Tag: plants

Afloral Fake Plant Review: Everyone Thinks My Pothos Is Real

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
HOME DECOR

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In 2020, when we were staying at home, my friend bought me three plants — a snake plant, a peace lily, and some sort of ivy — and by 2021, they were all dead. Despite spending most of that year in my extremely small Brooklyn apartment with a bunch of time to take care of these plants, I had managed to kill all three. After that, I decided that I wouldn’t get any live plants unless I had a backyard, a fire escape, or access to a patio. But after visiting my friends’ large collection of (live) plants in their apartments, I started to want a little dash of greenery in my own place.

So when we began testing fake plants for our Best List, I volunteered. I’ve always felt a little hesitant about investing in fake plants because usually, you can tell from across the room that they’re not alive. Not that I want to deceive friends and family into thinking I can cultivate a plant, I just don’t want anything that looks cheap or plastic in my space. Basically, I didn’t have very high expectations.

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I tested two plants for the Best List: One was a total dud that had dried hot glue hanging off of it and the other was the Natural Touch Pothos Artificial Plant from Afloral. It’s become my favorite piece of decor, mostly because it has fooled my friends into thinking that it’s real on several occasions.

The thing I love most about this fake pothos is that the cascade of leaves looks so realistic. The stems feel rubbery, so you

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14 sun-loving options for garden rooms

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
GARDEN
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‘Container Gardening with Kids’ webinar set for Sept. 6 | News

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
GARDEN

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Local parents and educators can take advantage of “Container Gardening with Kids,” an upcoming webinar presented by KidsGardening at 7 p.m. on Sept. 6.

Charlie Nardozzi and Sarah Pounders are presenters.

FLEXIBLE PROJECT

“Container gardening is really a broad definition of any kind of container, so whether that be a traditional clay pot or if you use like repurposed something fun,” Pounders said.

“I’ve seen people do them in bathtubs or old swimming pools. There’s just a wide range. The idea is that it’s above ground. You bring in the soil and plants. Sometimes, it’s an easy way to get started if you don’t have space or you just have a yard that is maybe not the best suited. Or you may have a balcony or at a school if you’re trying to find something small.”

Container gardening can be inexpensive, and it also can be expensive.

“It’s one of those things that are flexible and wide range,” she said.

“It’s just kind of giving people an idea what kind containers they can use, what soil is best, what plants are good, giving them some ideas about teaching through container gardens.”

FUN FOR KIDS

Container gardening works well with kids because of its ease and access.

“Especially for parents and teachers that have never gardened before,” Pounders said.

“A larger garden might be overwhelming. This is a good way to dip your feet into it. It’s also good because its mobile. For instance, I have seen schools who might not be allowed a permanent installation or they need the flexibility to move them around.”

START WITH BASICS

Container gardening can be accomplished in small spaces such as a courtyard.

The presenters will talk about container gardening basics including how to get one started, what

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Salvias for My New Garden

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
GARDEN

Little did I realize that when I agreed to a garage expansion for my husband’s Mustang restoration project, I was also in for a garden restoration project. After the water-loving camellias, azaleas, and ferns were bulldozed from the north side of the old garage, I recognized the opportunity to establish a truly drought tolerant garden. Now, where to start? 

I checked the Master Gardener and City of Visalia web sites for landscaping ideas and plants, and the plant Salvia came up over and over. So, that’s what I considered first. 

The name Salvia is derived from the Latin word, salver, which means: “to heal.” As it happens, Salvia has been used for its herbal and medicinal qualities since ancient times. The genus Salvia offers gardeners one of the largest and most versatile groups of plants available. Since the 1970s, this genus has produced some of the most popular garden ornamentals. Salvias can be used as ground covers, bedding plants, herbaceous perennials and shrubs. A relative of the familiar kitchen sage, many types of Salvias produce spikes of small, densely packed flowers atop aromatic foliage. These heat- and drought-tolerant beauties bloom from early to late summer in shades of blue, violet, red, pink, and white. Plants can grow between 18 inches and 5 feet tall, depending on the variety. 

The genus offers a wide range of forms, textured foliage and vibrantly colored flowers that combine well with most other plants in the landscape. Many species attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, but fortunately, not deer and rabbits. It is the scent of their leaves, one we humans find so inviting, that acts as a foul- smelling repellent to garden pests. 

They are adaptable to almost any garden condition, from full sun to partial sun, and there are a few that will

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Salvias are the perfect thing for my new garden | Master Gardener | Lifestyles

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
GARDEN

Little did I realize that when I agreed to a garage expansion for my husband’s Mustang restoration project, I was also in for a garden restoration project.  After the water-loving camellias, azaleas, and ferns were bulldozed from the north side of the old garage, I recognized the opportunity to establish a truly drought tolerant garden. Now, where to start? 

I checked the Master Gardener and City of Visalia websites for landscaping ideas and plants, and the plant Salvia came up over and over.  So, that’s what I considered first. 

The name Salvia is derived from the Latin word, salver, which means: “to heal.”  As it happens, Salvia has been used for its herbal and medicinal qualities since ancient times.  The genus Salvia offers gardeners one of the largest and most versatile groups of plants available.  Since the 1970’s, this genus has produced some of the most popular garden ornamentals.  Salvias can be used as ground covers, bedding plants, herbaceous perennials and shrubs.  A relative of the familiar kitchen sage, many types of Salvias produce spikes of small, densely packed flowers atop aromatic foliage.  These heat- and drought-tolerant beauties bloom from early to late summer in shades of blue, violet, red, pink, and white.  Plants can grow between 18 inches and 5 feet tall, depending on the variety. 

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U.S. Botanic Garden’s ‘Cultivate’ exhibit explores changes in agriculture

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
GARDEN
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Did you know that crayons, chalk, toothpaste, sneakers and even diapers contain materials that in some way come from corn? That one-fifth of land in the contiguous United States is used to cultivate crops? Or that 1 in 3 American households — whether on farms, in backyards and community gardens or on balconies and windowsills — grow some of their own food?

A new exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) covers these topics and more. “Cultivate: Growing Food in a Changing World” shows how agriculture isn’t just an activity that takes place on faraway farms but something that shapes almost every aspect of our existence.

“Agriculture is part of our everyday life, and it’s in a lot of everyday things that we never thought about,” says Amy Bolton, the museum’s manager of learning and engagement.

The exhibit, the largest the USBG has ever put on, is spread throughout the glass-enclosed conservatory building. The entry courtyard is filled with species of formerly wild plants and trees, many from the tropics or subtropics, that humans have cultivated to make them more suitable for food or other needs. These include coconuts, bananas, coffee, citrus, bamboo and cacao (pronounced kuh-KAU), a plant whose seeds are used to make chocolate.

The exhibit highlights some popular dishes to show how even meals that don’t seem to contain many agricultural products can still rely on farming. Take sushi, for example: Although the seafood and seaweed used to wrap it come from the ocean, not only the rice but also the flavorings — such as soy, wasabi and ginger — come from plants.

A section on the cultural aspects of what we eat features three chefs with local connections, and it appeals to almost all of the five senses. For

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