Garden Vacation for Houseplants
Posted: Friday, July 31, 2009
by Marion Stewart
Garden Planter Store
A deck or patio can be a great place to give your houseplants a summer holiday. Just like us, they get an extra bit of energy with a change of scenery and are the great shape to return to their natural indoor habitat when the weather turns. The plants enjoy their new surrounds and make super additions to groups of garden pots and containers. Everyone responds to the warmth, fresh air, rainfall and of course sunshine by giving off new growth and vitality come Fall.
By early summer, they should be fully incorporated in the garden. Each houseplant has its own place among the many containers of annuals and perennials. They add a new dimension to the deck and patio and can even be placed in the garden landscape to add a definite focal point to the area. It is so easy to move flower pots and containers around, try to find spots where they will receive the morning sun and afternoon shade, away from the direct hot sunrays of the late afternoon. If you have shade loving houseplants and ferns, be sure to keep them protected all summer they just cannot tolerate full sun even if acclimatized gradually.
Again it is necessary to remember that you will need to water much more frequently when the plants are outside than when they were inside the house. They grow more actively and require more water. The wind and sun also increases their need for water because of higher transpiration.
Nothing can be more pleasing to the eye than a cluster of different sized pots and planters outdoors for their summer vacation. Make a centerpiece for the patio table using your cacti and succulents. Move your display around often to see where which place it enjoys the most you can tell when your plants are happy they grow and thrive when they like the conditions.
What can you grow in a container? Just about any plant that you can grow in the ground you can grow in a container. You can use one season annuals or long-lived trees. One way to experiment with what you can grow in containers is to choose plants that are not hardy in your area and then move them inside for the winter. Just get your "houseplants" started outdoors see what plants you like and then you have new plants inside for the rest of the year.
Here is a tip for your Amaryllis. The secret of growing Amaryllis is to keep the plants actively growing after they finish blooming. Keep the plants in full sun, with a night temperature above 60 o F. As soon as danger of frost has passed, set the plants outside in a semi-shaded spot. In the Fall, before danger of frost bring them in and store them in a cold dark place to rest. They will be ready to force again about January 1st. Bring them into a warm light room and water moderately to begin new growth.
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)Good ideas, Marion, for giving houseplants a little 'outside' and for the suggestion for containers. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
Hi Marion.Very interesting and very informative gardening advice, thank you for sharing.Well written piece.Best regards to you and yours,Nenita
This article is an excellent resource to anyone just starting out in plant husbandry. Well done!
Great article. Well done.No wonder my house plants have died. It's because they were kept in the house all the time. The forgetting to water may have contributed.
Thank you so very much. I feel more encouraged just reading the article. I am beginnibg to work to make the reality. Thanks
Marion,I bring mine outdoors every year and they love it. I've got a ficus, given to me 12 years ago, which I just discovered is 24 years old. Sheds like a son-of-a-gun in the fall when I bring it in, but the darned thing continues to thrive.Thanks for sharing and I found the info on the Amaryllis quite interesting. May give it a try one of these days,Nancy
Not much of a planer, but well done.
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