Here is a fun and easy way to add fresh color and a spring like feel to your indoor plants and gardening. Try coaxing or forcing spring flowering bulbs into blooming in the mid-winter months.

photo credit: robynejay

There are dozens of bulbs that will add beautiful spring color to your home in the winter. Some bulbs will require minimal effort, while others require planning. So when selecting your bulbs to force take effort and time into consideration.

Many bulbs require a cold period to stimulate growth and flower production. If you have such bulbs place them in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Not all bulbs will require a cold period. Amaryllis, freesia, and tropical narcissus are a few that do fine without chilling the bulbs.

How to force spring bulbs into winter bloom without pre-chilling the bulbs.

• To force spring bulbs into winter bloom, pot the bulbs in either potting soil or water. Potting soil gives you the garden look and you can create more indoor decor with the selection of the container or garden pot.
• You will keep both growing styles indoors. The bulbs will not survive outdoors in cold weather.
• If you are potting in the bulbs in water, squeeze as many bulbs as you can fit into a shallow pot so they are secured. Pour enough water over the bulbs to cover the bottom half of the bulb. You can also anchor the bulbs with pebbles if you are unable to hold them down by squeezing them together in the pot.
• By planting bulbs in pots or vases you get a modern look that emphasizes the container, bulb and flower. I think planting done in this style have a delicate look.
• The spring bulbs should sprout within a week or two of potting them. This pertains to both growing methods.
• Once the plants have sprouted, keep them in indirect light and in a cool place where the temperature is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
• You will want to keep the sprouted plants in the cool room with indirect light for two weeks. This gives the bulbs a feel of cooler outdoor climates.
• After two weeks in the cool room with indirect light, move the pot into bright, direct light where there will be warmer temperatures.

photo credit: robynejay

The plants should flower within 4 weeks. Flowering bulbs in the winter add such color and life to indoor living. It seems to speed up the arrival of spring.

Technorati Tags: forcing bulbs, growing spring bulbs indoors, indoor plants, spring bulbs

Flowers and living flower arrangements add to any room or home. And if you have a spare plant on hand they make a great gift for company or a birthday.

photo credit: >>>WonderMike<<<

At this time of year any plant adds beauty to a room and flowering bulbs are a fun, exciting and easy plant to start. The bulbs are often on sale at this time of year too.

Or you can take a bulb such as a daffodil an use his method of forcing a bulb to have a wonderful accent.

This you tube shows how easy it is to start a bulb. I like the glass vase that was used for this bulb. It add an artistic look to the arrangement.

I also enjoy tropical plants but they are a challenge in my home. I really do not have a lot of light in most rooms. Or the rooms with great lighting have a chill in the room.

This you tube has tips for growing tropical plants and how to work with them if they seem to be dying.

As this you tube points out, some plants need a resting period.Check the plants growing tag or look online or at the local library for more information on your plant variety.

House plants will also add color and even the look of additional space to apartments, patios and balcony gardens. Place plants outdoors in warmer weather and bring them indoors for the colder seasons

House plants add to any home and with a little care and knowledge you can have a lush garden.

Technorati Tags: balcony gardening, indoor plants, indoor plants for small spaces, patio plants, Small Space Garden

Indoors or out, plants in pots and containers have certain uses and needs. With proper care both the plant and potting container will last for years and add beauty throughout the entire year.

photo credit: hello-julie

Planters: Where to place your plants

Where you place your plant in a room or on patios and balconies create an impact upon the atmosphere and ambience of the area. Your first concern with potted plants is the amount of light or lack of light the plant requires. The plant care tag will help you with this or garden shops and online plant care websites.

Once you know your plant needs it time to place the plant for the best visual effect.

Tall, potted plants will create a quiet reading corner or add privacy to an office space. They can be used as a divider in a room or to hide a problem area in a room.

Hanging plants can provide a screen for a bathroom or bedroom window. They will also create a room barrier and fill bare corner with color. Add an herbal hanging container to you kitchen and harvest fresh herbs for cooking all winter.

An orchid may add tropical appeal to a patio or other living space. To give a more rounded and lush look near the orchid add two or three small potted plants around the orchid planter.

photo credit: magic_bee

Avoid placing plants in heavy traffic areas or small spaces. They will add a cluttered feel to these spaces and interfere with traffic flow.

Make sure that plants placed on tables or in other conversation spots are not too large. This will interfere with conversation and give the area an uneasy unbalanced feel.

Potted containers.

Pots and containers are often overlooked when selecting a plant and adding to the atmosphere of a room. Many feel any old pot will do. But selecting pots for color and décor adds to the room and to the beauty of the plant.

Regardless of the decorative appeal, a container with good drainage is a must for an interior plant. Indoor plants have more of a problem for plant disease if the soil cannot drain properly

Place a saucer underneath the container to catch the run off water before it leaves water stains on your tables or reaches your floor. Saucers with pebbles place them will keep excess water away for the plants roots and add humidity around the plants. This humidity is beneficial to the plants and people.

Polystyrene peanuts will keep the container light in weight, increase your drainage, and
decrease the soil needed to fill the pot. This is particularly important in hanging baskets and larger potting containers that can get heavy. Outdoor balcony gardens will also benefit from lighter planters.

Baskets and decorator pots are available at home improvement stores, gardening centers, auction houses and garage sales. You can also paint or redecorate or planter and pots to match your décor. And if you are in a creative mood you can make a hypertyfu one of a kind planter.

Plants and planters add to the atmosphere and health of your home. And with creativity in the choice of plants and planters you can add change to your rooms on a weekly or monthly basis, indoors or out.

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Houseplants add life and character to your home, patio and balcony. They will also improve air quality. However, they can also take up valuable space on your floors and table tops, which is an important factor if space is limited.

photo credit: lostash

The best solution when adding plants indoors or out is to look for space you might not be using or would normally overlook.

If you have a free corner in your space, you can add hanging plants and floor plants. Avoid plants that produce a lot of lateral growth. Palms and the corn plant (which is tolerant of low light) are great for small spaces because all their foliage is at the top. Consider trailing plants like the sweetheart vine for hanging planters.

By the bottom of the plant grouping you could add colorful plants or garden art.

You have just used a space that is often overlooked and you will find by softening the edges of a space you will create a larger feel.

Its easy and fast to adapt an existing floor screen or replace it out for one that can hold potted plants. Add a window box to a window or place glass shelves higher in the window to give a feeling of extended space.  You may want to replace the pillar candle in a candle sconce with a small potted plant.

Wall-pocket planters will add color in the tiniest of spaces. Hang them nice and high. I also place small mirrors near the plants to add more light and carry the color of the plants.

You’d be surprised by the impact of a single tendril of ivy running down the length of your wall. Baby tears and other creepers are another good choice.

photo credit: Avia Venefica

Wall pocket can often be picked up at garage sales or a thrift shop for pennies. And the vintage look will add character to you room, patio or balcony.

And my favorite addition to any room is a vertical garden, or “living wall”. Each garden wall has it own unique look.

If your plants are for patio and balcony areas you may wan to consider how hardy they are. Will they handle wind and cold? Should they be brought in during the winter or just protected from wind and the elements?

One final consideration in adding plants to a small area is to carefully select the plants. You will only have room for a few in a small space design so try and get a few plants with height, a few vines and plants with a little color. You may also have to consider plants for low light areas.

Tip: Remove plants from the wall for watering to avoid damage to floors, walls or rugs.

Technorati Tags: indoor plants, small balcony design, small patio design, small space design