Herself’s Houseplants

( wild orchids we spotted along a trail in Oahu, Hawaii )

On the mainland you can go to Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park: Open daily, 8 a.m. until sundown. Free admission. The park is about a two-hour drive west of Miami and is located just west of Copeland on State Route 29.

Swamp walks: Offered on the first, second and third Saturdays of the month from November through April, depending on water levels. Adults, $40; children under 12, $15. Groups are usually limited to 12 persons. Tours meet in front of the park office at 9:45 a.m. Details at (239) 695-2860.

Tips: Swamp walks last about four hours. Wear sturdy walking shoes and long pants, and prepare to walk through knee-high water or deeper. Though the walks are held in Florida’s cooler dry season, prepare for sun, humid conditions and insect bites. Carry bottled water and snacks and any valuables, including cameras, in plastic bags to protect them if they’re dropped into the water. ” [ read more CNN - Florida swamp walks reveal wild orchids ]

Remember: “Leave only footprints, take only photos”

I recently visited Oahu, Hawaii where many of the plants we grow indoors grow outside.

The climate there is 70′-80′F year round and the humidity varies from rain forest in the mountains to desert on the shores.

As you’d expect the plants are larger and healthier in that climate outside, but there were some other interesting things.

Pothos grows as a ground cover, not a hanging plant out in the wild. Ficus trees are amazing in the wild. They are huge, twisted, gnarly trees with roots dropping down every which way. We saw some that had been accidently bonsia’d by bad landscaping. They look even cooler bonsai’d.

Cordylines shed their bottom leaves even out in the wild, it’s just the way they grow. Sansevieria cylindrical really does grow upright when it is happy.

There are notes with the photos in the picture album.
Hawaii - house plants in the wild

More plants here, not as many house plants in this set of photos:
Hawaii - plants ( on my Houston Garden site )

Compost is the reduced remains of leaves, grass, vegetables, fruits and other good things. Farmers and gardeners have been using compost since Biblical times to improve their plants.

Bette Midler said “My whole life had been spent waiting for an epiphany, a manifestation of God’s presence, the kind of transcendent, magical experience that lets you see your place in the big picture. And that is what I had with my first compost heap.”

As a houseplant grower you probably don’t have your very own compost pile but you can now buy compost at your favorite plant supply store or online.

Compost holds about 20x its weight in water, helping to prevent over watering problems and you’ll need to water your house plants less frequently. It is a natural way to balance the nutrients your plants require for healthy growth. It breaks down soil, making it easier for roots to grow all through the pot. It recreates the microbiology in the soil your plant needs but won’t get from store bought potting soils. You won’t have to repot as frequently if you have compost mixed into your potting soil.

When you repot your plants mix about 20% compost into the new potting soil.

For existing plants take a pencil, poke some holes in the soil and add some compost. Then place a thin layer of compost on top as well.

Your plants will thank you.