I used to think dust was the only thing I could grow on my windowsill. Houseplants were not my thing. So you might be wondering, after such an admission, why the heck you should trust me on this one. My answer is simple. I haven't killed these guys. And that's saying something. I'm not the most doting houseplant mom. Most of them get the third child treatment. You know, the kind where you temporarily ignore the saggy diaper and crusted snot smeared across his face long enough to down a cup of coffee, brush your teeth and attempt to look human. You care about their wellbeing but aren't maniacal about it like you were with your firstborn. Lucky for us, most houseplants thrive on neglect. Children, not so much. But I've matured enough to know that a little attention to their health is worth ...
Search Results for: houseplants
Dahlia Fail and a Change of Heart
The dahlias are tucked away despite the fact that I swore off trying to overwinter them again after last year's dahlia fail. I killed all except one variety. It was my first attempt at overwintering dahlias and I thought the garage was the perfect spot. As it turns out, it's not. Chalk this fail, there have been many, up to some serious gardener error. Three crates full of clean, plump, labeled tubers by March had become three crates of shriveled, puckered pods. I learned two things from that experience – the garage is too cold for dahlia tubers and you have to check your tubers monthly. Ok three things. I stink at this dahlia thing. I went to all that effort to store them and basically forgot about them for months, expecting they'd be just as I had left them months before. Well, these ...
Coffee Tables Are Perfect for Terrariums
In February, my coffee table suddenly becomes incredibly interesting with the addition of several terrariums. It's a winter thing. Remotes, pretzel crumbs, and the everpresent hint of dust are still there, of course. But the table is situated such that the morning sun hits it so perfectly that I can't resist the urge to grow something under glass. Who am I kidding? I can't resist growing anywhere! I find that as I get older, I become more in tune with light. How it moves. Where it rests the longest. But really, I'm assessing what I can grow. The thought process is the same whether I'm gardening indoors or out. It's just that in winter, I prefer the simple pleasure of looking into a self-sustaining little world, moisture dripping down the inside of the glass. The occasional tip of the ...
Plant Truck Chicago: Connecting Plants and People
What do you get when you cross a 1974 GMC van with an artist and one of the biggest names in the Chicago gardening scene? A plant truck, of course. While attending a garden media event in August, I ran into my friend Tony Abruscato, aka Mr. Green Chicago. He owns the Chicago Flower and Garden Show and was excited to tell me about his latest garden venture, Plant Truck Chicago. Think food truck, minus the food. As I tried to envision a mobile greenhouse, he told me to get over to the IGC (Independent Garden Center) show where the truck would make its official debut. It's pretty cool! The truck was the brainchild of artist Jason Verbeek. As Tony was telling me the story of how he acquired the truck, I had to stop him once he dropped the artist's name. It sounded so familiar. Turns out ...
Mangave for the Cold Climate Gardener
Have you ever purchased a plant that wasn't originally on your list? Dumb question. We're gardeners. Lists are a distraction and feel so limiting. Therefore, I rarely stick to them. Which was the case last May when my mom and I visited Sunrise Greenhouse in Grant Park, IL. In addition to the coleus, banana plant, clematis and roses, a mangave landed in my cart. I've grown plenty of succulents and had heard of it before but I can hardly say I knew what to do with it. All I knew was that I had to give it a go. How hard could it be? As it turns out, mangave is one of the most undemanding, and quite surprising, plants I've grown. What Is Mangave? It's basically the love child of the manfreda and agave plants. The result is a faster growing colorful succulent, thanks to the manfreda ...
Softened Water? A Rain Barrel is a Houseplant Lifesaver in Winter
It's that time of year again when the leaves are changing and the garage begins to look like doomsday preppers live here. My husband complains about it and I anticipated his reaction when he came home a few nights ago to find his garage workbench temporarily "altered." Not only has it been wiped clean and the empty chip bags disposed of, but it now has everything I need to keep my houseplants alive through the winter, namely water. In my experience, especially for a man motivated by food, having a good meal waiting on the day I begin infiltrating his man space is an excellent diversion. I've become a pretty good cook. His basement workshop has been "altered" as well. He's chosen to accept it in the same way he begrudgingly accepts that he'll lose a little turf to my garden each year. In ...
