My orchid rebloomed! Is there a blue moon?

When it comes to orchids, I’m an impulse purchaser. I see them near the register, like gum, and I have to have the regal beauties with the delicate forms and delicious colors. I always buy the Phalaenopsis variety, the moth orchid (named as such because some varieties are said to resemble moths in flight). Phalaenopsis are…

Terrariums Take 2: Terrific plants make the terrarium

Check out part 1 on making your own terrarium. Read my article at Northern Gardener (it’s the sample article this month). Consider a membership or subscription while you are there. Planting the garden. When selecting your terrarium’s plants, use the same design principles you use in your outdoor garden. Look for a contrast of textures, sizes,…

Create a terrarium for yourself or a friend this season. It’s a fun, easy D-I-Y project.

Last summer, I wrote and photographed an article on making a terrarium, for Northern Gardener magazine. You can read the entire piece online, it’s the sample article on the homepage, from the Nov/Dec issue currently on newsstands. I’ve learned a few things since putting the piece together–most of all, that I LOVE terrariums. I built several…

Fake force your Paperwhite bulbs

Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus) are cousins of daffodils and are a common bulb to force in the Christmas season. Actually, forcing bulbs has always seemed so violent a term to me. How about if we say coaxing bulbs? Well, I purchased my paperwhites already potted, with the little buds already heading north. This is a wonderful…

Oh, favorite annuals of mine. Won’t you come in and spend the winter with me?

If you garden, you can’t help but to pick up a few favorite plants along the way. This is a sweet experience when that favorite plant is a perennial. You let it slumber through the winter months, knowing it will emerge well-rested and stronger next spring. You hope the same for yourself. When your favorite…

The perils of a poinsettia in February

If you treat your holiday poinsettia as tenderly as you do your other indoor plants, chances are, it’s still looking pretty good. At a time of year when I personally would like to put anything winter out of sight and mind, my poinsettia thrives. It sets on my buffet, all Christmas-like and merry, as if…

Orchids are a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift

My valentine surprised me with an orchid this morning. And it was my favorite orchid, a pure-white phalaenopsis, a.k.a moth orchid. An orchid is a wonderful gifts for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day. Orchids will deliver flowers to you for literally months if they still have unopened buds when you purchase them and they are…

A False Aralia is a True Treat of an Indoor Plant

Last month, I was lucky enough to visit Esther Filson, houseplant extraordinaire and matriarch of the local gardening community. I interviewed her for one of my upcoming columns in Northern Gardener magazine. The focus of the piece was Esther’s passion for the indoor plant and let me tell you, it is alive and well, and…

Orchids make beautiful and cost-effective floral arrangements

There is nothing like an arrangement of fresh flowers to add instant magic to your home. Store-bought bouquets are a great way to go, but the shelf-life of the plastic-sleeved posies can be a little brief. Why not invest in an inexpensive orchid or two to live on your dining table? Chances are you will…