Enjoy these photos/videos/reels of my trip to England in May, 2026. The gardens were gorgeous and the gardeners inspiring. Thanks Mary Clare Bissell for the reels. Chelsea Flower Show Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens Eden Project [video width="720" height="1280"...
Learn how to grow common houseplants indoors as a way to clean your air. Listen to podcast: I recently heard a story about NASA sending basil and turnip seeds to the moon in grow chambers to see how they will germinate in that gravity-less, high radiation environment. It prompted me to remember the now famous research NASA also did on house plants. When looking at long term stays on the space station, one of the challenges was to produce clean air for astronauts to breathe. We all know plants are the reason we're alive today for their...
Sun Requirements Bright indirect light is best. They also grow well under grow lights. Bloom Period and Seasonal Color African violets bloom on and off all season long especially if grown under lights Mature Height x Spread 4 to 16 inches tall and wide, depending on the variety. Some miniatures are literally only a few inches tall. African violets are a forever popular plant that delight growers with their diversity of flower colors and shapes. Although they are native to Africa and grow outdoors there in the mountains, they are threatened...
Sun Requirements Bright, indirect light outdoors and a bright room indoors Bloom Period and Plant Shape Outdoors aloe vera has yellow or red flowers in spring depending on the selection. Indoors aloe vera is mostly grown for its succulent leaves and rarely flowers. Mature Height x Spread Outdoors aloe vera can grow mostly to 2 to 3 feet tall and wide depending on the variety with some reaching 10 feet tall. Most indoor aloe vera only grow less than 1 foot tall. Aloe vera is hardy in USDA zone 8 to 11. It's native to North Africa and...
Sun Requirements Bright indirect light and part shade is best, but some newer selections can take more sun. Bloom Period and Seasonal Color Caladiums are mostly grown for their colorful leaves and rarely flower. Mature Height x Spread 1 to 3 feet tall and wide, depending on the variety. Caladiums are subtropical bulbs that produce colorful leaves. The plants can reach to 3 feet tall, but most selections are between 1 to 2 feet tall and wide. Caladiums are hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11. Like dahlias and canna lilies, these bulbs can...
Learn how to take care of Christmas cactus, poinsettia and other holiday plants after the holidays. Listen to Podcast: Now that you've put away all your holiday decorations, what are you going to do with those holiday gift plants still adorning your house? Like many gifts, some are worth saving and others are better regifted. So let's go through the list of holiday gift plants and I'll tell you what I think you should do with them. Some plants require special growing conditions to look beautiful at the holidays. These include poinsettia,...
Certain plants like carnivorous pitcher plants and sundews don't consume a plant-based diet in order to grow and thrive. Pitchers, sundews and the infamous Venus Fly Trap have all evolved to eat insects as a means to enrich their diet. Though not native to Vermont, some of the bigger carnivorous plants will eat larger critters, like frogs and lizards. These plants all grow through photosynthesis, but they often need to supplement their diet with insects because the soil they grow in isn't nutrient-dense. Fly traps are native to the East...
Sun Requirements Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema) grows best in medium light, but tolerates low light conditions. If growing the colorful leaf varieties, grow plants in a room with brighter light. In general, the darker the leaves and stalks, the less light is needed. Bloom Period and Plant Shape Chinese evergreens are not grown for their small flowers the plant produces in the tropical outdoors. Those don't usually appear when it's grown as a houseplant. It's mostly grown for the large, lush green and silver leaves, or multi-colored leaves...
Sun Requirements Bright sun is best for Chinese money plants, but avoid direct light and South-facing windows. Too much shade will stimulate the plant to grow larger leaves. Bloom Period and Plant Shape Chinese money plants (Pilea Peperomoides) are mostly grown for their large, round leaves that resemble silver dollars. They will flower with small white flowers on pink stems especially after exposure to cooler temperatures. That are not frost tolerant. Mature Height x Spread The Chinese money plant grows quickly to about 1 foot tall and...
Learn about how to grow Christmas cactus to flower this winter in your home. Listen to Podcast: This common flowering houseplant is native the southeastern, coastal mountains of Brazil. It flowers in May in the Southern hemisphere in response to the shorter day lengths. Europeans starting breeding this plant in the 1800's and now it's one of our most treasured symbols of the holidays. It's the Christmas cactus. Christmas cactus is actually a misnomer. This plant can bloom from November to March and it's not really a cactus. Christmas...
