GardenSpotlight

When I was a little girl, my mother kept a terrarium in our home.   It always intrigued me; seeing plants growing inside a glass tea kettle was really cool.   It was like a miniature rainforest!   Terrariums are a great way for those of us who are busy to have lush plants in our homes without having to remember to care for them so often.   As the plants in the terrarium transpire, the moisture collects on the sides of the terrarium (condensation) and flows back down to the soil. A terrarium is basically any enclosed or partially enclosed clear container which houses its own micro-ecosystem of plants, and sometimes animals too, such as small lizards or turtles.   For our purposes here, I will focus on plant terrariums.   You can use any clear container of plastic or glass, such as an aquarium or fish bowl, a hurricane jar, bottles or glassware.   Be creative and look around your home before you spend money.   Chances are you’ll find something. ...

We plant and grow many different mixed containers in our greenhouse. Many times I just create as I go, placing whatever suits my mood at the time. We sell a lot of ready-made containers, but we also have a lot of gardeners coming in to purchase plants for containers they wish to design themselves. I am asked all the time which plants work well together, how should the containers be planted or what do I think looks good together? I want to start out by saying this is YOUR chance to be creative and get your juices flowing. I certainly don’t mind telling customers what I think looks good, but it’s their container garden and I want to know what they might like. It is easy to be overwhelmed when you visit your local garden center or greenhouse, so it helps to have some idea of what size planter you need, what colors you need and whether you are placing the container in a sunny location or shade. Take a look at your home or wherever you are placing your container gardens. In front of a la...