Click on the link below to listen to today’s Garden Bite: Debunking NASA study on air-cleaning plants

Over 30 years ago, in 1989, NASA scientist Bill Wolverton claimed that household plants could provide a “promising” solution to indoor air pollution.

Including the American Lung Association. In part they said that This NASA study showed that plants did clean the air in a closed, limited environment or  … [Continue reading]

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Is Shamrock a real plant?

“Top of the mornin’ to ya!”  and Happy St. Patty’s Day!  I may be slightly Irish but I am all American, as those phrases really are! But it IS St. Patrick’s day and that makes me think of Shamrocks and all things green. 

It was the Celtic druids who started the shamrock on its path to Irish glory! They believed the number 3 to be a perfect number and, as such, to have  … [Continue reading]

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Air plants trend for 2023

Last week I talked about the latest popular plants including Strings of plants and succulents and cacti, so great for the office.

Their Latin name is Tillandsia and they are native to South and Central America with about 500 species!

Do they really grow with no soil? Yes, they are epiphytes, meaning they grow on other plants, usually tree  … [Continue reading]

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Succulents vs Cacti

 Yesterday I talked about the popularity of the succulent, Strings of plants. Cactus are also very popular as they are excellent home or office plants.

There is a saying, “all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti”. Cacti are simply a subcategory within a group of plants, which are known collectively as succulents. I’ll explain…  I checked out an article from Planetdesert for a  … [Continue reading]

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Strings of plants

 In the world of succulents, strings of them have gained significant popularity both among plant aficionados and home decorators!

I just saw a String of Bananas. I have to admit, they look like tiny green bananas, full and hanging down. So what ARE they?

String Plants are adorable smallish plants that grow very well in hanging baskets or in a container on a pedestal or sitting on a shelf where they can trail down. They’re  … [Continue reading]

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Lighting for plants

Yesterday I talked a little about the light spectrum for houseplants.  If you’re trying to get a houseplant to flower, ideally you’ll give it the full spectrum of light.

While you can achieve that with a combination of warm/soft bulbs and the cool/white bulbs you may consider LED lights. 

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: How to kill a houseplant

Why would I tell you how to kill a houseplant? I’m supposed to love plants… I tell you so you don’t… kill them!

This time of year I get a lot of questions about houseplants.  Why are the leaves brown, yellow or limp?  Why is my plant crunchy?  I’ve decided to share with you a list of the 5 easiest ways to kill a houseplant!   

Number 1: poor light.  Either too little, too  … [Continue reading]

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Giving your leaves a bath

I’ve talked about this topic before but it does bear repeating, especially in winter. Our leaves get really dusty over time. That layer of “gunk”, be it dust or even airborne grease from cooking, creates a layer that inhibits plants from doing what we want them to do. Especially in Winter. Clear the air.

Periodically cleaning the leaves of your houseplants is actually less work than letting it go until a year down  … [Continue reading]

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Bottom watering houseplants

 Watering is always an issue with houseplants.

Stick your finger into the soil about first knuckle deep. If it’s dry consider watering. But first check to see that is what the plant requires. Some, such as holiday cactus can go  … [Continue reading]

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Mesmerizing caladiums

I was perusing topics for today when I came across a caladium that screams Christmas! Since this IS Christmas week, I really wanted to share it. Heart to Heart “Mesmerized’ by Proven Winners is SO festive with various shades of greens and reds along with splashes of white in each leaf. This is definitely your Thriller in a container, growing to about 20 inches tall with a 14 inch spread.

Another Christmasy caladium is called ‘Fiesta’ … [Continue reading]