Category: Tropical Houseplants

Deer Resistant Plants / Ferns / Garden Design / Gardening on the Wild Side: Working in Harmony with Nature / Heirloom plants / Native Plants / Perennial Care / Plant Literacy / Sustainable Gardening / Taxonomy / Tender Perennials / Tropical Houseplants / Wildlife Gardening / Williamsburg Botanical Garden

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Finding Success with Maidenhair Ferns

  Maidenhair ferns look so delicate and fragile I avoided planting them for the first thirty-odd years of my gardening adventures.  I had no confidence in keeping them alive through a Virginia summer because I expected them to be fussy, requiring far more skillful care than I could offer. Native Northern Maidenhair Ferns When I first toured the Williamsburg Botanical Garden as a newly minted Master Gardener intern in April of 2018, our guide, Dr. Donna Ware, pointed out a...

Container Gardens / Heirloom plants / Holiday Plants / Tales from the Help Desk / Tropical Houseplants / Watering

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Tales From the Help Desk : Christmas Cactus

Q.  How do I care for a Christmas cactus so that it blooms well for Christmas? A.  Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera x buckleyi, is native to tropical rain forests.  It should be planted in a soil mix that is high in organic material but drains well.  It likes to be root bound, so don’t feel you have to keep putting it in a larger pot each year. Keep the soil moist from spring through summer but let the soil dry out...