Flowers Of Happiness

By Jason Hobbs

 Trying to identify a houseplant is a bit like trying to find the penny with a chip on it, in a bucket full of pennies. There are so many different varieties and families of plants, and sometimes different types can look remarkably similar to each other.

A few things to look for when trying to identify a houseplant, are the shape and size of it’s leaves, and the size of it’s stem, or stalks. Are the leaves star shaped, or rounded, long or short? Is the stems of the plant fat and short, or long and skinny? Is the texture rubbery and shiny, or hairy and prickly? Does the plant have flowers or blooms?

Some other things to note when trying to identify a houseplant, is where is the plant located? Both geographically and the exact location it is growing in. Is it growing in the shade, or growing in direct sunlight? Is the surrounding terrain rocky and barren, or lush and green? What is the geographical weather like? Humid and hot, cool and dry, or a mix of the two?

All of the above mentioned factors can help you rule out particular types of plants when trying to identify a houseplant. Also look at the size of the plant overall, and the size of the pot. Trying to identify a houseplant can be time consuming if you don’t educate yourself on what to look for. They can all start to blend together and look the same if you don’t know what to look for.

Once you learn the fine nuances of plant identification however, no two plants will ever look the same for you again! One thing can you can do is try a little online research for photos of various species. Many sites may offer a type of picture catalog that you can do a search in for the characteristics of the plant you are trying to identify.

Another option is to purchase a few books on various types of plants to thumb through. You can possibly find a match in that manner as well. Trying to identify a houseplant is important, because if you don’t know what kind of plant it is, you can’t give it the proper care that is needed for optimal growth. That means your plant may not quite live up to it’s full potential.

Trying to identify a houseplant is also important for safety purposes. If you have small children or pets, some houseplants may not be safe to keep around due to the toxic effects if a leaf is eaten. Many dogs like to munch on stray leaves, and if you accidentally get a houseplant that is toxic, you could end up making your pet extremely sick. While trying to identify a houseplant is by no means an easy or fun job it is unfortunately very necessary.

If you would like to learn more about Indoor Plants and receive a FREE Newsletter on the subject visit the authors site http://www.indoorplantsadvice.com

The Importance Of Water Access For Outdoor Planting
By Aydan Corkern

 Here in America gardening is a very popular hobby. We love to make our lawns, flowers, trees, and vegetable gardens not only healthy, but beautiful to look at. While some people might have to do their outdoor projects on a budget, some people will spend thousands of dollars getting the look they want outside just right. Whether you hire someone to do the work for you or you enjoy doing it yourself, keeping it maintained will be a big part of the job that comes after the initial work is done.

It is important to know how all of your outdoor greenery and other colorful plants are going to be maintained. You will either have to hire a regular grounds keeper or you will have to have the proper equipment to do it on your own. If you have a small yard to keep up, it should not be a big deal, but when you have a spacious yard you will need more time and tools.

For a big yard with lots of grass, a riding lawnmower will be a must unless you want the exercise that comes with using a push mower. A weed eater is essential for keeping everything trimmed up nicely. Whether you have a small lawn or a large one, watering is essential to keep it a dark luscious green color. If it is small enough, an outside water spigot and a hose or two might be sufficient enough. Watering when the weather is dry should not be too difficult. When you have a large yard space to maintain, consider putting in a sprinkler system that can be used when needed or set on a timer if you choose.

Flowers, shrubs, and small trees need watering too when Mother Nature does not provide a sufficient amount of rainfall. Using a watering can might be a little aggravating after a while, so make sure you have enough hose to reach where you want it to or you can have a spigot installed near areas that are farther from the usual close to the house outdoor spigots. You can also place a water catching container near certain shrubs or flower beds so there will be water close at hand when it is needed.

When plants are given adequate amounts of water and the appropriate plant food when required, your yard can become a showplace that any homeowner would be proud of. Yard work can be a laborious job sometimes, especially if it a big space. Doing all that can be done to make it faster and easier is the way that the green thumb people do it.

Aydan Corkern is a writer of many topics, visit some of her sites, like

Water Damage Restoration and New York Water Damage Restoration.

Send Flowers To Someone You Love

Visual Identification Of Houseplants
By Jason Hobbs

 Visual identification of houseplants can be tricky at times. You really have to know your stuff in order to identify them successfully as there are so many types of plants and variations on types of plants. Your best bet is to purchase a plant book that you can then thumb through and find matches to the plant you are attempting to identify.

Some things to note when trying to identify a houseplant are texture and color. Some plants have smooth and shiny leaves, some have fuzzy, furry ones. Others have small dark leaves and still others have large brightly colored leaves. Some plants have bright vivid colors and many others have soft pastel colors, or very little color at all.

Visual identification of houseplants also be fairly time consuming if the plant is uncommon. There are many books with 1000’s of different types of plants and trying to find a particular one is a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack. If you can find a book designed to help you search by characteristics rather than just the name, that might help speed the process.

You can also go online and look for photo catalog’s of types of houseplants. Many times the site will allow you to search for certain characteristics. Another way to make visual identification of houseplants a bit easier, is to learn to recognize the more common plants characteristics.

Some of the indoor growing plants that are popular Dracaenas. They often have colorfully striped leaves, which grow in whorls from the stems. Occasionally they will bloom with white or ivory, intensely fragrant flowers.

Ficas, schefflers and arboricolas are all also very common houseplants that you can become familiar with. Philodendrons, normally a uniform green in color, and pothos are also very common plants that you can learn to identify.

Generally plants grown in home are just small, juvenile forms of larger tropical plants who likely will never reach full growth.

Some factors to consider when trying visual identification of houseplants also are how big the pot is or how big the plant is, the size of the leaves and stalks or stems, even where you live and the shape of the leaves. If you live in a generally cold or cooler year round climate, that can rule out some of the more tropical, hot weather plants as possibilities.

Likewise if your location in fair weather all year round, that can influence the type of plant it may be. Also, where exactly the plant is growing, whether it is in your yard in the shade, or in the basement, or by your front porch in a sunny patch of grass. Depending on the locale, this can influence the possible types of plant it may be.

Visual identification of houseplants can be pretty tough by just sight alone, so it is important to look at any other factors that may help the plant be identified properly.

If you would like to learn more about Indoor Plants and receive a FREE Newsletter on the subject visit the authors site http://www.indoorplantsadvice.com

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