TheMondayGarden.com

Eco-gardening is at its best in The Monday Garden
March 2, 2003, issue no. 49

Suddenly, my Boston fern’s got new fronds, and the cat’s shedding. Here they are, caught in the act:

Unlikely as it might seem on this cold, rainy day, the powers in charge of spring are getting ready, and the party will start on time.

They say plants know the season by changes in light. That’s true;

Eco-gardening is at its best in The Monday Garden
January 25, 2004, Issue 96

It's stayed below freezing so that the yew bushes and SUV's are still wearing snow hats from last week's storm and there's more snow on the way. But the first signs of spring are there if you look.

Picture: two reliable indoor winter bloomers: a pink alpine geranium and yellow abutilon (parlor maple).

Outdoors, the tree buds are slowly swelling; indoors, my houseplants have started blooming again. My plants are dependent on natural light, so they don't get enough rays during the short days of early winter to set buds. Usually they quit blooming early to mid-December. Then, I'll have a glorious windowsill come February, by which time I get an hour more daylight then I do on Winter Equinox. That's seven extra hours a week, which the plants think is a lot.

The Monday Garden, Eco-gardening at its best

September 4, 2005, Issue 177

(Introductory note: Unfortunately, for most of us, "Labor Day" now means "Katrina", the storm that tested, and perhaps changed, what it means to be an American. Working with plants is a good form of meditation and many of us need that now. At least for women, nurturing is a way of healing stress and grief. Tending to the plants’ needs might also help with the anger that many of us feel towards the few of us who, despite having been blessed with much, so terribly failed so many. In future years, the Labor Day ritual of bringing in the houseplants may also be way to take time to remember what happened this past week in 2005.)

Right now, it is almost impossible to imagine winter. You may have trouble believing it but Labor Day is the time to bring in your houseplants. While it was over 90F last week, it is now in the 50’s at night and that’s too cold for your houseplants of tropical origin. More importantly, most houseplants need 4 to 6 weeks to adjust to lower indoor light and humidity levels before the windows get shut and the heat goes on.

Keep in mind that, once the heat goes on, the average central-heated North American home has a humidity reading rivaling the Sahara desert. If this weren't enough, indoors, plants get at best 10 times less light. Plants can adjust but they are slow thinkers so do best when given as few changes as possible at the same time and as many weeks as possible between changes.

Picture: The plants left on the balcony include the catci collection to come in October, a bonsai Woodbine and my mint plant which will stay out all winter.

To keep transferring the plants from becoming a major chore, I suggest bringing in one or two plants at a time over a week or so. Inspect each one. Wash off the bugs, prune and repot as needed (see below).