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Category: Nature

  • Four Beautiful Indoor Plants.

    Four Beautiful Indoor Plants.

    Hey,

    How was your week? Earlier this week I went plant shopping, and my myself a little of zen by adding new and fresh plants to my space. Here are the four best indoor plants that I think are super low maintenance. Here goes:

    1. Anthurium

    Description: The “flowers” of the Anthurium are some of the longest-lasting on earth, which means that beautiful and dazzling colours will last long in your home. The Anthurium with its open heart-shaped flower symbolizes hospitality and brings happiness and abundance.

    Here’s a little secret: the beautiful heart-shaped “flowers” are not flowers! The heart-shaped flower is a spathe.

    Light: Bright indirect light (direct sunlight will scorch the leaves and flowers!). Next to an East or West facing window, or a couple of feet away from a South facing window. 

    Water: Once every 4-6 days. Never let the soil dry out completely. Anthuriums like to have their soil moist but not soggy (no overwatering).TIP: mist the top layer every day to keep them happy and fresh, especially in a dry climate.

    Humidity: 65°F/18.3°C – 75°F/23.8°C Anthurium loves being misted with a light spray of lukewarm water often. Cleaning lightly with a gentle sponge is advised, which improves humidity – and makes it look healthy!!

    Temperature:  Preferred temperatures between 65-80 degrees during the day and no cooler than 60 degrees at night. Avoid placing your plants near heating and air conditioning vents and fans.

    Additional Care: Quickly remove fading or dying flowers as it helps the plant focus its energy on new growth. Give your Anthurium a six-week rest during the winter. Lower temperatures, less light, and drier soil during this time help an Anthurium produce more flowers in the spring and summer.

    2. Calathea Ornata

    Description: Calathea plants are tropical plants. When you look at Calathea Ornata, you can’t help but think the stunning purple patterns on the leaves are a painting. these plants raise their leaves during the night as if they were praying, earning them the nickname “prayer plant.” 

    Light:  They should get medium to bright indirect light; keep out of direct sunlight. When it gets direct sunlight for too long, the beautiful leaves start to fade.

    Water: Water thoroughly; allow the top inch of soil to dry before watering. Discard any water accumulated in the saucer.

    Humidity: 50-65%. Calathea needs a spot with ample moisture. Brown edges on the leaves indicate the air is too dry. Mist often, add a bowl of water or place a humidifier close by.

    Temperature:  Preferably between 65-85 degrees. Enjoys the warmth. Maintain indoor temperatures above 60 degrees and avoid sudden temperature changes.

    Additional Care: These plants can be sensitive to harsh chemicals in tap water. If you notice a tip or edges of your Calathea are burned or are yellow, it could be due to your tap water. To solve this, use distilled filtered water, rainwater, or allow your tap water to stand overnight before watering so the chlorine and fluoride can evaporate. Remove any yellow leaves to keep your plant healthy. Clean leaves occasionally with a damp cloth.

    3) Birds of Paradise

    Description: Bird of Paradise is considered the queen of the indoor plant world. This large, upright plant adds a rich, tropical flair to your space, one of the best-known tropical flowers and is a cousin to the banana. Shockingly, the bird of paradise is easier to grow than many tropical plants. 

    Light: Prefers bright direct light/ sunlight. 

    Water: when the top 50% of the soil is dry and regularly throughout the week. 

    Humidity: 40-50%, and appreciates the occasional misting, removing the dust from its glossy dark leaves.

    Temperature: prefers average indoor temperatures of 65-80 degrees. 

    Additional Care: If your plant’s leaves begin to turn brown along the edges, it may be caused by chemicals in your tap water. Use filtered water, or leave tap water in an open container overnight before watering to allow some of the chemicals to evaporate.

    4) Money Tree:

    Description: The Money Tree is a perfect indoor plant to give your home a tropical feel. It gets its name from the Feng Shui belief that it will bring positive energy, fortune, and good luck to the owner. Fun Fact: It has been said the Money Tree may reduce stress, anxiety, and may also help relieve sleeping disorders.

    Light: Medium to bright indirect light; keep out of direct sunlight

    Water: Money Tree prefers deep but infrequent watering. Water when the top half of the soil is dry. To prevent root rot, make sure your plant is never standing in water.

    Humidity: 50-60%, requires bit of extra humidity so increase the humidity in the winter months with a pebble tray or a humidifier. It will also appreciate regular misting year-round.

    Temperature: 65-80 degrees.

    Additional Care:

    Try not to move your Money Tree very often, they prefer to stay in the same spot. If you do need to relocate, you may see a bit of leaf drop. Not to worry—it will adjust.

    P.S.

    Plant Care 101.

    (Picture Credits (in the order they appear) 1) Unsplash 2) Art Terraium 3) Torontoparadiseplants 4)West Coast Gardens, Featured image: Arno Smit )

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Being a Plant Parent.

    A Beginner’s Guide to Being a Plant Parent.

    Now that we’ve been spending more time than ever at our homes now; we can’t help but look at every room with a closer eye. Should we rearrange the furniture a certain way? Should we add some art? And most importantly, should we get some plants? 

    With spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to add a new and fresh life to your home. Today, we partnered with Glass Earth Plant Store to get you started on your plant parenthood journey. 

    Being a plant parent is a learning experience, and it’s 100% never perfect- and that’s okay! If you kill your first plant, that’s okay; we won’t judge, for we’ve been there too! To get you started on your first plant, we’ve put together a beginners guide to being a plant parent to make sure your experience is a pleasant and delightful one: 

    1) The lighting in your home

    Do you have enough light in your home? Is your home lighting dim even during the summertime? It’s best to consider your home’s lighting and then go for a plant that would be most compatible with your house’s lighting. 

    Always check which way your windows face and observe the lighting. This will go a long way in helping you choose the right plant for the correct location.

    What windows provide the best lighting?

     East windows generally provide the best lighting for tropicals, while south and southwest exposure can often be too intense. 

    Keep in mind that most tropical plants grow under the canopy of the jungle, where it is pretty dark and therefore does not need direct sun. This is the location best suited for cactus and succulents and a few thicker leafed tropicals.

    2) Your Schedule

    Are you often out and spend days away from home? Are you a homebody? Think through about how much you’ll be able to tend to your plants. Some plants need closer attention to thrive than others. 

    3) How much water is too much water?

    Proper watering is crucial for your plant survival. You ideally should always have your plants planted in pots with good drainage holes so that excess water can leave the roots and the soil. Also, try to avoid bowls or saucers full of water after watering your plants. Make sure to empty them.

     It is an excellent idea to research any plant you bring into your home and find out where it is native. That will tell you a lot about the water needs of your plant. 

    For instance, plants like cactus, which grow in the desert, only need water a few times a year, whereas most tropicals need water every week. The best way to know when your tropical plant needs water is to use your fingers and dig down into the soil and feel it. In most cases, you want the soil to be barely moist before watering. Other plants like to dry out completely in between waterings, so it is best to know a bit about your plant beforehand.

    4) Clean the leaves!

    It is always a good idea to keep the leaves of your plants clean to photosynthesize effectively. Remember that the rain and the wind help keep the plants’ leaves clean and pest-free in the wild. And occasional showering can help a lot. 

    Regular wiping of large plant leaves with a Foliar feed and Leaf Shine helps a lot. Make it a habit to check the undersides of your plant leaves for pests. That’s where they like to hide! 

    5) Fertilize your plant

    Occasionally if you own plants, you will encounter pests. We constantly push for natural solutions such as introducing predators to keep your plants healthy. 

    Choose a natural fertilizer rather than a chemical one to avoid burning the roots. Most soils used indoors have no nutrients, so a good fertilizer like Glass Earths Organic Plant Tea will help feed your plants. Avoid touching roots when transplanting to avoid transplant shock. 

    Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk about some of the few great plants for you as a beginner: Snake Plants, Pothos, spider plants, Cactus, many Philodendrons, Peace lilies, and bird of paradise. 

    I hope this info will helps you as much as it helped me!

    xx

    Yachna

    (Images in this post from Unsplash)