How to care for houseplants

Ichannel, a specialty cable channel, has asked me to do a blog this month as part of their book club. I'm the first writer to do this for them and so the parameters are pretty much up in the air. It took some thinking, but I decided the most interesting thing I could write about was the story behind The Violets of Usambara. Heaven knows, if you get me started talking about the travel and reflection that went into writing the book, I can go on for a couple of hours. There should be enough... Read Full Story

Click the photo to launch the slide show. I recently wrote about new trends in houseplants. As much as I love plants, I don't have many inside my home. It's just too much responsibility. I'm more concerned with feeding my kids, feeding my husband, feeding my dog. I just can't add any more to my plate. So, as you might guess, the few houseplants I do have are rather mangy looking. Outdoor plants are another story altogether. And when the season gets underway, well, let's just say my family... Read Full Story

From left, Cyclamen, Dracaena 'Limelight', Spathiphyllum (Peace lily) Before buying an indoor plant, it's important to determine whether it's right for your home, and the most important requirement to consider is the amount of light that will be available. Light requirements generally are noted on the plant tag as Bright, Medium and Low. Think about where your windows are. Do you have the right light levels available for the plant? To find out, start by noting which direction the main... Read Full Story

I’ve talked before about gardening outside but what about indoors? I love to have flowering plants around my house. Currently, I have two orchids an African violet and a Jasmine plant. I just got the orchids which flower in the winter but my African violet is about a year old and flowers in the summer. My Jasmine plant is about three years old and also flowers in the summer. I love the smell of my jasmine. If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where you can plant them outside I’m so... Read Full Story

Gardening is a very satisfying hobby, because it provides relaxation of the mind, as you work on enhancing an empty space, as well as making the world a better place. When you have an indoor garden, there are many more benefits that can be seen, and they will affect everyone that lives under the same roof. Here are some advantages of indoor gardening, that everyone should explore and enjoy. We all know that plants clean our air, by extracting carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, which is what... Read Full Story