From large, sculptural plants to charming succulence, there's a place for houseplants in every home. Green plants add textural interest, fill in drab corners, and soften architectural features, and they can enhance mood and freshen air, too. Larger sized floor plants are especially ideal when used as an accent plant or as a focal point indoors.
by Kate Karam, of Monrovia The here today, gone tomorrow, fragrance-free, been there, done that bouquet of a dozen red roses, while lovely and traditional, can never truly express the joy, exuberance, passion, and swoony sort of beauty of Valentine’s Day that a living plant can. This year we challenge you to go beyond the bouquet. Here are five insanely romantic reasons why you might want to walk past the flower shop to the garden center this Valentine’s Day.
Nowadays, most people don’t give much thought when buying an orchid. Orchids are readily available in grocery stores, big box stores and online and, oftentimes, priced for just about anyone’s budget. But if you want your orchids to endure, a little more thought than simply putting a Phalaenopsis into your grocery cart is needed. McDonald Garden Center offers some unique and interesting plants — and orchids are among these. In fact, we have one of the largest orchid selections in Hampton Roads.
Of course, that potted Boston fern is beautiful, but can it really improve the air quality in your home or office? Well, according to studies by scientists at NASA, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Georgia and other institutions, houseplants are effective, natural purifiers.
Calathea is a tropical plant also known as the Zebra plant or Zebrina plant (Calathea zebrina). These trendy houseplants are loved for their large, oval, distinctly patterned, and vibrantly colored leaves. Leaves can be curved, ribbed, round, oval or pointed and exhibit various unique patterns. Leaf colors range from yellow, rose, white, and even olive. Calathea's fancy foliage makes smaller varieties an excellent choice for tabletops, and larger specimens are suitable as a floor plant.
Hoyas are tropical plants with thick, leathery, leaves and small clusters of star-shaped, fragrant flowers. Often referred to as wax plants due to their thick, waxy leaves, this low maintenance houseplant comes in a variety of leaf sizes, colors, shapes & textures.
When it comes to holiday decorating, wreath, fresh or faux, are a timeless symbol of the holidays. And, while wreaths can usually be found decking the front door, there are countless other ways to integrate this holiday staple into your yuletide decorating. Here are few simple and delightfully unexpected ways to decorate with wreaths:
It's December 12th, and that means it's National Poinsettia Day! The poinsettia is one of the few flowers of North America that can claim its own day thanks to Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. It is Roberts who is credited for bringing this beautiful traditional Christmas gift to our land. And it all happened like this: Ambassador Poinsett was on a diplomatic mission to Taxco, Mexico. The year was 1828.
There are few shade perennials that can compete with the seasonal interest of hellebores. Also called the Christmas Rose or Lenten Rose, bloom-time often coincides with the Christmas holidays. This hardy perennial offers beautiful blooms all through the dreary days of winter and into early spring. Hellebores features blooms with five petaled, cup-shaped flowers with dark green foliage that makes for a beautiful back-drop.
