Fall planting

It is time for mums.  We were recently visiting some friends up in Pennsylvania, and they had a great fall scape on the front porch.  There were some gourds surrounded by some fiberglass planters filled with a variety of colors of mums exploding with flowers.  They were huge, and bright, and beautiful.  Now I think it is time for me to pull our my fiber glass planter and fill it up.  You can find all sorts of planters to match the style of your home, and they will last a lifetime!  I am not sure if I can get any plants as nice as theirs looked, but I will go check out the home improvement store for a few good ones.  I find it easiest to buy the plants and put them directly into a fiberglass planter so that when the flowers are gone, I can easily remove them, and fill the planters with something for the next season.  How are you going to decorate for fall?  Post your ideas here, and check back to see what others have come up with.

The power of plants

Do you like natural remedies?  Are you always on the lookout for some new homeopathic medicines?  I am intrigued by the power that plants possess.  The fact that plants found in the rain forests are being discovered all the time to have helpful healing properties is fascinating.  Some of the common everyday plants also have traits that are beneficial to our health.  I must say that I have not tried many of these natural remedies, only that I do search for them because I find them interesting.  I recently ran across a website that promotes the benefits of oregano oil.  There are some interesting findings in some new studies that suggest that the oregano oil may be helpful in the fight against some bacteria.   So possibly could be used when antibiotics were not working.  Would it be the first line of defense?  I don't know, but it is really cool to think there is an alternative to antibiotics.  I don't know about you, but I really am not a fan of those antibiotics.
In the north during the long winters have you ever gotten the blues?  Wish you could be outside soaking up some Vitamin D?  When I lived up in Chicago, I always felt sun deprived in the 6 months that winter is there.  Some may argue that point, but after 10 years in Chicago, I am in the camp that things winter is way to long there.  I digress, the point is there are other ways to get vitamin D than from a pill or the sun.  The Bio D-Mulsion is one way to boost your bodies Vitamin D production.  I am in no way prescribing these, I just find natural medicine intriguing.  The power of plants is endless, and everyday we learn something new about the benefits of different plants.  Take advantage of the internet to do your research, you are sure to find something new.

What's in the Pot?

Since our move down here and the catastrophe that was the avocado plant my green thumb days were limited. Now that weather permits I have started my seed experiments again. My dreams of large outdoor planters with my avocados thriving are a thing of the past. Now I interested in a several garden planters where I can start seeds from palms, and some of the fruits and veggies that I buy at the store. There are so many different palm trees that I will need to invest in planters that are not too expensive to start, but once the seeds start popping up I would love to get a few of the high end planters for my prize palms. Our yard does not have a ton of space for this sort of experimentation in the ground, so the planters are the way to go. For the more delicate plants that might need a little shelter from a freeze will be planted in an indoor planter that can easily be moved outside when the freezing weather has passed.

In the next few years, I hope to have a supply of small palms to take to our next home. They do take some time to become established, but if I leave them in the planters they will be much easier to transplant when the time comes. Of course, if you have any tips about plants, and palms, let me know. My thumb is not as green as I would like. I am off to fill some planters with soil and a few seeds that I got last time I was at my parents house! I hope the seeds take to their new home.

A new home for Avocados

I am not the only one that is excited about moving to Florida. I have a single indoor planter that plays host to 4 avocado saplings. These growing trees need more room, and of course would like to be outside for more than 4 months out of the year.

The four little seeds were headed for the trash can when I thought I can plant these. Planting avocados is so easy. I just cleaned the seed and popped it into the dirt. Since we live in Chicago, and the winters are brutal, I realized that my garden planters needed to come inside. So for over 6 months my indoor planter sat in the window that got the most sun. The hours of sunshine are greatly diminished in the winter months. These avocado seeds are fighters. With only two hours of sun a day, they started to grow, and the leaves increased in size and now I think they will make the move seamlessly to Florida. However, I will need to get four outdoor planters where they can continue to grow into large trees. Their new home will be in some decorative planters at the four corners of our swimming pool. I think there they will thrive in the sun from morning till night.
I have been transitioning the plants to the outdoors. I take the planter outside every morning and bring it back to the safety of the house each evening. I can certainly see they difference of getting a little more sun each day. The pot they are in now is not so pretty, so I will make sure their new pots will be high end planters that will last a lifetime!