Flowering Gifts for Valentine's Day

 

Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to delight that special someone in your life. A live flowering plant  is a very personalized gift and will remind them of you long after Valentine's Day is over. Some plants to consider for Valentine's Day include African violets, azaleas, bromeliads, cyclamen, cineraria, kalanchoe, orchids and African violets. Most of these plants will do well in bright, indirect light.

Orchids come in a variety of colors and are easy to care for, if you keep them in a bright spot and watch the watering.

Make a statement this Valentine’s Day with a beautiful flowering Bougainvillea. This one features variegated foliage as well as outstanding blooms.

African violet plants like a spot that has bright, indirect light. They prefer to be water from the bottom.

Azalea plants do best in a slightly cooler spot, so once Valentine's Day is over, place them in a cool (about 65) bright spot.

For a more tropical look, choose one of the bromeliads. Bromeliads are low-maintenance plants related to pineapples. They don’t need much water and are fairly easy to grow.

Cineraria plants are available in red and purple colors.

Cyclamen will tolerate lower light and cooler temperatures and like to be kept moist.

Kalanchoe will do well in the low humidity of most houses this time of year. They like to dry out a little between watering. Place them in a bright room, out of direct sunlight. With a little care these colorful plants will bloom for many weeks after Valentine's Day.

 

Indoor Succulent garden tips

Growing succulents adds a whole new dimension to your indoor garden. There's such a wide variety of colors and textures to choose from and getting started growing succulents is easy.

Begin by selecting a container. Succulents have shallow roots so a shallow pot, dish or bowl is an ideal choice. Just make sure the container you select has good drainage. Once you've decided on a container, it's time to go shopping for plants. 

If you leave your plants in their original small pots, it's easy to move them around in the container until you get the arrangement you like best. 

Next, choose a soil that is specific for succulents. Add enough soil to your container so that your plants will sit just below the rim of the pot. This will keep water and soil from overflowing the sides of the pot when you water. Carefully remove your succulents from their containers and place them in your new pot.

They should be planted at the same level they were growing in their nursery pot. You can add more soil at this time if you need to. Once planted, you need to water your new garden thoroughly. Water enough so that water comes out the drain holes. Now you're done watering your succulent garden until it dries out completely. The key to keeping your succulents healthy is to water more, but water less frequently. Succulents like to have their roots soaked and then they want to dry out before the next watering.  It's best to water succulents when they need it, not on a schedule, such as every week.

Fertilize your succulent garden every three to four weeks with a low Nitrogen fertilizer such as Cactus Juice.  Give these extraordinary plants a chance. Succulent care is easy and succulent gardens and terrariums will brighten any home and office space.