Healthy Houseplants, Author at Healthy Houseplants

Interior landscaping a growing business

Houseplants are amazingly adaptable. They can thrive together in a mixed planting for years. Such Thriving “interiorscaping” industry installs and maintains indoor greenery for commercial and high-end residential clients.

By JULIE BAWDEN-DAVIS

The Orange County Register

Have you ever sat in a hotel lobby surrounded by lush plants and wished you could have your own indoor garden paradise? If so, it’s time to call a plantscaper.

Just as some breathtaking outdoor gardens are planted and maintained by professionals, there are stunning indoor gardens installed and cared for by trained interior landscapers.

“Many people are surprised to discover how big the interior landscaping industry is,” said Julie Davis Farrow, co-owner with her husband, Mark, of Irvine-based Plantscapers Inc. The company maintains hundreds of residential and commercial indoor gardens throughout Orange County.

The industry even has its own term for creating green spaces inside – interiorscaping.

“Interiorscaping is a billion-dollar business that’s just starting to come into its own,” said Farrow, who opened her company in 1981. “Interior landscaping has grown alongside the interior-design industry, and we often work closely with them. Interior plants used to be an afterthought, but now architects and designers are planning for indoor gardens.”

Some of the requests go beyond greenery. “One client wanted her home to look like the Mirage (casino) in Las Vegas,” she said. “So her architect created a home design that included planters. He specified and had built-in planters installed throughout the home, including under a winding staircase and all around the den. We installed 10- to 12-foot preserved Washingtonia palms and fan palms as large specimens and filled the base of the planters with small, tropical greenery such as bird of paradise, Chinese evergreen, peace lily and a vast array of colorful bromeliads.”

Professional interiorscapers consult with homeowners and their interior designers to create indoor gardens that complement home design and the personal tastes of the owners. These indoor-garden experts then install and maintain the gardens.

Jeana Keough of Coto de Caza began using interiorscapers five years ago after seeing how plants light up a house.

“Besides the fact that houseplants clean the air, I really like how they make a home warm and cozy,” said Keough, who has more than 25 plants throughout her home. “I’m in real estate and we routinely have interiorscapers decorate homes for sale. As soon as the plants are installed, the homes sell.”

Like many homeowners, Keough, although she enjoys having houseplants brighten her interior, has difficulty keeping them healthy. “I tried to take care of my indoor garden myself, but many of them died,” she said. “I find it best to have professionals maintain them for me.”

NO-FUSS INDOOR GARDEN

Hire an interior landscaper and you get a hassle-free, foolproof way to beautify your home with houseplants, said Farrow, whose company provides full plant service. That includes evaluating light levels, assisting in selecting plants and containers, installation and maintenance. They guarantee all plants and containers.

“Plantscaping is an easy, cost-effective way to enhance the look of your interior,” said Farrow. “Our average high-end home costs anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 for the installation, and the monthly maintenance fee runs from $150 to $700, depending on the number of plants and their value.

“It’s impressive to have a home with an eye-catching, well-designed indoor garden. A good interior landscaper will evaluate your home’s architecture and style and consider that when suggesting plants and containers. Many of our clients also travel frequently, and they’re relieved to know that someone will be taking care of their plants.”

As we spend more and more time improving our homes and enjoying them, plantscaping will continue to grow in popularity, said Karin Senneff, whose company, Plant Interscapes of San Antonio, Texas, is one of the largest plantscaping companies in the nation. “For aesthetic and health reasons, homeowners increasingly want to bring the outdoors in. Not only do indoor plants make the home look great, they clean the air, reduce stress and improve productivity.”

ROOTS OF THE INDUSTRY

Considering that today’s top interiorscapers are trained in horticulture and interior design, it’s interesting to note the industry’s humble beginnings. Many early houseplant suppliers had a background in farming and traveled the country selling houseplants to small plant shops.

“Customers would walk into those small shops, buy some plants and then look at the shop owner and ask, ‘Can you take care of my plants?'” said Senneff, who is originally from Southern California. “The first interior landscapers had little more than vans for selling and transporting plants.”

Farrow started Plantscapers Inc. in 1981 while a senior in high school. “A friend did outdoor landscaping and when a big client in Long Beach asked if he could do the interior as well, he passed the job on to me.” She later studied interior design, horticulture and general business practices at Orange Coast College. “I designed and installed the interior of that company and many of their neighbors liked my work, so before long I had a bunch of clients. At first I drove around a little truck and worked out of my parents’ garage.”

Within five years, Farrow partnered with her husband, opened an office and now has a 6,800-square-foot showroom and warehouse in Irvine, where they display live plant selections, as well as Replica, their high-end line of silk plants.

Over the past 25 years Farrow has seen the industry grow and the choice of materials skyrocket. “Back when I started in the 1980s, I had just three vendors for containers. Now I have over 500 suppliers, and the selection of pots is limitless. The variety of plants available has also increased considerably thanks to the incredible work of hybridizers. Our design team constantly monitors industry trends, including the new products and plants available, and we try to emulate that in our landscape design.”

Today’s popular plant choices include a colorful array of bromeliad hybrids, which are a favorite with interiorscapers because the blooms last four to six weeks indoors, and come in many different colors. “Thanks to crossbreeding done by bromeliad growers, we now have purple, pink, red, orange and even white bromeliads,” said Farrow. “Other popular plants include new varieties in the Aglaonema family, such as one selection called ‘Stars’ that has white markings on dark green leaves that resemble stars. Many growers also braid or twist the trunks of various ficus, which make a stunning focal point in a foyer or entry to a home.”

CHOOSING AN INTERIOR LANDSCAPER

Enjoying a breathtaking indoor garden is easy if you select the right interiorscaper. While all professionals work a little differently, good interior plantscape professionals have a few things in common, said Farrow, who suggests keeping the following tips in mind:

• Check credentials. While it helps if a plantscaper has interior design experience, realize that such training doesn’t make the person qualified to choose the correct plants for a home. Hire a company that has certified horticultural technicians. Such individuals have been certified by PLANET, the interiorscape industry’s national professional organization.

• Inquire whether the company guaranteesthe plants and that their containers are leak-proof.

• What about professional affiliation?Belonging to organizations such as the local chamber of commerce and business trade associations shows a commitment to excellence.

• Does the company have a Web site and portfolioof work online that you can review? Does it appear to have a professional staff experienced in horticultural interior design?

• Ask about employee screening. Considering that company employees will be entering your home on a regular basis, it’s important to be able to trust that a company has an ethical, professional staff. Always ask for references, and then contact them to verify information and satisfaction with the service.

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Healthy HouseplantsJune 17, 20120 Comments

Healthy Houseplants Blog

Anthurium

Anthuriums Add a Taste of the Tropics to Your Indoor Garden

Want to grow a houseplant that flowers nearly year-round, attracts attention and makes you feel like it’s time to put on sunscreen and order a mai tai? Add an anthurium to your indoor garden collection. Known for its colorful tropical flower bracts and floral spikes, these exotic-looking houseplants are easier to grow indoors than you might think.

Anthurium flowers eye-catching

Anthuriums come in a variety of colors, including red, pink, salmon, pale yellow, green and orange. These flowers are so stunning—they almost look like wax. With proper care, each flower spike can last four to six weeks, and you almost always have blooms to display.

Anthurium indoor growing tips

To have success growing anthuriums, keep the following tips in mind:

Light

. Proper lighting is critical to getting your anthurium to bloom indoors. Bright light is best, such as near a southern or eastern window. Western windows also work, but make sure that there is some protection from harsh afternoon rays with sheer curtains or blinds. Or place the plant a couple of feet from the window. When conditions are dim, use full-spectrum lighting.

Provide humidity

. Anthuriums originated in tropical climates and therefore require additional moisture in the air. If you live in a dry climate, put them over a pebble tray and mist on a daily basis.

Watch watering

. Anthuriums like to approach dryness in between waterings and should not be kept continually moist. Promote quick drainage by using a potting soil that is heavy on pumice or orchid bark. As a plant ages, it will mound itself out of the pot, exposing stem. Spraying the stem helps keep the plant well hydrated.

Fertilize regularly. For healthy anthuriums that flower continuously, it is best to apply a dilute solution of fertilizer to the water every third or fourth time you feed your plants. Use a low nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 7-9-5.
Pot up often. Some growers—especially those in Hawaii where conditions are moist–grow anthuriums as air plants, securing them in a soil-less medium such as orchid bark or lava rock. If you live in a drier climate, pot anthurium in potting soil with 1/4 orchid bark or lava rock to increase drainage in the soil mix. If a plant begins to dry out quickly between waterings, repot sooner. Pot up in a container that is just one size larger, as potting up to a pot that is too large will lead to root rot and anthurium death. The plant should comprise 2/3 of the plant-pot combination; the pot 1/3.

Watch for pests. Anthuriums tend to be relatively disease resistant. They can occasionally fall victim to spider mites, which can be prevented by regular misting.

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Healthy HouseplantsJune 17, 20120 Comments

Healthy Houseplants Blog

Venus flytrap

Few plants are as captivating as the Venus flytrap (Dioneae muscipula). This carnivorous insect-eater appeals to the kid in everyone. Although they look like they come from outerspace or a distant locale, Venus flytraps are actually native to the United States. In nature, they can only be found within a 100-mile area along the coast of North and South Carolina. The Venus flytrap is not a large plant. It gets about six to eight inches in diameter. The leaves of the plant consist of toothed traps that lure and digest insects. When trigger hairs inside a trap are touched, the plant responds by closing on its prey. It takes up to a week for a flytrap to digest a fly and other insects. The trap re-opens to display the evidence–a shriveled insect carcass.
		A warm weather plant, the flytrap is active from April through October. It goes dormant in the winter, requiring the cold days of December and January to store energy and remain healthy. When it’s dormant, the flytrap can withstand very cold temperatures, but the 40s and 50s are ideal. Flytraps can often be found at local nurseries and via mail- order. Grow them indoors or outdoors. Here are some cultural tips.
* Provide ample light. The flytrap is similar to a succulent in its light requirements. Place in full sun outdoors. During especially hot days in summer, move to partial shade. Indoors provide at least two to three hours of sun a day. * Water properly. Flytraps like to be kept moist and the right type of water is critical. Don’t use regular tap water on flytraps, as it is too high in salts and minerals. Softened water should also be avoided. Good water choices include deionized, reverse osmosis, distilled and rainwater. Unlike other plants, Venus flytraps should sit in standing water. Keep pots in a dish that contains about an inch of water at all times.
* Feed well. Most experts recommend not fertilizing your flytraps at all. The plant receives its nutrients from the insects it eats. Outdoor plants will catch their own victims, but those grown indoors require you to feed them. When feeding a flytrap, keep a few things in mind. Good food choices include flies, sowbugs, ants, small moths and spiders. Avoid using hamburger, cheese and similar foods, as they will prematurely rot the traps. Make sure to touch the tiny trigger hairs inside of the trap, which activates it to close. Overfeeding is impossible. The more you feed, the stronger the plant. It’s best if one trap is feeding at all times. During its growing period, a flytrap constantly produces new traps. Most traps last a month or two before turning black and falling off. Although it’s tempting, refrain from teasing the flytraps closed. Falsely closed traps don’t feed the plant and can take 24 hours to reopen, which causes them to blacken prematurely. * Repot. For best results, it’s a good idea to repot flytraps every two years. This is best done at the tail end of dormancy in January or February. The soil mix recommended by most experts is 2 parts peat moss and one part perlite or silica sand. Moisten the mix before planting. Flytraps do best in plastic pots. * Move outside for winter. If you choose to grow your flytrap indoors, bring it outside during winter months so that it can receive adequate chilling. Watch that it doesn’t become water-logged during winter rains, though, or it could drown.

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Healthy HouseplantsJune 17, 20120 Comments

Healthy Houseplants Blog

African Violet

African Violets: How to Grow These Blooming Beauties

The first time I saw an African violet at the nursery I was enthralled, but wondered. Would the plant continue to rebloom indoors? Or like many flowering plants you buy at the nursery, would it just be a one-bloom wonder? To my delight, the plant continued to bloom constantly indoors, as does my whole collection.

Grow an African violet (Saintpaulia) and you’ll soon discover why they’re considered one of the most popular flowering houseplants. Give them the right conditions and you can enjoy their pert, happy blooms throughout the year.

African violet flowers come in a variety of striking colors, including purple, pink, mauve, lavender, white, cranberry,coral and blue. Some blooms are variegated. Flowers are single, semi-double or double and are often ruffled or fringed. Leaves are fuzzy and generally oval-shaped, and some are variegated.

African violet origins

Discovered in eastern Africa in 1892 by amateur horticulturist, Baron von St. Paul-Illaire, African violets have been enjoyed by indoor gardeners for over 100 years. A governor of the area’s Usambara District at the time, St. Paul-Illaire spotted a small plant with blue-purple flowers and gathered seeds and specimens. The plant material ended up at Berlin’s Royal Botanic Garden where the director grew plants from the seeds and then identified a new plant genus–Saintpaulia ionantha–after the man who discovered them. Although African violets resemble viola flowers, they are actually in the Gesneriaceae family.

Growing African violets

The secret to getting African violets to look their best and re-bloom is to give them the right growing conditions–which are similar to our preferred living environment, says Irmi Bullinger of Anaheim, who is a member of the Tustana African Violet Society.

“African violets prefer temperatures at 70 to 75 degrees and approximately 60 percent humidity,” she says. “Give them adequate light, water and food, and they’ll thrive.

Lighting

African violets like bright, indirect light. Provide eight to 12 hours of sunlight or artificial light per day. While sufficient light is important for blooming, make sure the sunlight isn’t too bright, or it will burn leaves. An unobstructed, bright northern exposure window is an ideal location. In any other exposure, protect the plants with sheer curtains or adjustable blinds. Keep in mind that in order to bloom,

violets also need at least eight hours of darkness each day. To keep plants growing in an attractive, uniform manner, it is also a good idea to rotate them on a regular basis so that all sides get equal amounts of light, says floral designer Pat Gosnell.

Watering African violets

African violets should be kept evenly moist, but not overly wet. While you can water them from above as you would many other houseplants, methods that avoid wetting the leaves are preferred.

Watering from the bottom can be done when the surface of the soil has dried out. To water, fill a container that is slightly larger than the plant pot with room temperature or tepid water and place the pot inside. It will slowly soak up water.
Wick irrigation is another popular watering method. This involves using a wick that sits in a water reservoir down below the plant and is threaded up through the bottom of the pot. The wick continually draws on the water reservoir, transporting just the right amount of water to the plant and never wetting the foliage.
A wick system can be found at various nurseries and mail-order plant suppliers, or you can make your own, says Bullinger, who notes that it is important to use a synthetic wick material such as acrylic yarn. Cotton or wool do not work well. Thread the wick through the pot and then place it in a water reservoir that has a hole for the wick and a hole for air circulation. Depending on how large the reservoir, wicking can greatly cut down on watering requirements. You need only keep the container filled.
Avoid highly chlorinated water. If you suspect that your water has a high amount of chlorine, let it sit for several hours before using to let the chlorine gas escape. Softened water should not be used at all because it is too high in salt. Both distilled and reverse osmosis water are good choices.

Fertilizing

Keep African violets blooming by feeding on a regular basis. This can be done monthly, or by adding a quarter-strength solution of fertilizer every time you water. For wick systems, simply add a quarter-strength solution to the water reservoir. Use an all-purpose, well-balanced food such as a 20-20-20, or an organic solution. It is best to use a fertilizer with trace elements, which many organics contain.

Humidity

African violets do best in humid conditions. Wick systems with their water wells provide some humidity. Grouping plants also creates moister air. It is best to grow bottom watered plants over a humidity tray. This is created by placing marbles, gravel or polished pebbles or stones in a tray or larger pot. Fill the humidity tray up with water to just below the surface of the pebbles and place the plant on top, making sure no water touches the bottom of the pot. Refill the tray when it becomes dry.

Grooming & pest control

Keeping plants clean and free of old leaves and flowers not only makes the plants look better, it will keep them healthier. If pests do crop up–mealybugs are a likely suspect–spray with isopropyl alcohol. Once the leaves are dry, remove the dried up pests with a soft brush.

When to repot African violets

For optimum flowering, African violets should be repotted on a regular basis–about every six months. The rule of thumb is that the pot size should be one-third the diameter of the plant. So if your plant is 9 inches wide, you should use a 3-inch pot. Go up a pot size only when the plant has outgrown the pot. Otherwise, repot in the same container, using fresh soil. Avoid using terra-cotta containers, which lose moisture too quickly. Plastic is your best choice. Soil is important, says Gosnell, who mixes equal parts peat moss, vermiculite and perlite, with a small amount of horticultural charcoal. (The latter ingredient absorbs odors and keeps the soil clean.)

Bullinger also makes her own soil mix, but likes it even lighter. “African violet roots need air as much as they need water,” she says. She adds a higher concentration of perlite to her mix to promote air circulation, and a small amount of worm compost for added nutrients and to promote soil health.

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Healthy HouseplantsJune 17, 20120 Comments

Healthy Houseplants Blog

What Audiences Say About Julie

“Thank you so much for your informative (and funny) presentation at Cottages and Bungalows Magazine’s “Walk This Way Lightly” Green Living Celebration. It was a great day and you added so much.”

“Wonderful! You gave the Del Norte Garden Club so much information. Your love of plants truly shows in your talk. Thank you so much for sharing with us today. We loved it!”

“The Laguna Beach Garden Club would like to thank you for your presentation on Healthy Houseplants and Indoor Gardening. It was so informative and reminded us of how important plants are to our homes.”

“The Villa Park Petal Pushers had such a grand time learning about strawberries, and all the fun things you taught us. It is delightful dreaming of all the dishes of ice cream topped with homegrown strawberries that we will enjoy on our patios this summer thanks to your information.”

“Thanks for your great lecture on strawberries for the Los Angeles Garden Club. “

“On behalf of the Whittier Garden Club, we’d like to thank you for a great gardening talk!”

“Thank you for speaking at the 29th annual Green Scene Garden Show. Green Scene was a huge success with approximately 10,000 garden enthusiasts enjoying the weekend.”

“Thank you very much for completing our forum and speaking on houseplants at our Master Gardener meeting. Your speech was very informative.”

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Healthy HouseplantsJune 17, 20120 Comments

Healthy Houseplants Blog

Healthy Houseplants

Welcome to Healthy Houseplants, your number one website for up-to-date information on creating a spectacular indoor garden. Gardening indoors is a daily adventure. Houseplants provide an endless show of lasting beauty. Better still, you can garden indoors anywhere, at any time you choose.

Here at Healthy Houseplants we take the business of indoor plant care and how to grow healthy houseplants seriously. Look to us for everything from individual plant care, to the latest in the indoor gardening industry, to growing herbs indoors, to the best indoor plants. We believe in organic indoor gardening, so the solutions you find here will be natural and safe for you and your houseplants. Stay and browse a while, and give us some feedback. We’d love to know what you think and what you’d like to see on our site.

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Healthy HouseplantsJune 17, 20120 Comments

Healthy Houseplants Blog

Jade Plant

When it comes to succulents, jade (Crassula ovata) tops the list as one of the easiest to grow indoors. This South African native plant with its fleshy oblong leaves and stout heavy-limbed trunk lends architectural interest to the interior and fits just about any decorating scheme.
To grow a healthy indoor jade plant, keep these growing tips in mind.

Lighting

Jade grows in full sun outdoors, so indoors the plant needs as much light as you can provide. Grow in an unobstructed eastern, southern or western window. If window light is insufficient, provide supplemental, full-spectrum lighting, which can be found for any type of light fixture, including lamps and recessed lighting.
Jade grown in insufficient light will experience weak, undersized growth and leaf loss.

Planting Jade

As a succulent, jade requires excellent drainage. Plant in a fast-draining soil that contains 25% to 40% pumice or perlite with the remainder composed of a light, organic potting soil, such as a cactus mix. Also add 10% to 20% horticultural sand, if available.

Watering

Jade is highly susceptible to root rot, so avoid overwatering. Wait until the first 2 to 3 inches of soil has dried and then soak the plant in the sink and let it drain. Never let jade plant pots sit in saucers of water, as this will quickly lead to their demise. In the fall and winter months, jade may not need watering for weeks at a time.

Humidity

A desert plant, jade likes low humidity, ranging from 30% to 50%. Grow in a location of the home that has good air circulation and avoid grouping jade with other plants, as plants humidify one another. If you live in a dry climate, place jade near doorways and open windows where it will get an abundance of dry air. If you live in a humid climate, keep jade near sources that dry the air, such as air-conditioners and heaters.

Fertilizing

Feed jade monthly in the spring and summer months with a ½-strength solution of an organic, all-purpose plant food. Also feed once a year with a worm compost tea in the spring, which boosts biological activity in the soil.

Flowering

Outdoors, mature jade bloom in the winter and early spring months in North America with clusters of tiny pinkish-white, star-shaped blooms. Outdoors, the shortening daylight hours in late autumn and winter cause jade to produce these blooms. Indoor grown mature jade exposed to nighttime lighting isn’t likely to bloom indoors, unless you can provide the plant with 10 to 12 hours of darkness each night.

- Learn more about Jade and bringing tender succulents and plants indoors for the winter months at The Hoosier Gardener.

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Healthy HouseplantsDecember 8, 20110 Comments

Healthy Houseplants Blog

Corn Plant

Corn Plant a Reliable Tall Floor Plant for Low to Medium Light

One of my favorite houseplants is my corn plant (Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana’). I got it when I moved into my home in the 1980s, and at the time it stood just a foot high. Today it stands 10-feet-tall nearly touching the ceiling–creating an impressive focal point in my living room. Its shiny, sword-shaped green-and-yellow-striped leaves look great in just about any interior.This plant may seem challenging to grow, but it thrives indoors. Keep the following growing tips in mind.

Be patient. Corn plant is a slow grower. If you want a larger specimen, you’ll have to pay for it. Depending on the size of the plant, it can range from $30 to $200. Considering the cost of the plant, use caution when transporting. Lay it on its side for transporting and never grasp it by its trunk, which can break off roots. Always lift the plant by the container. Move in an enclosed vehicle.
Watch watering. Water when the soil surface dries. Also keep in mind that tall floor plants tend to be cumbersome to move for watering. If you’ll be watering the plant in place, make sure that you have protected flooring properly with saucers and make sure to never leave the plant sitting in water, as this can lead to root rot. If possible, every six months move the plant outdoors or to the bathtub and leach the soil to remove salt build-up. Fall and spring are good times to do this.
Offer correct lighting. Corn plants don’t need a lot of bright light. They do best in medium light. An eastern exposure where they get some morning sun works well.
Fertilize. Feed your corn plant with a well-balanced organic food in spring and fall.
Brown leaf tips? Corn plants are notorious for developing brown leaf tips which can be caused by uneven watering orlow humidity. Brown leaf tips can be cut off.
Corn Plant Too tall? When your plant becomes too tall for its space, it’s time to air-layer.This refers to the process of partially cutting the trunk to create a new plant and then removing the new plant which can then be planted in the same pot. Click here for more info on propagating.

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Healthy HouseplantsDecember 8, 20110 Comments

Plant Encyclopedia

ZZ Plant

About ZZ Plant

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Healthy HouseplantsSeptember 7, 20100 Comments