dahlias Tulips bloom in the spring. require dry summers and cold winters, and are perennial bulbs. It's hard to find the right climate for tulips to thrive in here in the US. Plant bulbs in the fall, 6-8 weeks before frost. They hate over-watering and can fall victim to fungus and disease if they get too wet. If you plan on making them perennial, "deadhead," or cut the flowers off of, blooms that begin to wilt. This will help the bulb to conserve energy so it can flower again next season. Dahlias have gorgeous colors and patterns but strict growing requirements. They're perennial, bloom from midsummer to the first frost, and require warmth and care. Plant them once you're certain there's no chance of a spring frost. Give them lots of sunlight and well-draining soil, and don't water them until the actual plants appear. Like tulips, dahlias are planted tubers. They must be dug up and saved in the early fall and stored over winter in colder climates. Astrantia Roses An uncommon beauty also known as masterwort, this perennial is very particular about its shade - make sure it has a lot of it, as well as moist, fertilized soil. It doesn't handle drought well at all, and may require frequent attention in dry seasons. Growing a rose bush is intimidating to some, but it doesn't have to be hard. They need 5 to 6 hours of sun per day, a good watering (they like 90 inches of rain per year), and mulch. When planting, here's a tip that some gardeners of yore swear by; Some gypsum and a 16-penny nail will provide necessary calcium and iron to a developing shrub. Prune them in the spring and remove everything dead or diseased, and "deadhead" or snip wilting flowers regularly. SOURCES AvasFlowers www.forums2.gardenweb.com www.plowingthroughlife.blogspot.com www.bhg.com www.hgtvgardens.com www.gardeningknowhow.com www.hort.purdue.edu www.almanac.com Better Flowers Lower Prices