New Additions
I like to frequent the “distressed plant shelf” at my local home and garden center. This is where all the wilted, neglected plants are put when they no longer appear well enough to sell at full price. House plants can be expensive. I usually try to clone mine in order to propagate them, but sometimes [...]
Sowing the Cosmos
This Summer, I ventured into flower gardening, which I had not really done before. I started my green gardening journey with house plants. Once I felt comfortable with those, I started noticing all the green space outside where I could expand. I forayed into vegetable gardening, then started a shade garden full of hostas. (Those [...]
New Addition
Dear Ivy,
I just got a 6″ Celosia plant as a gift. How do I care for it? Where do I place it? How frequently do I need to water and fertilize it?
-Curious
Dear Curious,
I would say that whomever gave you this plant surely thinks you have good taste, and a green thumb! Celosia are beautiful [...]
Christmas Cactus Quandary
Dear Ivy,
How often should I water my Christmas cactus?
-Christmas Chris
Dear Chris,
Let’s explore some things about this interesting little exotic! First off, let’s get one thing out of the way… The “Christmas Cactus” Is not actually a cactus. In fact, it’s an epiphyte, like an orchid. CC’s and orchids share the same habitat in the wild. [...]
The Elusive Orchid
I’ve finally cracked the orchid code! My orchid re-bloomed last month, and it’s the first time I’ve ever gotten an orchid to re-bloom successfully. I know, I know. I’m as embarrassed as you are shocked. Here I sit, with the greenest of thumbs, and I have trouble with orchids. Well, I’ll tell you what it [...]
Double Dracaenas
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 [...]
Phalaenopsis Orchid Bloom!
My orchid recently came into bloom! I’m super excited about this because it’s my first really successful orchid. (I admittedly have a little eensy weensy problem with over watering them…) The best thing i can say about orchids is “Set it and Forget it”. Basically, you have to go through your home and find a [...]
Reader Mail
Hi Ivy,
I am writing partly for information and partly to help other people. We are staying with some friends at the moment and this evening my 11 month old boy had a bad experience with Zanzibar Gem. He was playing with the plant and broke one of the branches off and started chewing on it. [...]
Drooping Hens
Dear Ivy,
What does it mean when the leaves on my hen droop?
-Ms. Dangle
Dear Dangle,
I believe you might be referring to Hens and Chicks, more formally known as Sempervivum Tectorum. I’m pretty sure sempervivum means always alive, which is apt for this plant. It’s one of the very rare plants where you can set it and [...]
A once in a lifetime experience!
I had an amazing opportunity to go see a rare corpse flower yesterday! The Botanists at the Ohio State University have planted a rare Amorphophallus Titanum from a seed. These plants can live to be an old age, and only bloom a few times. When they do, the flowering period only lasts a few days. [...]