Within the 300-odd botanical families in the whole, wide world of seed-bearing or flowering plants, a modest number of “sub-families” (genera) are delightfully and curiously exclusive. Some of these small clans have so few members in the botanical books, one wonders what nature had in mind when she made them, each with certain definite characteristics … Read more
All across our country Gesneriads are making big news. You know the best-known member of the gesneriad family – it’s the runaway best-seller African violet, properly termed the saintpaulia. The next most popular is a handsome, velvety-leaved plant which has satiny flowers in an endless array of colors and combinations the gloxinia. These two gesneriads … Read more
My affirmative answer to the question, “Do you like to grow things?” has completely changed our family routine. It began about two years ago when we moved into a home in a countrified suburb. Before I knew it, carpenters were turning windows into doorways, cement mixers plowed across my lawn and large shipments of glass … Read more
If you could wake in the morning to see flower sprays like shimmering golden butterflies dancing in your window, would you? If you could pause during the day to be enchanted by the intricate formations of a ballerina-like bloom… If you could have your window full of oncidiums, the “dancing lady” orchids, for weeks and … Read more
Lots of people want a greenhouse, for one reason or another. Once the idea enters the mind, the home scene is not complete without the desired greenhouse. That is the way it happened to us! Our greenhouse was delivered mid-summer two years ago. It was an odd-looking shipment that consisted of a minimum of crates. … Read more
Some 40 years ago, when the material was difficult to obtain, I wanted a greenhouse. By scrounging around, my husband and I finally built one. It is 18′ by 30′ feet and 14′ feet high. To the west, I have added a 12′ by 15′ potting room which has windows all around. The south half … Read more
Have you seen the exciting and fashionable green and gold-edged African violets? Did you ever visualize that such interesting color combinations might be produced by the American hybridized? African violet hybrids of good single and double forms edged in chartreuse, lavender, green, and gold do exist and are available in many saintpaulia lists and catalogs … Read more
Vriesea splendens are native to Brazil and part of the bromeliad family. It is closely related to pineapples and Spanish moss. The plant leaves are long and thin, green with red or yellow stripes running down the middle. Its flowers are small and white, yellow, or red, growing in clusters at the end of the … Read more
If you like to have a bit of nature in your home, then Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri is a great plant to consider. The gaertneri is a hybrid plant created by crossing two different species of cacti. The natural habitat for the Rhipsalidopsis plant is the rainforests of Brazil. These plants are epiphytes, which means they grow … Read more
After talking to many people, I have little doubt that the easiest plant to grow is African violets under fluorescent lights. Simplest Light Set-Up The simplest light set-up is one using a reflector type of fixture having two 40-watt fluorescent bulbs which can be bought as a complete unit for less than $15. Such light … Read more