Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
There are some special considerations you have to make when caring for things like gardenias once you make the decision to grow them indoors. Care for gardenias indoors with help from a professional gardener in this free video clip.
Avocados do not come true from seed, but are easy to grow from seed, even from store-bought fruits. Standard-sized avocado trees may grow indoors as houseplants if pruned keeping their size in check. Dwarf avocados are available for container culture. Avocados are not cold-tolerant plants, so keep them in a warm area of your home, and do not to place them close to doors or windows in winter.
Dracaena marginata, commonly called Madagascar dragon tree, is a commonly grown houseplant. It can reach six to eight feet high, but grows very slowly. Typical form is a skinny, upright trunk topped with a cluster of long, thin, pointed leaves. Depending on the variety of plant, the edges of the leaves are striped with red, pink, purple or white. It is a very hardy houseplant, and tolerant of a wide range of conditions.
"Catios" are the new catwalk and are all the rage in New York, according to New York Times columnist Jennifer Kingson. Catios are an outdoor space cats can enjoy safely. There are many dangers to cats allowed to roam freely outside, both in the city and in the country. Pens, runs and secure playgrounds provide safe alternatives to free roaming with all the benefits of fresh air and interesting things to watch. A catio may be as simple as chicken wire and frame box to an elaborate pen complete with cat house, trees and cat beds.
An indoor herb garden has its advantages: You can keep it going all year, even in cold climates, it's convenient, and the greenery adds a fresh-looking element to the kitchen windowsill or a covered porch. Once you get your parsley potted up and growing, ongoing care is important. Water application and fertilizer differ from parsley planted outdoors in the soil or even in containers outside. Grow parsley indoors for a continuous supply of fresh herbs.
Chinese Evergreens, known for removing toxins and other impurities from the air, can make excellent indoor plants. This hybrid plant originated in the subtropical forests of Southeast Asia and features large green leaves with shades of silver and white. The Aglaonema hybrids can be found in homes across the United States. The Chinese Evergreen is easy to care for and grow because of its ability to adapt to an array of environments.
The Musa basjoo is a banana tree that will grow outdoors in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 to 10 or indoors in a container in any zone. Native to Japan, the Japanese banana, which is the common name, grows 6 to 14 feet tall with a spread of the same. The herbaceous perennial produces creamy white to yellow flowers with proper care when grown indoors.
Vriesea bromeliads were discovered by W. DeVriese in the 1800's and have been a favorite of bromeliad growers and collectors ever since. Vriesea is grown for its long-lasting, brightly colored, sword-shaped flowers, but many varieties have leaves with striking colors or patterns. This bromeliad's tolerance to lower light levels makes it a good choice for indoor growing. A little harder to grow than some bromeliads, if given all it requires, a vriesea can thrive as a houseplant.
Commonly called tickle me plant, touch-me-not and sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica is a flowering ground cover belonging to the pea family. Growing 3 feet tall and 24 to 36 inches wide, the tropical plant features an unusual trait of curling its foliage and recoiling when touched. M. pudica produces fernlike foliage and pinkish-purple, globelike flowers. The warmth-loving plant is often grown indoors in northern areas or areas with extreme winters. It thrives when its growing requirements are met.
Narcissus, or daffodils, will grow indoors during the winter months using a growing method called forcing. Once potted, the narcissus bulbs are exposed to alternating periods of cold and warmth to mimic normal outdoor conditions, essentially tricking the bulbs into blooming out of season. Although the process of forcing narcissus bulbs to bloom must be done under exacting conditions, caring for the plants is simple to do and requires very little effort apart from occasional watering and careful attention to light and temperature conditions surrounding the plants.
So long as you have the right tools you can grow and maintain a Maidenhair fern indoors. Learn how to care for Maidenhair fern indoors with help from a landscape designer and horticulture writer in this free video clip.
Gardenias can be problematic, especially because they need tropical environments to do well. Care for gardenias indoors with help from the owner of a nursery in this free video clip.
Fatsia japonica, also known as Japanese aralia, is native to Japan. Although the plant makes an ideal landscaping plant, it also makes an attractive indoor plant when grown in a container. Growing the fatsia japonica indoors requires the proper care so the plant will flourish. The fatsia has dark green, deeply-lobed leaves with upright stems that will bend over and hang downwards as the plant stems grow longer.
A container filled with bright red, purple and pink geraniums adds a splash of color to any room in your home. Geraniums are well-suited for living in containers indoors, and if cared for properly, they provide you with a show of flashy blossoms for many years. If your geranium seedlings have just germinated, they need special care to grow into a mature plant. Geraniums thrive with plenty of sunlight and relatively cool temperatures.
To keep your cats safe and to prevent them from contracting diseases or harming native wildlife, they should be kept inside your home, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Providing indoor cats with a play area designed to engage their interest keeps them from getting bored and gives them appropriate outlets for their natural instincts. Depending on your needs, taste and resources, you can build a simple or elaborate play area for your cats.
Outdoor cats are more likely than indoor cats to face health risks and danger , even in rural areas. Predators, other territorial animals, cars and humans can create stressful situations for domestic felines who are out. Many people prefer to keep their cats indoors. If your cat is inside most or all of every day, he will have a greater chance of staying healthy and safe. Creating an indoor play area can help keep him fit and entertained. Some cats respond better than others to play areas.
Having a cat requires a lot of time, dedication and care, but in the end can be very rewarding. While cats are definitely more independent pets than other animals, like dogs, they still require a great deal of attention and care.
Taking care of cats is much easier than taking care of dogs. Cats generally do not require as much affection as a dog, they use their litter box most of the time and may or may not shred your favorite couch. Here are some easy ways of taking care of cats so you'll get the most out of having a pet that is great for small homes and apartments.
Indoor cats do not have the same opportunities for fun as outdoor cats. They can not climb trees, run for miles, chase birds and stalk squirrels. Just because they don't have access to this stimulation, does not mean they don't crave it. An indoor cat can be treated to similar opportunities if the right adjustments are made to his environment.
Taking care of an indoor cat, whether it is your own or you are pet sitting is not very difficult. Cats are independent creatures and indoor cats tend to be much more easy going than their outdoor counterparts.
Cats are traditionally quite independent creatures. They groom themselves, sleep for hours on end, and don't need the same form of attention that many dogs require. These animals, in other words, can spend time alone without going crazy. However, each cat is different and as a pet owner, you may find you have a needy indoor cat. Your cat may need extra attention or could despise staying home alone. Learn how to care for your finicky feline.
Your cat prince or princess lives in safe happiness within the warm sanctuary of your home. Day-to-day living does not involve tremendous output of calories. She's bathing in the den instead of swinging on vines through trees. He looks out the window from the couch by day, relocating to the foot of your bed by night. But exercise is just as important for your cat's health as it is for yours. Here's what you can do to get the juices moving, and keep that feline figure trim.
Cats are cool creatures. Unlike dogs, they are independent, require no potty training and make no annoying barks. If you have adopted a cat, or a cat has adopted you, there are a few things you need to do to care for your cat.
