houseplants

10 Cat Safe Houseplants You can Grow

June 11, 2022 1 Comment

We love our plant babies and our cat babies. Some cats are great around houseplants and don’t try to eat or destroy them. Then you have cats who are psycho and knock plants over, dig in the soil or even eat them! With many plants being poisonous to our kittles we have to protect our babies so here’s a list of cat safe houseplants safe for the cats who like to nibble on foliage.

African Violets

Calathea

green and white leaf plant — Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Peperomia

green plant on brown clay pot — Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

Echeveria

**For tips on how to protect your houseplants from your feline friends read this!**

Hoya

Money Tree

potted plant beside the window — Photo by Daan Rink on Pexels.com

Banana Tree

green banana leaf — Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels.com

Boston Fern

Spider Plant

summer garden grass leaf — Photo by Van Trang Ho on Pexels.com

Venus Fly Trap

If you have cats that do chew, nibble or bite plants please do even deeper research into your plants before allowing your babies near. If you suspect your pet may have eaten a poisonous plant please contact your vet immediately.

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

How to Create a Closed Terrarium

April 9, 2022 Leave a Comment

Hey there! Terrariums are so cool, whether open or closed. Today I am building a closed Terrarium, which is exciting because I get to grow ferns. There are only a few ferns that I can keep alive in my house, so I’m looking forward to growing these testy plants in a Terrarium. So how do you create a closed Terrarium? It starts by gathering your materials.

Needs:

Wide mouth plastic or glass jug or bottle with a lid
Gravel or small pebbles
Potting soil
Plants that like humidity
Decor (figurines, etc)
Natural materials (moss, sticks, wood, rocks)
Sheet moss
Orchid bark
Perlite

To begin, you want to make sure that your vessel is clean, especially if you are reusing a plastic or glass jug or jar. Now it’s time to add our layers of drainage. Each layer is about 1/2 inch thick, excluding the soil layer and the sheet moss layers.

Add your gravel to the bottom. Using gravel as the first layer allows a place for water to drain and rest.

The next layer I’m adding is Orchid bark. This is another layer that allows for water drainage. Drainage is so important in a terrarium just like in potted plants, you don’t want the roots sitting in soggy soil.

Lay down sheet moss in a thin layer until the surface is covered. The sheet moss is great because it holds in all of the soil, allowing only water to pass through.

This next layer of Perlite was one I decided to add last minute for aesthetics, but it also adds another layer of drainage.

Lastly, add 2-3 inches of potting soil, more if needed.

Now’s the time for the fun part, planting! Place your plants in a formation that’s aesthetically pleasing to you! Once you have your plants planted, it’s time to add the extras. In this Terrarium, I am adding live moss, rocks and pieces of bark found outside in my garden.

Once you’ve got your pieces all set, it’s time to water it all in! Make sure you see the water running to the bottom and that your potting soil is saturated. You will want to water the sides of the vessel and not directly on your plants.

When it’s all said and done, you should not have to add water to this Terrarium if you keep the lid closed. If you choose a glass lid terrarium, you will likely need to water again at some point. It it hard to say without knowing the size of the vessel, materials and plants used. Best advice is to keep an eye out for dry soil and or wilting plants.

Now that you’ve got your Terrarium planted and watered, set it in a space where you and your guests can enjoy!

Happy Gardening,

Ciearra

How to Mount a Staghorn Fern

April 4, 2022 Leave a Comment

Staghorn Ferns are Epiphytes, meaning they grow on other plants but do not take nutrients from the host plant. Instead, it gets nutrients from rain water, accumulated debris, and air, which is amazing! There are so many gorgeous plants that live this way. Mounting a Staghorn Fern is a way to style this epiphyte that’s more natural to its growing habit.

Staghorn Fern mounted on wood — Staghorn Fern Mounted on Wood

Tools for the Job:

Fishing line

Scissors

Piece of wood or Board ( Non Treated wood is best)

Sheet Moss

Staghorn Fern

The first thing you need to do is soak your moss in warm water to rehydrate it. Allow your moss to sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Once it’s moist, drain the excess water and set aside.

I am using a piece of wood from our firewood pile. It caught my eye because of the bark and the flatness of the back. You can use a piece of wood like I am, or you can get a piece of wood board from a hardware store. They are happy to cut you a piece to the size you need. If using a board, make sure that depending on the size of your fern, you allot at least two inches around the fern for the shield to grow. You can measure by using the pot size of your fern.

If you want to see how to mount a Staghorn Fern on a piece of board check out this video below

Now it’s time to take your fern out of the pot. Take off as much soil as possible. My fern was root bound, so I made four cuts into the root ball. I was able to remove some soil but most was stuck to the roots, so in an effort to not stress the plant out any further I, stopped. The goal is to get the plant as flat on the surface of the board or wood as possible.

Next, you will want to position your fern onto your wood. Once happy with the placement, you can begin laying sheet moss around the root ball on the piece of wood. Make sure to cover every piece of the root ball.

Take your fishing line and make your first knot around the Staghorn and the wood. You will want to take the string through the fronds and over the shields if any are present. Tie your string making your first secure loop around the plant. Continue wrapping the fishing line around the moss and wood, and be sure to pull tight. The goal is to secure the plant and moss to the piece of wood. You may tie off the string at any point and then start again with a new loop if you want.

I continued to wrap the same string around the wood until I was confident the plant and moss were secure. I probably wrapped the string at least thirty times around. Now you have to lift your wood and test if your plant is secure. If it is, then congratulations! You just mounted a Staghorn Fern!

This is an easy project, and a beautiful way to style this plant in a way that’s more natural, which gives your home that Biophilic design touch.

Happy Gardening!

Ciearra

4 Ways to Style Your Houseplants

March 14, 2022 1 Comment

Is there anything more gorgeous than a trailing houseplant? Or a plant that’s in the perfect spot that’s aesthetically pleasing but also great for the plant. Houseplants are especially gorgeous when they are full and lush. Styling your plants so that they are happy and eye-catching can be challenging to say the least, which is why I’ve got my four favorite ways to style plants that look great in every home.

This blog post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my houseplant habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me in the garden. It’s a win for everyone, really.

Hang Them From the Ceiling

Hanging your plants from the ceiling is a beautiful way to style your trailing houseplants. Make sure when choosing a spot you pick on with ample light. Your plant will be happier if it is in the right lighting conditions. Here’s a link to the macrame plant hangers I love.

interior of modern stylish room with two tier layout and floral design — Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com

hanging green plants on brown clay pots — Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com

Mount Them on the Wall

There are many different ways to mount your plants onto a wall. I love mounting plants because it makes them more like living art works. To get a set of wall mounts pictured below click here.

Shelves

Styling plants on shelves is common way to style your houseplants. Everyone has at least one shelf in their home. If you choose to style your plants using a shelf, I want to encourage you to get creative. Add some pillars to raise a plant up higher. Mix and match with tall, short and trailing plants.

Plant Stands

There are some really cool plants stands that you can buy from the stores. You can also turn just about anything into a plant stand so get creative.

green potted plants — Photo by Huy Phan on Pexels.com

Styling your houseplants can be challenging. You have to factor in the light conditions of each plant and how that particular plant likes to grow whether it’s trailing or climbing or has a tidy shape. The best tip I can give you is to have fun and get creative.

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

5 Ways to Style your Houseplants

February 17, 2022 Leave a Comment

There are so many ways to style your houseplants. The amazing thing about plants is that no matter where you place them they elevate the space. They offer visual interest all season long and if placed in the right light your plants will grow, thrive and provide beauty for years to come.

The 5 ways to style your houseplants are by utilizing shelves, plant stands, hanging planters, wall mounts and the floor.

Shelves

When styling your houseplants you will want to consider your plants light needs and the size of your plant. Just because a plant is considered a “low light” plant that doesn’t mean no light. All plants thrive in the proper lighting so be sure to do your research past what the plant tag says.

Look out for cool shelves at all the big retailers and even the goodwills. There’s so many options out there for wall shelves so get creative.

Plant Stands

Style your houseplants by putting them on plant stands. There are so many trendy or thrifty stands that you can find for your plants so get creative and do some shopping around.

Hanging

Macrame plant hangers are trendy especially if you are going for a boho, thrifty design. If you are planning to hang a plant from the ceiling be sure to anchor your hook into a stud or buy a hook that has other anchoring options. Nothing worse than your houseplant falling from the ceiling. Speaking from personal experience. Here are the Macrame hangers I’m currently using.

Wall mounts

Plants mounted on a wall

how to style your houseplants

Wall mounts are a fun way to style your houseplants. Arrange them in any fashion you want and enjoy the view. If you like these wall mounts here is a link where you can get your own!

Floor

a frame on white wall with a book and decoration on table beside a potted plant — Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Keeping large plants on the floor is a must but it doesn’t have to be boring. Pick out a great pot and put it in a space that both you and your plant will love.

The most important part of styling your houseplants is to first be aware of your plants light needs. Once you understand what your plant needs the rest is fun!

Happy Gardening!

Ciearra

Philodendron Micans Easy Care Tips

February 14, 2022 Leave a Comment

The Philodendron Micans is a beautiful velvety climbing vine. Its velvety leaves are hard to resist and glitter when the sun hits them. The philodendron Micans is not a difficult plant to grow, just like other Philodendrons it can be very easy going.

The Micans can handle pretty dim conditions within the home. However they thrive in bright indirect light and prefer that type of lighting. A window with east facing light will suffice.

When this gorgeous plant is thirsty it will tell you by curling its leaves. Should you see curled leaves or dry tips you know it’s been too long and you need to give it a full drink.

Because this is a plant that climbs in the wild, giving it a moss pole to climb will result in a happier plant with larger leaves. It’s still beautiful if you allow it to trail, it’s all a matter of preference.

Philodendrons enjoy being fertilized. I water my philo’s with diluted fish emulsion once every few weeks and they grow like crazy!

Philodendrons thrive in a potting soil mix that holds moisture but also has bark chunks or perlite for added drainage. I typically use a potting soil mix and add orchid bark to add drainage.

Philodendron Micans is a very easy going houseplant that is easy to take care of. It shines in the sun, what more could you ask for in a plant?

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

10 Cat Safe Houseplants You can Grow

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How to Create a Closed Terrarium

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How to Mount a Staghorn Fern

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4 Ways to Style Your Houseplants

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5 Ways to Style your Houseplants

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Philodendron Micans Easy Care Tips

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