Archive for the ‘trends’ tag
Desert plants moving to Midwestern homes
One of the prettiest plants on my deck all summer has been an echeveria named Silver Spoons. The centerpiece in a small hypertufa trough, Silver Spoons also proved to be one of my easiest container plants.
A waxy succulent plant with large silver-blue, spoon-shaped leaves, it looks something like a giant hen-and-chicks (Sempervivum). Its small coral flowers atop tall stalks are a nice extra, but the leaves are really the focal point.
Echeverias are native to near-desert parts of Mexico and South America, where they thrive in soil that is well-drained and often dry. Houseplant books have long offered plenty of information on growing echeveria indoors, but only recently has the plant become a hot item outdoors here in the Midwest. . . . [ read more Silver Spoons is an easy container plant]
Echeverias are named after an 18th century Spanish botanical artist. They are easy to grow from cuttings. Dead leaves should be removed they are prone to fungus problems. Water them as you would a cactus, deeply and rarely. In winter they lose their leaves, detracting from their appearance. They make great dish garden plants and come in many colors.
Fickle plant trends from Indonesia
Euphorbia
House plant vendors in Indonesia are not having a good year. An economic slow down has decreased the purchasing of house plants.
The most expensive ornamental plants the vendor in the interview sells are Anthurium and Cemarang Udang. Prices drop as plants become more common and easier to obtain.
The most popular plants he sells is Evorbia ( Euphorbia ) and Gelombang Cinta ( Anthurium ‘Wave of Love’ ) is gaining in popularity.
To be a successful plant vendor there you must buy some stock to breed at the beginning of a new trend and quickly sell those plants going out of favor.
Jakarta, Indonesia Plant vendors survive amid crunch, fickle trends
