Did You Know You Can Grow Jasmine Indoors?

You didn’t know that? Me neither. But Cindy over at Walk Down the Garden Path is having a fun series of posts, “12 Days of Gardening Gifts,” and day two is a hanging basket of jasmine meant to be grown indoors. Can you just imagine how amazing your house would smell with a blooming jasmine growing inside?!

Click on over to see what kind of conditions indoor jasmine likes.

Photo by tassiesim

Note: Jasmine is not toxic to cats, but it is for dogs, so keep that in mind. Even if a hanging basket is out of your pooch’s reach, leaves and flowers are bound to drop on the floor and be discovered by your dog before you have a chance to clean them up.

December 11, 2008 | Filed Under Indoor Gardening | 7 Comments 

The Indestructible Indoor Plant

Okay, let me start off by saying that this plant is not indestructible. The title was meant to catch your attention, so I left out “nearly,” as in this plant is nearly indestructible.

So what is this magnificint plant? Folks, let me introduce Zamioculcas zamiifolia. Don’t worry if you have no idea how to pronounce its name, neither do I. Just call it ‘ZZ’ everyone will know what you’re talking about. I hope.

Photo by ltrc ttec library

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November 25, 2008 | Filed Under Indoor Gardening | 5 Comments 

Garden Indoors This Winter

There’s no need to lament the end of the summer growing season. Just slip on your gardening shoes and walk indoors. All you need is a sunny windowsill and a few smallish pots.

Photo by Silver Creek Garden

Here are some ideas for gardening indoors:

If I was only allowed to give one tip for growing plants indoors it would be: don’t over-water! I read recently that over-watering is actually the number one reason why plants die, not under-watering. Water your plants only when the soil is dry an inch or two beneath the surface (stick your finger in to check).

October 3, 2008 | Filed Under Indoor Gardening | 3 Comments 

How to Keep Your Cats From Eating Your Plants

If you’re like me, your tiny outdoor space is just not enough room to contain your love of plants, so you have some indoor plants as well. And, if you’re also like me, you share your apartment with a feline or two (or four!). Surely then, you’ve figured out this little formula: Cats + indoor plants = half-eaten plants. But how in the heck can the two (plants and cats) coexist?!

Photo by synes

First, it’s important to know which plants are poisonous to cats. The ASPCA has a good list of poisonous plants, but a few common ones are Philodendron, Caladium, Ivy, Narcissus, Sago Palm and Peace Lily. This is kind of obvious, but you should never have poisonous plants where cats can eat them. And remember, cats are curious, determined, and can get into places you thought they never could. Also, plants in hanging baskets can drop their leaves where a curious kitty might take a nibble.

So, assuming you’ve eliminated all potentially toxic plants, here are some things I’ve done to keep my cats from damaging my plants:

  1. Buy kitty grass (or grow your own). Distract your cats attention and fulfill their desire to eat plant material by giving them something that you want them to eat.
  2. Put plants in places where cats can’t easily get to them. Choose trees with leaves that are too high up for your cat (and don’t place them near furniture the cat can use as a stepping stone to get to your tree) and also try hanging baskets.
  3. Observe what particularly attracts your cats. I’ve noticed that my cats really like long, thin, dangling foliage (probably because it moves easily and looks like something fun to play with). Don’t pick those plants!
  4. I’ve found that spraying something called “Bitter Yuck!” on my plants deters them most of the time. It was originally made to deter pets from licking wounds while they’re healing, and is made with Rosemary extract, which as Green Gardenista explains, cats don’t like. You can get Bitter Yuck! at pet supply stores. Test it in an inconspicuous area of the plant first to make sure that it won’t damage your plant.
  5. Rosemary brings me to the idea of using plants that cats don’t like. I’ve found that cats don’t like plants with a citrus or minty smell. You can also try putting something in the pot that has a smell cats don’t like, such as moth balls or lavender sachets.[UPDATE: As Kurt mentioned in the comments, moth balls can be toxic to cats if they eat it--which I think is unlikely because they don't like the smell--but it's not worth the risk. The safest way to use moth balls to deter your cat is to put it inside something with holes that will let the scent out but that prevents the cat from giving it a taste. Kurt recommends a jar with small holes punched in the lid. Check out Kurt's website for more helpful tips about living with cats.]
  6. Whatever you do, don’t put mulch or small gravel to cover the dirt in the pot, your cat might think the material is a litter box. Having your cats turn your pots into a litter box is much worse that your cat eating the leaves!
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August 15, 2008 | Filed Under General, Indoor Gardening | 6 Comments 

Using Pots Without Drainage Holes

If you were to pick up the average container gardening book you would most likely walk away with the idea that every container you plunk a plant in must have at least one drainage hole. That has not been my experience. While I think it is generally better to have good drainage, I can think of one situation where drainage is not really ideal: indoor pots.

Photo by umitomo

Of course, there are always saucers that can be put under a pot, but they are not always ideal (”oops, I over-watered and now the pot and the saucer are overflowing all over my beautiful hardwood floors”). Besides, let’s face it, sometimes there is a beautiful pot without a hole that you just want to use, even if lack of a drainage hole is not ideal.

Here are some solutions I’ve used to deal with a lack of drainage:

  1. Pot within a Pot: Basically, you plant your plants in a cheap plastic pot (with holes) that is the same size or slightly smaller as your good looking exterior pot. Then plant the cheap pot inside the good looking pot and voila! you have drainage and style without making a watery mess all over your carpet. You might want to put pretty river rocks or sphagnum moss over the top of the dirt to hide the plastic interior pot. Also, be careful not to over-water, because any water that drains out of the interior pot is just going to be sitting in the bottom of the exterior pot, and can be drawn back up in to the soil.
  2. Gravel: I’ve added a couple of inches of coarse gravel (small rocks, really) to the bottom of pots to allow the water somewhere to go, other than sitting in soil. Water sparingly if you go this route as the water will still be in the pot and will be drawn back up in to the soil. I think this route is best taken with plants that either need very little water (and in that case, water very infrequently) or with plants that like damp roots (in which case, water as needed to keep the soil moist, but always stick your finger in the soil to make sure water is really needed).
  3. Just do it: I have some ivy that is very forgiving. Over-water it, under-water it, subject it to nuclear radiation…you cannot kill this plant. With that in mind, I just planted it directly in a pot with no drainage holes and no gravel and got on with my life. The plant is doing well, sitting in the windowsill above my kitchen sink. Go figure. If you have a plant that is equally easy going, then try living on the edge and ignoring what the professionals say about the need for good drainage. If things do head south, you may have to transfer the plant, so keep an eye on things.

Remember that even without a drainage hole, condensation can still build up on the outside of the pot and ruin your flooring. With that in mind, it’s probably best to put one of those cork plant coasters underneath your pot. Cut it to fit the exact size of the bottom of the pot and no one will even know it’s there. I usually see these coasters in garden centers near the indoor plants section.

Have you tried any of the above methods? If so, how did it work out? Do you have your own tricks for dealing with pots that don’t have holes?

July 15, 2008 | Filed Under Container Gardening, Indoor Gardening | 4 Comments