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Oct
21

Fail :(

written by Ivy

I swear I was going to bring it in… soon.
I just needed some time!
Oh, the carnage…
This is what happens when you leave your tropical house plants outside, and the weather turns. I had started bringing other plants in, in preparation for Winter. I supposed the Pothos would be sturdy enough to deal with the initial [...]

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Aug
19

Special Ivy Plants

written by Ivy

Dear Ivy,
I have two ivy plants from a family member’s funeral. They are turning brown and dying. What do I do? Please help!
Thank You

Dear Reader,
Let me start off by saying I am so very sorry for your loss. I know many people that have “funeral plants”. I personally have one. These are living plants used [...]

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Jul
30

Reader Mail

written by Ivy

Dear Ivy,
When you dead-head a petunia, can you just pluck the dead flower or should you snip it a little lower? What about those little mini petunias, do you have to deadhead those too?
Thanks very much,
Evary

Dear Evary,
This is a great question! A good opportunity to explain to my readers the practice of “Dead [...]

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Jul
10

Bugs of Summer

written by Ivy

I’d like to introduce you to some of your best friends
This is a Flat-Backed Millipede, from the order Polydesmida. This little guy is an integral part of the food chain and the Chairmen-of-the Board of the Decomposition Committee. These arthropods do not bite or sting, and are a big help to have in [...]

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Jul
6

Give your plants a bath!

written by Ivy

When the heat gets to be too much, set your plants in a few inches of water. This will allow them to fully absorb all the liquid they can hold, without you having to worry about over or under watering. You can spray or mist the top of the plant and get all the dust [...]

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Jun
30

Hens and Chicks

written by Ivy

Dear Ivy,
How often do I water my hen and chick plant?
-Mothering Myrtle

Dear Myrtle,
In a few words… Not often! These plants, known as hens and chicks, because of the way they grow (the “mother hen” sends off little buds exactly like little versions of herself), or, also known as “Semper Vivum” (”always alive”), are a true [...]

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Jun
25

The Fruits of My Labor :D

written by Ivy

I’ve been harvesting quarts and quarts of raspberries over the last few weeks! A couple times a week, I go out in the back garden and pluck a few quarts of the delicious fruits. The plants I have are called “Everbearing”, and they should produce all Summer. I pruned them back really heavily at first. [...]

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Jun
15

Plants in any place

written by Ivy

Recently I was talking to a friend. She lamented that she wanted houseplants, but didn’t have anywhere to put them. She thought she would have to wait until she moved to a new home.
Never say never! I excitedly told her she could create a good environment for a plant anywhere in her home where she [...]

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May
26

Spring blooms!!

written by Ivy

My birthday gardenia is blooming!
I was worried about it for a while, because several leaves turned yellow and fell off. Then, about a week ago, I noticed these:

The buds are pretty large in comparison to how big the plant is. They are about two inches long, and as big around as a sharpie [...]

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May
25

Double Dracaenas

written by Ivy

Dear Ivy,
I have a Dracaena Warneckii and it has two stems…can they be separated or do they need to grow together?
-Lisa
Dear Lisa,
You can separate the two stems, and you can even take cuttings of offshoots and propagate them. Dracaenas are a hardy plant that will adapt to many different home environments, and levels of care [...]

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