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Top 10 Indoor Plants

Bring your home to life and the garden indoors with a wide variety of indoor plants. Stunning color and foliage can create great atmosphere and a calming feeling in the home. Get creative with with these top 10 indoor plants.

 

PHILODENDRON XANADU

This is a common indoor plant that as a distinctive tropical origin. The philodendrons can grow upto 3 feet or 1 meter high. Can grow in low light levels and likes regular watering, especially during warmer weather.

CYCLAMEN – (Primulacae)

This plant comes in a variety of white, pink, or purple flowers. It tends to flower during the cooler months. It likes well-lit areas but not direct sunlight. This plant likes to draw water from the roots so place a saucer under the pot and fill with water to be drawn up by the plant.

PEACE LILY – (Spathiphyllum)

The Peace Lilly plant grows beautiful white flowers with dark glossy foliage and grows about 11 inches or 30 centimeters in height. Suitable for low light conditions such as a bedroom or lounge. Water throughly when it is dry to touch, keep the soil moist

FIDDLE LEAF FIG – (Ficus lyrata)

This larger plant is quite popular and thrives is a well-lit position. The leaves are violin-shaped and should be planted in a large pot. Water regularly during growing season however in winter allow the soil to dry out between drinks.

PHALAENOPSIS ORCHID

Beautiful flowers come in a wide range of colors. The flowers can last for upto 3 months from one bud. This plant likes a bright well lit area but not in the in direct sunlight. Plant in well drained potting mix and water weekly.

AIR PLANT – (Tillandsia)

This unique plant is perfect for terrariums as they draw nutrients from moisture in the air so they do not need soil. Grows well in a bright spot out of direct sunlight.

LUCKY BAMBOO – (Dracaena)

A very popular desk plant with curly stems and green leaves. They are quite hardy and can grow upto 3 feet or 1 meter high. They can be grown in a jar of water or potting mix. Grows well in low light.

ANTHURIUM

The Anthurium has lovely large red flowers with broad green leaves. Grow in a bright position with good sunlight. Be careful not to over water, use a good draining potting mix and water only when soil is dry to touch.

ZANZIBAR GEM – (Zamioculcas zamifolia)

The Zanzibar has long succulent stems and shiny, waxy leaves that mimic a palm. It is a very low maintenance plant that can grow in low light levels. It is quite hardy and can survive a long time without watering.

  CALATHEA

The Calathea Colorful patterned foliage of pale green with dark green spots and lines make this a very attractive small indoor plant. It grows best in mid-light and should be kept moist with regular watering in summer months.

Visit your local nursery for more ideas and varieties of great indoor plants for brighten up your home.  Happy gardening.

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Save money and water by using grey water

Grey water is a great way to recycle water during winter and especially over a hot summer that would usually go to waste down the drain. An average family house can produce as much if not more than 400 liters or 105 gallons of grey water a day. Here are a few basic tips and things to keep in mind if you want to recycle your water.

What grey water should you use?

Water waste from you house can be split into 3 categories.

1. Toilet – (Do not use on the garden especially vegetable patch)
2. Dishwasher, kitchen sinks
3. Shower, bath, washing machine

Grey water is any water that goes down the drain at your house that isn’t from the toilet. Water from your bath, shower, hand basins and washing machines. Water from the kitchen sink and the dishwasher is grey water, however because it usually has food scraps in it, water from these sources is referred to as having a high “organic load” – which is another way of saying that it’s in danger of being a source for unhealthy bacterial growth.

Where to use grey water

Use grey water on all of the garden and try not to concentrate the grey water in just one area of your garden. Don’t put too much on and keep an eye on the health of your plants to make sure you’re not doing any damage to your soil.

Plants

Grey water usually has a much higher salt content than tap water, plus water with a lot of detergent or soap in it can also be a bit of a shock to your plants. Consider discarding water from your washing machine wash cycle but using the water from the rinse cycle. Another option is using “grey water friendly” detergent and soap. Your garden is a living thing. To make sure that it stays that way, it’s important to keep its exposure to certain chemicals and bacteria to a minimum.

Soil

The best soil type that is suited to grey water use is a loamy type that retains water well without becoming muddy. Very sandy soils or ones with a high clay concentration are not good for using with grey water. High clay soils don’t absorb water as well and can lead to water run-off issues. Very sandy soil can lead to excessively deep drainage with grey water entering the water table.

Lawn

Choose the right water for the right plants. If you think about the sources of grey water in your house, you’ll realize that there is more than one variety. Some sources are better suited to certain applications. For example, if you’re using detergent with phosphates in it, it’s best not to use that on native plants but your lawn will love it. You must also never use grey water on food plants – especially leaf and root crops.

Regulations apply

Every state has different rules governing the use of grey water.
Check to see if any of these apply to you:
Do grey water systems need to be installed by a licensed plumber?
Do you need to use different color grey water pipes?
Do you need a sign on the grey water pipe saying “unfit for drinking”?

Grey water warnings!

Never use grey water on the vegetable garden or food crops.
Never allow the grey water to enter a swimming pool.
Don’t let the grey water run off your property.
You must also never use it on food crops like a vegetable garden.

Grey water use is a smart way to recycle your waste water if used appropriately and your garden will love you for it.
Happy watering

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Garden Hose Nozzle 10 Spray pattern, Heavy Duty, Chrome Plated

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Additional images:

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6 Critical Things You Need to Know When Planting Roses

When you first buy your rose plant from your local nursery it often looks beautiful and bushy and when you get it home and plant in the ground it starts to deteriorate and you wonder that happened. Well here are the 6 must know tips for making sure when you plant your rose bush that it continues to grow and flourish.

Tip 1: Choose a location in your garden that has full sun light or at least 6 hours of sunlight minimum. There are some types of roses that bloom in partly shaded areas but for the majority of rose bushes they flourish in spots that get lots of sunlight.

Tip 2: When digging a hole for your new rose bush make sure it is as deep as the bushes root ball. Generally, this is around 14-18 inches deep and 17-24 inches wide.

Tip 3: Make sure the soil you plant your rose bush in has good drainage. Roses will need regular deep watering but if the roots are left in wet soil for to many days they can begin to rot.

Tip 4: Roses are not practically fussy about soil but since they are heavy feeders it is best to mix in a handful or bone meal or superphosphate with the soil that was removed from the ground when digging the hole. This will give the rose bush some good nutrients and also help the bush acclimatize to its new home.

Tip 5: If you purchased your rose bush in a container it is best to gentle remove the plant from the pot and loosen the roots so they expand out which will give the rose bush the best chance of adapting to its new home.

Tip 6: Water deeply a least once per week for a few weeks until the rose bush has become stablished. You will know it has acclimatized when it starts to send out new growth on the stems.

If you follow these planting tips then your will enjoy beautiful rose bushes for years to come.

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Add outdoor Christmas decorations to your home and garden

Add that extra touch with this Christmas lights this festive season by lighting up your home and garden.

Sparkle with fairy lights

Customise your home with fairy lights, save power and use solar powered fairy lights. Some lights change color and flashing functions.

Wrap them around the trees and drape over the fences or around the base of your plants to create that spectial magical look. Use plastic clips or hooks instead of pins or nails to protect against getting electrocuted.

Place the solar panels in a sunny position so the battery can fully recharge during the day to give you maximum wow factor at night.

Make an outdoor Christmas Tree

Give your garden a whole new look with a Christmas Tree feel on any established plant in your yard. Pick any tree in a good location and wrap it with draping fairy lights. With multi-colours and remote control operation, they’ll make your tree look amazing. Make sure you use water-proof lights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light the footpath for Santa

Creat an amazing entrance to your home for Santa and your friends by lighting the entrance of your home with Solar-powered festive lights. Make an impression with soft blue lighting that illuminates the path and garden bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decorations larger than life

Make a BIG impression and maximum impact with life size blow-up decorations. Impress your neighbours and wow the kids with characters that have LED lights inside them. They are easy to inflate with built in fans. Some also come with stakes and fans so they don’t fly away.

Choose your lights

With such a huge range of festive lights you can buy anything from fairy lights to rope, blow-up and novelty lights either online or at your local shop. Let your imagination run wild and have fun!

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All about heirloom seeds

Using heirloom seeds . It’s becoming an increasingly popular style of gardening. So what are they and why should you choose them?

What are heirloom seeds?

Heirloom seeds are are old-time seeds that have been handed down through multiple generations. They have been open-pollinated instead of hybrid and usually cost less. They tend to more hardie, adaptable and have great flavour.

Why use heirloom seeds?

Heirloom seeds range from fruits vegetables, plants and also flowers. Unlike commercial seeds that are used to produce quantity, heirloom tend to have unique colours, textures or tastes. Growing from a seed can also be a large money saving unlike propagating.

Are they organic or GMO?

Heirloom are not always organic as presumed. Many varieties are however they can be produced utilising fertilisers or pesticides. Check with your seed supplier first.

Are heirloom seeds organic or GMO?

A common misconception is that all heirloom seeds are organic. While many varieties are organic, some heirloom seeds may be produced utilising fertilisers or pesticides so it’s best to check with the producers of the seed.

You can be sure however that heirloom seeds are not GMO (genetically modified). GMO have been altered and modified whereas heirloom are natural and passed down through generations of growing.

Heirloom vs hybrid

Heirloom seeds are open-pollination naturally by nature. By bees, birds, insects, the wind. Hybrid are produced manually with the notion of cross breeding two genetically different varieties of seeds together to gain positive traits from both plants.

Growing heirloom

Varieties of herloom you may want to grow might include tomatoes, capsicums, pumpkins and potatoes, all of which are ideal for growning at home.

Planting heirloom

Plant heirloom the same as any other vegetable. Add compost to the soil to prepare. Dig a small hole for the seeds a couple of inches from the surface and cover. Water and use liquid fertiliser as needed.

Happy planting!

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HOW TO PRUNE TREES

Keep your trees healthy and strong with good pruning. It will not only keep them in good shape, it will remove damaged and dead branches allowing room for new growth, while preventing the spread of viral and bacterial fungal infection.

Here are 5 simple steps to help you correctly prune and avoid damaging the tree. Trim with safety from the ground without a step ladder.

Equipment you will need:

Handsaw
Folding Pruner
Hand Pruner
Gloves
Loppers
Pole Pruner
Safety Glasses
Secateurs

STEP 1: Trim smaller branches with pruners

Start by putting on your safety glasses and gloves on. Make sure you have a sharp blade so you can cut through the branches with ease. Use the pruners to trim for low hanging small branches near the base of the tree.

STEP 2: Cut medium branches with your handsaw

Use the handsaw to cut any protruding or lower level branches too big for the pruners. Cutting the branch off close to the tree trunk and avoid cutting the main trunk so you do not damage the tree. Ideally the blade on your handsaw will be very sharp so you can make trimming with ease. Cut the branch on an angle that protrudes slightly off the trunk.

STEP 3: Prune hard to reach branches

Cut hard to reach branches from the ground with your pole pruner. There are attachments for the pole pruner, including a saw for thicker branches.

STEP 4: Cut thicker branches with loppers

To cut through thicker branches with ease is loppers. They are like giant secateurs designed to give your better leverage for use on pruning big branches

STEP 5: Saw thicker branches using an undercut

Undercut is a technique to cut the larger branches upwards, instead of cutting from the top down. Cutting top down can lead to the weight of the branch snapping off resulting in tearing the bark exposing the tree to diseases. Start under the branch and saw upwards until you have cut halfway through. Next saw from the top of the branch, starting about 3-5 cm up the branch from the undercut. Continue cutting until the weight of the branch pulls it away from the tree. Once it is removed you can then cut the remaining branch away from the trunk.

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