Amaryllis care after blooming

 

My amaryllis has stopped blooming. Now What?

After the flowers fade,

cut of the flower stalk just above the bulb. 

Sometimes new leaves will appear before the flowers fade.

Most of the time, leaves appear after the bulb has finished blooming.

You want to encourage these leaves to grow, so place your plant in a sunny window, water and feed them. These new leaves will gather energy to help replenish the bulb, grow new roots and help the bulb rebloom again.

Water your plant enough to keep the soil moist. Try to avoid extremes by not over watering to the point the soil is soggy or allowing the soil to dry out completely between watering. Make sure the pot does not sit in water. If excess water runs through, be sure to empty the sauce under the pot.

Feed your plant every two weeks with a balanced fertilizer such as Fertilome’s 20-20-20. Don’t worry about repotting, Amaryllis like to be snug, so they should do fine in this year’s pot.  Amaryllis can be placed outside in the shade after the last frost date, usually Mother’s Day. You can leave them in their pots or plant them directly in the garden, up to their shoulders. There they will stay until late in the fall when you bring them in before the first frost.

Christmas at The Flower Bin

This time of year, The Flower Bin is full of everything Christmas.  Along with our spectacular poinsettias, our fresh Christmas trees, wreaths and garland, our gift house offers an excellent variety of candles,  lotions,

ornaments,

nativity scenes,

wind chimes. 

Sun Dials

St. Nicholas

Handcrafted Bolga baskets,

birdbaths, bird feeders.  

Jim Shore collectables.
We strive to carry unique gifts and holiday decorations. Shopping at the ‘Bin means great gifts for everyone.  We invite you to make us a part of your Christmas tradition.

 

 

 

How to grow Rosemary indoors.

 

Rosemary is an excellent choice for your indoor herb garden. Rosemary is a highly fragrant herb you grow indoors with just a little care. Rosemary likes bright light, so a bright window with morning sun would be a great location. Rosemary will also do well under artificial light, such as a grow lamp or fluorescent grow bulbs.

This CFL bulb will fit in any standard lamp socket.

A light stand is another easy way to supplement natural light for your herbs. Rosemary does best in a location where the daytime temperature is around 70°, with a little cooler night-time temperatures. Good air circulation is important to help maintain plant health. The simplest solution is to make sure you don’t overcrowd your plants. Leave some space between them so that air can circulate freely. Avoid drafts. Keep your rosemary away from fireplaces, doors and cold windows. It’s important to keep the soil consistently moist, so check your plant daily. You want to avoid letting the soil dry out completely. Poke your finger into the pot to see how moist (or dry) it is. Another easy way to check moisture level is with a moisture meter.

Feed your rosemary with a fish emulsion fertilizer.  Neptune's Harvest and Age Old Organics are goods choices for organic fish emulsion.

Increase humidity around your plant by placing it on a pebble tray. Put some pebbles in a tray, add water and place your plant on the rock.

Make sure the bottom of the pot is above the water level in the tray. You don’t want the plant to sit in water all the time. Turn your rosemary frequently to help maintain its shape.

Regular pruning will also help the plant. Rosemary can sometimes get powdery mildew. The leaves on your plant will look like they have a white or grey colored dust on them.

If you do get powdery mildew, spray the plant with Neem oil. Neem is  safe to use indoors, on your herbs. You can still use the herb in your cooking. If you have questions about growing rosemary or other herbs indoors, come in and talk to us. We’ll be glad to help you.

 

 

Caring for your Flower Bin Poinsettia

 

 

Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America. Poinsettias were introduced in the United States by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. They were soon a very popular Christmas plant. Poinsettias are not poisonous, though some people are sensitive to the white sap they produce.  Poinsettias have thin foliage leaves that vary in color from pale to dark green.

The showy parts of the poinsettia that most people think of as flowers are actually specialized leaves, called bracts.

The actual flowers are these tiny yellow clusters found at the very center of the bracts.

Poinsettias are available in a wide variety of breathtaking colors from solid red to variegated leaves.

We also dye a few poinsettias for added color and interest. Our dyes are safe for the plant and people. Proper care for your poinsettia begins before you leave the store.

We will gift wrap your poinsettia in foil and ribbon at no charge. We cut a drain hole in the foil on the plants we wrap so your plant will drain properly.  We will carefully bag your poinsettia when it’s cold to protect it on its way home. Once you get your poinsettia home, unwrap it and place it in a room where it will get bright light, but not direct sunlight.  Poinsettias don’t like drafts, either hot or cold, so keep away heater vents, fireplaces, doors and cold windows. The ideal room temperature should be around 72°F during the day and no cooler than 60°F at night. Place the plant high enough to be out of the reach of children and pets and away from traffic. Set the plant in a water-proof saucer. Water your poinsettia thoroughly when the soil surface is dry to the touch. Poinsettias don’t like to sit in water, so discard any water that may collect in the saucer under the plant. With the proper care, your poinsettia will last through the holiday season and retain its beauty well into the New Year. At The Flower Bin, we grow all of our own poinsettias, so you can be assured that the plant you are purchasing is locally grown and of the highest quality.

 

Polar Bear

 

 

Dyed Poinsettia