The Valentine That Keeps on Giving

Every girls loves getting flowers on Valentine's Day, right? But it's always sad that they don't last very long, and then you have to throw them away. Well this year give your sweetheart a little hint... how about flowers that keep on living?
 

This little beauty is called "Parade Rose" or Rosa Hybrid. It's just a miniature rose plant potted up with a bow. It's like a living rose bouquet that can be enjoyed indoors, and then when it's warm enough to dig in the soil, it can be planted outside in the garden or in a pot on the patio. Roses are perennials, so it would die back every winter, but come alive again every spring!

The blooms are gorgeous and have the characteristic spicy sweet scent of roses.
 

I love giving plants as gifts for any occasion. Houseplants make a home more inviting and interesting, and they even improve air quality!  The Jade plant (Crassula orvata) pictured above is one of my favorites because it's so easy to care for. It's a succulent, meaning it stores water in its fleshy leaves and needs very little watering.  

For example, this is a jade plant I bought in 2006. For almost 6 years it has been on my husband's desk at work (my little contribution to his cubicle, with a picture of us in the newlywed days!). Believe me, if he can keep it alive that long, anyone can. He had to set a monthly alert on his phone to dump in a glass of water, but that's all it takes!

Find a pretty pot and give a plant as a birthday gift, a wedding gift, or even a housewarming gift. 

Ivory Cylinder

Ivory Pedestal

Ivory Urn

Black Rings

Green fiberglass

Blue Cake Cup Planter

Start with Valentine's Day and give a gift that keeps on living and giving.

Houseplants

Houseplants are like my friends. I love having some green indoors. They make a room more homey and inviting, and they even make the air more healthy to breathe. This is interesting:

"A classic NASA study found that common house plants could improve air quality. In fact, they reported that houseplants were able to remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hours. The recommendation? Use 15 to 18 "good-sized" house plants in 6- to 8-inch diameter containers for an 1,800 square-foot house. Plants can remove a variety of toxic air emissions including ammonia, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, benzene, xylene and trichloroethytene." (Source)

That's a lot of plants even for me! But even a few will be worth the effort and care, especially during these gloomy (and inversion-laden) winter months! A plus: my kids thought it was lots of fun to help me plant and water a new addition. Kids love to get their hands dirty, and I think it's good for them to learn about how things grow.

The following image is a handout I made for a little class I taught about basic care of houseplants. You should be able to click to enlarge and print. Don't worry, it's not rocket science! In fact, most of the time I forget to water my plants for weeks... but honestly, that's better than watering them every day. Don't smother them--they need their 'space'!

Stay tuned... I can't wait to show you what we're working on next!!!