Shamrock

Common name:
Shamrock

Light:
Bright

Water:
Moderate





Shamrock sleep at night and their leaves fold up then unfold when it's day time again!






The Shamrock grows from a bulb underground and shoots up new from the ground. It has about foot long stems with 3 leaves on top. There's purple, green, and black shamrocks. They like bright light too much sun and they will burn, not enough and they won't grow. They like to be moist but not soggy. They grow better if you let them go rest during the winter. You can either put the pot somewhere dark and just forget it until winter or you can do what my great grandmother did and dig them up and put the bulbs in a paper sack and kept them in the vegtable cooler over winter. They also get little flowers on them as well! Any questions just ask!!

-Ducky Layne-

Pony tail palm, Ponytail palm

Common name:
Ponytail palm

Light:
Full sun

Water:
Moderate, let dry some between watering.








Ponytail palms are interesting easy to care for houseplants. they have a bulbous base and have a long trunk when they get older. They can be slow growing. If you give them good light, the right watering, they should grow pretty decent. They like full sun so a east or west window should be good. When watering be sure to let the top inch dry out before watering again. They don't mind to be root bound. I have seen 6 foot plants that have been in the same pot for 20 years and are doing fine. I have also see plants that have busted through the side of their clay pots! So I think repotting every couple years will be good. If they don't look that root bound just give them fresh soil and put them back in the same size pot. Make sure to put rocks or broken clay pot pieces in the bottom to help with drainage. Any questions just ask!!

-Ducky Layne-

Wondering Jew

Common Name:
Wondering Jew

Light:
Bright

Water:
Moist

My plant is'nt filled out yet. These are just cuttings. Once it's filled out i'll post another picture.


Wondering Jew is a vineing plant that has purple and silver leaves. There's also a Jew with green and white leaves. They like bright light and an Eastern window is probably the best place for them in the winter. Let them dry out just a little bit between waterings. If the plant gets too big just trim it back and place the cuttings in water and you'll end up with another plant. Just make sure to take the lower leaves off the stems. You don'e want leaves under the water level or they will rot. You can also just put the cuttings in moist soil and they will root that way also.

-Ducky Layne-

Hen and Chicks

Common Name:
Hen and Chicks

Light:
Full sun to partial shade

Water:
Low









Hen and Chicks are one of the most interesting plants. It's a ground cover that makes little babies. There's a big one in the middle and it sends out little runners sort of that make more plants. They are very hardy and can even survive outside in a pot year around. They grow better in the ground though or when they are brought inside in the winter time. They like full sun to partial shade. they don't need much water since they are a succulent. There's different colors of them and the little leaves are different on some. Some have pointed leaf ends and some have more rounded.

-Ducky Layne-

Begonia

Common Name:
Begonia

Light:
Bright light

Water:
Low to medium

Wax begonia with white flowers



Wax begonia with red flowers.



Tuberous begonia.



Cane begonia.


Dragon wing.






There are hundreds of different kinds of Begonia's. Some you can find every year sold as anuals (wax and tuberous begonia) but can be kept year around. Some are harder to find and are'nt sold just anywhere (cane begonia). Some begonia's are bushy some vine some get tall some stay short. They are pretty easy to care for. I've found that and East window is the best place to keep them. Too much sun and they will burn and too little and they will get stragly and finally die. Let them dry out some between watering, but not completly. It's best not to get water on the leaves becuase it can spot some of them. The tuberous begonia's will rot easily if watered too much. You can also give your Begonia left over coffee that's cooled off once and awhile. It will make them grow like crazy.


-Ducky Layne-

Prickly Pear Cactus

Common Name:
Prickly Pear

Light:
Full sun

Water:
Very low






The Prickly Pear is a member of the cactus family and is very easy to care for. They don't ask for much and hardly ever need repotted like most cactus. All they need is lots of sun and a little water once in awhile. In the summer time you can set them out side and the rain water will be enough. You don't need to water them also or you'll rot them. They store water inside them to survive. In the winter time I don't water any of the cacti. I give them a little drink around christmas but that's all. They do better in clay pots I think. The clay absorbs some of the water they get so it kind of helps and they look better in clay to me. They like a sandy potting soil.

-Ducky Layne-

Ficus

Common Name:
Ficus

Light:
Direct sun to light shade

Water:
Keep moist.

This is my Ficus Alii I got out of the trash. Someone threw the poor thing away so I rescued him. This is after I pruned him and potted him. I know he did'nt look very pretty but it was cold out. I got him March, 2010. I'll keep taking pictures every month for the next year.showing his progress. He stands about 9 feet. His spread was about 5 feet but he was so misshapened that I cut and kind of gave him a better shape.




April, 2010 he shed all of his leaves with a little help from me shaking him when I would pass through the kitchen. He's pretty much bald here. He's starting to get a few new leaves here.




May, 2010 He looks a lot better here. He's started to feel out and looks good but has some scale I have to tend with. He seems to be dealing with it pretty good and I think I have it under control.




June,2010 He's filling out nicely! He looks a lot fuller and no longer has scale which is good! He's beginning to look really good. I can't wait to reach the year mark and see how far he's come. He should be really pretty.




July,2010 He looks so good. Getting so full and pretty. He's come so far since March.




August,2010 He's looking good!! So pretty! Can't wait for the year march to see how far he's come!




Ficus trees are wonderful additions to the home. They are simple to take care of. There are Ficus Benjamin and Ficus Alii. Benjamin is the more common found ficus. Ficus Benjamin have small glossy green leaves. Ficus Alii has Long pointed leaves that are dark green. They are happy with Direct sun or light shade. You can put them in South, East, or West windows. They can also be farther away from the window and be happy as well. They like to stay on the moist side letting the top inch or two dry out before watering again. Ficus are a favorite of scale insects. If you notice the leaves are sticky or the floor or furniture around the plant are sticky than your plant has scale. If your tree becomes too big for the area you have it just trim it back. It won't hurt it. Any questions just ask.


-Ducky Layne-

Hints and Tips

A bunch of helpful hints and tips.

1)Roses like your used coffee and tea grounds. Make sure the tea bags are'nt flavored though. They also like banana peels. Just mix them into the soil at planting time or cut them up and scrape off the top layer of soil and recover.

2)Just because it's a tropical plant does'nt mean it like full sun. Most tropical house plants you buy grow on the rainforest floor. They don't recieve much direct sun because the canopy of the trees growing above them filter it out. They probably would prefer a really bright location with little direct sun.

3)It ok to reuse pots but you should clean and sanitize the pot before you put a new plant in it. This is simple to do. Wash all the dirt off the sides of the pot. soak you pot in a Mixture of 9 parts water to 1 parts bleach. Make sure the pots are submerged under the liquid. Let them soad for several hours. If it's a plastic pot just rinse it off after it has soaked. If it's a clay pot you will have to let it soak in plain water for a couple more hours to clean the bleach out. I usually let the clay ones sit in the hot sun for awhile after they have soaked for the second time. I feel it bakes the bleach out. I don't know if it does but I like to think it does.

4)A good way to get rid of pests on your plants is to mix a couple drops of dish soap and warm water together and spray you plant real good. Spray all over the pests. It won't harm your plant. It's a cheap way to get rid of pests. If that does'nt work you'll have to go to your local garden center and ask them for an insectidcide.

5)When repotting a plant make sure the pot to pick for it is'nt too big. You should only have about an inch of space between the plant and the sides of the new pot. If the plant does'nt have a lot of root growth on it than it's probably best not to go bigger just yet.

6)When you dead head your roses or cut off dead cames put elmers glue on the cut to seal it so pests can't infest you rose and kill it.

7)Be sure to clean your pruners between each cut and deffinatley between each plant to sanitize them and keep from infecting your plants.

8)Most tropical plants like high humidity so to help raise the humidity around the plant mist around the plant. Don't mist the plant it's self but the area around it. Misting the plant it's self will just make the leaves wet. It won't raise the humidity.

9) African violets don't like to be watered from the top. Watering from the top can be a bad move. Water on the leaves can cause spots and the leaves to rot. Let the plant soak up water from the bottom.

-Ducky Layne-

I'll add more as I find them out. :D

Croton

Common Name:
Croton

Light:
Bright Light

Water:
Keep moist

Origins:
Southeastern Asia








Crotons are very bight colored leaves of orange, yellow, and red. They add alot of color and brightness to your interior. If they get too tall just trim it and it will grow new shoots from the sides of the stem. They like bright light. Eastern or Western is probably best. don't let them get too dry. They like to be kept moist. If the leaves start to droop down than you probably need to water it. They like higher humidity so mist a couple times a week. You can propagate in water or moist soil with root hormone. They require a little more care but are worth it.

-Ducky Layne-

Snake Plant

Common name:
Snake Plant
Mother in-laws Tongue

Light:
Bright Indirect Light

Water:
Low to Moderate

Origins:
Africa











My snake plant getting ready to bloom. Sorry the picture is so blurry. I'll add another pic as soon as the buds open.




Snake plants are a really neat easy to care for plant. They are a good starter plant because they require little care. They have long blade like laves shooting out of the dirt in a rosette that spread by runners under the ground. They will fill a pot pretty fast and don't need to be repotted very often. If the pots not falling over from being top heavy than don't worry about repotting just top dress it if it needs it. They like bright light but don't need direct sun. They seem to grow better if they don't get a lot of direct sun. Mine has always liked an eastern exposure but any window except a northern one would probably work. If kept in a southern window you should probably filter the southern winter sun. Water good than let dry out before watering again. they are easy to propagate also. Just take one of the rosettes with some roots and pot in another pot. You will probably have to prop the new plant up with something so it does'nt fall over. You can also cut up a leaf and root the pieces of leaves as well.

-Ducky Layne-

Goldfish Plant

Common name:
Goldfish Plant

Light:
Bright light

Water:
Keep moist

Origins:
Costa Rica












The Goldfish plant is a cute little plant with little plump dark green waxy leaves. It does best in a hanging pot where it can vine. Keep the vines cut back to 18 inches and it will become more bushy and think. It has little orange flowers that look like goldfish(hence the name). They are a harder to find plant but if you do come across one don't hesitate to get because there's no telling when you'll see another one. They like to be kept moist but not soggy. Let dry a little between waterings. They like high humidity so mist daily. Make sure to pot them in free draining soil so they don't sit in too much water. They like bright light and can be put in any window with good light. Not too much direct sun or they will burn. If you keep it in a south window make sure the light is filtered so the southern sun during the winter won't burn it. This plant does take a little more care than most. They root easily in moist soil or water.

-Ducky Layne-

Coffee and Tea as fertilizer

Some might think it's crazy to put used coffee or tea on your plants. Both houseplants and your outside plants. Acid loving plants love coffee and tea though. I've searched and compiled a list of plants you can use you left over grounds of left over coffee or tea. Make sure that it's cooled off first though before you use it on your plants.

Abutilon
Acorus
Aechmea
African Violet
Aglaonema
Aloe Vera
Amarylis
Anthurium
Aphelandra
Araucaria
Asparagus Fern
Aspidistra
Azalea
Baby's Breath
Baby's Tears
Begonia
Bird of Paradise
Bishop's Cap
Black-eyed Susan
Blood Leaf
Bottlebrush
Bougainvillea
Boxwood
Bromeliads
Butterfly Flower
Cacti
Calcaolaria
Caladium
Calla Lily
Camelia
Campanula
Capsicum
Cardinal Flower
Castor Oil Plant
Century Plant
Chinese Evergreen
Chinese Primrose
Christmas Cactus
Cineraria
Clerodendrum
Clivia
Cockscomb
Coffee Plant
Coleus
Columnea
Coral Berry
Crassula
Creeping Fig
Croton
Crown of Thorns
Cuphea
Cyclamen
Cyperus
Dieffenbachia
Dipladenia
Dizgotheca
Dracaena
Easter Lily
Elephant's Ear
Episcia
Euonymous
Ferns:
Bird's Nest
Boston
Button
Christmas
Cloak
Feather
Hart's Tongue
Holly
Maidenhair
Rabbits Foot
Spleenwort
Fig
Fittonia
Freesia
Gardenia
Genista
Geranium
Gloxinia
Grape Ivy
Grape Hyacinth
Grevillea
Gynura
Hedera
Heliotropium
Hens and Chickens
Herringbone Plant
Hibiscus Plant
Hoya
Impatiens
Ivy Tree
Jacaranda
Japanese Sedge
Jasminum
Jerusalem Cherry
Jessamone
Kalanchoe
Kangaroo Thorn
Kangaroo Vine
Lantana
Laurus (Bay Tree)
Lemon Plant
Maranta
Mimosa
Mind Your Own Bus.
Monstera
Myrtle
Never Never Plant
Nicodemia
Norfolk Island Pine
Oleander
Oplismenus
Orchid
Oxalis
Palms
Pandanus
Peacock Plant
Pellionia
Peperomia
Philodendron
Pilea
Plumbago
Podacarpus
Pointsettia
Polyscias
Pothos
Prayer Plant
Punica
Sanserieria
Saxifraga
Scindapsus
Shrimp Plant
Spanish Bayonet
Spider Plant
Succulents
Synogonium
Tolmiea
Tradescantia
Umbrella Tree
Venus Flytrap
Weeping Fig
Yucca
Zebrina

This is all I have so far. I'll add to it as I find more out. Any plant that likes acidic soil will like it. Any questions just ask.

-Ducky Layne-

Janet Craig dracaena

Common Name:
Janet Craig Dracaena

Light:
Low to bright

Water:
Keep moist

Origins:
Africa and Asia






Janet Craig dracaena has dark green compact leaf growth. The leaves are long and wide also. They grow in a rosette and can get tall. They usually lose their bottom leaves and bare stems like Madagascar Dragon tree (also in the dracaena family). They branch out and will shoot new out from the soil. They like low to bright light. Bright light is better but th ey can stand low light conditions. Too much sun will burn the leaves. keep them kind of moist so they don't lose too many bottom leaves but don't keep them soggy. Let the top inch dry out.

-Ducky Layne-

Pothos propagation

Pothos ( also known as devils ivy) are one of the easiest plants to propagate. Take a pair of shears or scissors and take the vine and cut off 6 inch pieces off the end. Remove the lower leaves so when you put the vines into the glass or jar of water there will be no leaves under the water. Leaves under the water can rot and make the vine sick while it's in the water. Be sure to not let the water dry up and after a couple weeks a nice root system will develop. After good roots develop either plant in a pot with soil or you can even grow them in water. You can end up with several plants fast because they grow rather fast.















-Ducky Layne-

Star Jasmine

Common Name:
Star Jasmine

Light:
Full sun

Water:
Low

Origins:
Eastern India, China, Japan
















Star Jasmine has to be my favorite flowering plant for smell. It smells absolutely amazing. I kept mine on my balcony of my apartment this past summer and when I was home I would leave the door open and it would feel my apartment with it's sweet smell. It would put me into some what of a trance because I would space off and be so relaxed. It's flowers are very small but it's fragrance is not. I love this plant. I can't wait until spring so I can smell it's sweet flowers again! It need a lot of sun. I have mine in front of a southern window. I let mine dry out before watering again though. You can tell if it gets too dry. The leaves will kind of droop. It has very stiff leaves that are dark green. It's a vine and you can train it around something to keep it neat looking because if left to it's own devices will grow crazy and take up a lot of room. I potted it in miracle potting soil. It's done fine all winter inside. Any questions just ask.

-Ducky Layne-

Watering and light

WATER:

Heavy:
Keep moist at all times. Don't keep it soggy and don't let it dry out.

Moderate:
Don't let dry out completely between waterings. Let it dry out some. Test with your finger if the top inch or two is dry if so then water again.

Low:
Let dry out completely between waterings. Does'nt require a lot of water. Too much water can cause root rot.

LIGHT:

Direct sun:
Keep in full sun most of the day. Southern or western exposure is best. May become lanky or drop leaves if not recieving the right light.

Bright:
Indirect sun light is best. East or near a West window is best. Too much direct sun will cause burning.

Low:
Does'nt need much light at all. Keep out of direct sun completely. But be sure to give it some light. These plants usually like Northern exposure.

-Ducky Layne-

Grandfathers Pipe

Common Name:
Grandfathers Pipe
Callisia Fragrans
Basket Plant

Light:
Bright

Water:
Moderate

Origins:
Mexico






Grandfather's Pipe (also know as Callisia Fragans) is'nt a very common house plant. It get long stems with green leaves with puprle tint toward the base of the leaves. It gets long runners like spider plants that have babies on the ends. They are easy to propagate jsut break off a baby and put in some water until roots form. Put into a hanging pot and by the end of summer you'll have a decent sized plant. I usually start mine over every summer because they don't look as nice when the main stem gets too long. Don't worry about putting a baby into a 10 inch hanging pot by it's self. It will fill that pot with roots in no time. I just use regular miracle potting soil for mine. I let mine dry a little before watering again. In the summer they don't mind lot of water. They like western exposure best. Any questions just ask.

-Ducky Layne-

Peperomia

Common Name:
Peperomia

Light:
Bright indirect light

Water:
Moderate

Origins:
may be found in subtropical & tropical regions all around the world although most species occur in Central America and Northern South America.




Peperomia can be a fast growing plant if given the right care. There are several types of Peperomia but they all have the same thick leaves. They are easy plants to care for. They seem happiest in East windows. Let them dry out some between waterings. They don't mind being rootbound. Any questions just ask.

-Ducky Layne-

Pregnant Onion

Common Name:
Preganant Onion

Light:
Bright

Water:
Low

Origins:
South Africa


Mama onion! I've had this one for several years. The ones below are her daughter's She's getting ready to flower again too. Second time this summer!



A young onion. Started out just a little thing about 3 years ago. Needs repotted though.


Baby onion's


Baby onion's



Pregnant Onion Is a very interesting plant. They can go quite awhile without water because the fat onion shaped bulb holds water. The leaves can get up to 6 feet long. The bulb can get the size of a melon. It gets it's name because it forms babys under the skin then they break through when the skin dries out. It looks like an onion skin. They are easy to propagate. Each little baby will make a new plant. In spring just pick the babies off and plant them half way into moist soil. They will start growing like crazy shooting out leaves and plumping up. You don't have to plant the babies seperately if you don't want to. You can let them fall off naturally into the pot with the mother plants. Very interesting plants to watch. They like a lot of sun but not too much full sun. East West windows seem to be the best. They flower in the winter and get a long stalk out of the middle of the leaves. It will have little flower buds all over it. They start opening from the bottom and the flowering period last a long time. Little White flowers. The stalks can get very long. I've had one that was 6 foot. They don't need a lot of water so let them dry out between waterings. Any questions just ask.

-Ducky Layne-

Rubber tree

Common Name:
Rubber Tree

Light:
Bright

Water:
Moderate

Origins:
Amazon



He got a hair cut! I think he looks a lot better and he's shooting new out everywhere!!


Rubber trees have big dark colored leaves. They can grow into nice full little trees if given the right care. They can get quite big, but if they get to big for you just cut them back and new growth will grow under where you cut. You can put the cuttings in water or right into soil and make a new plant too. They like bright light and East window seem the best. Let them dry out between waterings. Not bone dry but dry. Keep the leaves clean by wiping them down with a warm washcloth. It hard for them to breath with dusty leaves.

-Ducky Layne-

Norfolk Island Pine

Common Name:
Norfolk Island Pin

Llight:
Bright

Water:
Moderate

Origins:
Norfolk Island





Norfolk pine is a lovely plant. Sold as living christmas trees during the holiday's with red ribbons tied to the branches. They can live for a long time and they can get 1uite big and wide spread. They like humidity and if there's not enough moisture in the air the branches can dry out and fall off. It does them good to mist them to raish the humidity around them. They like to hav moist soil but not soggy. Let them dry out a little before giving them a good watering again. They like bright light so an East or West window is best. Any questions just ask.

-Ducky Layne-