"Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study."
(Red Auerbach)
Someday, I hope to have an outdoor flower, fruit and vegetable garden, but until then, I'm happy tending to our indoor trees and herbs! Please see below for photos.
During a trip to IKEA in Red Hook, Brooklyn at the end of June, we picked up 2 potted plants, which I call trees -- a corn plant and a yucca plant -- and 2 white ceramic planters. They were large and heavy, so it was a bit of a challenge transporting them along with all our other purchases in our Zipcar SUV, but they made it from IKEA to Home Depot and back to our place safely. After a little pruning to keep them green and healthy, they add a nice touch of life to our apartment.
Corn Plant
The corn plant -- which I eventually named "Cher" -- needs low light and moderate watering. Because it does not require much, it's a good choice for a houseplant and just needs to be watered every 7 to 10 days or when the top inch of the soil is dry. (It's currently occupying my future "Christmas tree corner.")
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| Corn plant (aka Dracaena Massangeana) |
Yucca Plant
The yucca plant -- "Dionne," of course -- needs bright light and moderate watering; it's good to place it near a window and water it every 7 to 10 days or when the soil is dry to the touch. Yuccas are also good houseplants, even though they are from desert climates. The Joshua Tree (aka Yucca Brevifolia) is the largest type of yucca.
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| Yucca plant (aka Yucca Elephantipes) |
Cilantro, Basil, and Oregano
I'm also cultivating a little herb container garden with cilantro, basil, and oregano on the kitchen windowsill. It's been approximately 1 month since I planted the seeds in July. We went away afterwards, so I was a little concerned about how they would hold up during that week. Within a day or so the basil sprouted, followed by the oregano, and the cilantro has been the slowest.
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| Planting seeds on the soil's surface |
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| After 3 days |
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| After 10 days |
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| After 30 days |
I found an informative blog on Houseplant Care Tips, which is useful if you have or are thinking of growing plants. Any suggestions on easycare plants or help with herb gardens for apartment living? If so, please share.
oh my goodness, i kill every living plant in my house. you're so good! (though i promised isaiah when we move that we will have a vegetable garden... hopefully it will survive since it will technically be outside of the house!)
ReplyDeleteI'm just trying to make sure they survive until winter... A vegetable garden would be so fun, especially since Isaiah loves veggies and cooking!
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