More Flower Aquarium

My sister-in-law, who is a fantastic gardener and landscaper, gave me a flower aquarium as a Christmas gift one year (see Flower Aquarium). The flower aquarium is manufactured in Germany, and consists of a round, 7-inch globe with a 2-inch opening at the bottom; a silicone base that is also a flower frog and forms a watertight seal over the opening; and a base that serves as a stand. I have had hours of fun experimenting with this underwater garden.

Following is a gallery of some of my latest creations, and notes about lessons learned – what plant material works best, what to avoid, and any tips and tricks. Most arrangements last for up to a week, but then typically start to turn brown. I've found that it is almost impossible to get rid of all the air, so that bit of oxygen at the top of the globe may be why. Enjoy the gallery (and for more examples, see Flower Aquarium Portfolio).

Spanish Bluebells	Tulip Magnolia
Rhododendron	Iris
Toyon	Aster
Snapdragon	Pittosporum
Violets	Pink Ladies

Lessons Learned:

• Some flowers transpire a lot, and it takes several days for the tiny bubbles to dissipate. This is normal but obscures the view! 
• For some very delicate petals, like iris and aster, the transpiration bubbles raise the petals straight up after a day or two.
• Mix the vinegar and water in advance and let it rest, to get rid of any bubbles that are introduced when you fill the mixing pitcher from the faucet.
• The directions say to keep the flower globe out of direct sunlight. I'm not sure whether this is due to fire danger (like starting one via a magnifying glass), or because it speeds up pigment loss in the petals. 
• The Tulip Magnolia petals discharged a lot of pigment into the water. This makes me wonder whether the petals could be a source of dye (probably a reddish brown, judging by the color of the water, and not the lovely pinkish purple of the petals).
• Submerge the flower in a bowl of water for several minutes to dislodge dirt, and any tiny insects that might be living on the flower. Gently swish back and forth.

Houseplants

Houseplants is a volume in The American Horticultural Society Illustrated Encyclopedia of Gardening series. It was produced as a collaborative effort between the American Horticultural Society and Ortho Books, and edited by A. Cort Sinnes. I have an old copy, which shows the book was first published in 1974 with subsequent publications through 1980. This places it during the "back to the land movement", at a time when folks were rediscovering plants for interior decorating, talking to their plants and playing classical musical to stimulate their growth. 

In the introduction, Gilbert S. Daniels, then President of The American Horticultural Society, points out that there is no real category of houseplants. All plants originate in an outside environment somewhere in the world. The key to success is to simulate their natural environment as closely as possible in your home or office. Many of the plants that thrive as houseplants originated from an environment with similar conditions, such as low or diffuse light and even temperatures.

Houseplants provides an introduction to interior landscaping, guidelines for assessing your home or office environment for light and temperature and seasonal changes, and tips for improving the environment to ensure houseplants thrive. It covers plant basics, gardening in containers, and how to provide appropriate light whether natural or artificial. The book provides an inventory of houseplant candidates (with pictures and text) that is organized in categories including flowering, foliage, shrubs, and cacti and succulents. A propagation chapter describes how to start plants from seeds, cuttings, division, and so forth. Additional resources include a plant selection guide to help you choose plants that fit your environment, and a list of sources (many of which are still viable after 45 years)! 

This is a wonderful book for the indoor gardener. I appreciated the basic information, as well as ideas for modifying the inside landscape to help plants thrive. I also appreciated the many illustrations and photos, and the encyclopedia of plants that thrive indoors. The pairing of text and photos is very useful, as is the plant selection guide that summarizes the information. The American Horticultural Society no longer publishes the The American Horticultural Society Illustrated Encyclopedia of Gardening; instead they publish multiple encyclopedias with different focuses. You can still find the original set or the Houseplants book through online vendors. I recommend this book as a great quick reference for getting started with houseplants.

Indoor Gardening

January is a perfect month to do a little indoor gardening, where it is warm and cozy and dry! With any luck, a little golden winter light streams through the windows.

Christmas cactus, paperwhite bulbs, and pothos vines enjoy extra light and warmth
(Warrior Girl, 3D art by Jason Quisenberry)

Your indoor plants may benefit from being moved around your home to a better location during the winter, either to avoid long periods of low, slanted sun or to capitalize on it. Spend some time observing where winter light lands and adjust plant placement accordingly. For example, plants that flourish in eastern or southern oriented windows in the summer may do better when moved to a western window in winter.

Pothos vines (Epipremnum aureum)

This is a good time to check over your indoor plants for pests, to re-pot or add soil, or to re-evaluate your fertilizer regimes. It's also a good time to learn more about houseplants that would thrive in your home environment, and maybe introduce a new specimen or two. You may want to try propagating plants from cuttings, or even force some bulbs out of season.

Forcing hyacinth bulbs

Indoor gardening doesn't have to be elaborate, but a few projects can provide a lot of satisfaction while you wait out the dark and damp days of winter, until spring comes with all its promise and chores.

Flower Aquarium Portfolio

My sister-in-law, who is a fantastic gardener and landscaper, gave me a flower aquarium as a Christmas gift one year (see Flower Aquarium). The flower aquarium is manufactured in Germany, and consists of a round, 7-inch globe with a 2-inch opening at the bottom, a silicone base that serves as the flower frog and forms a watertight seal over the opening, and a base that acts as a stand. I have had hours of fun experimenting with this underwater garden.

Following is a gallery of some of my creations, and notes about lessons learned – what plants work best, what to avoid, and tips and tricks. Most arrangements last for a week, but then typically start to turn brown, possibly because I've never managed to eliminate all the air from the globe.

Winter greens and berries	Pink azalea and camellia
Pink cherry blossoms	White azalea
Oak leaves	Ivy
Petunias	Toyon

Lessons Learned:

• Camellias look beautiful underwater but always detach from the stem and float to the top of the globe within hours. I'm looking for a solution.
• Juniper lasts very well, as do most leaves and greens.
• Cherry blossoms exude a lot of air, and the petals are released from the stems fairly early to form a ring at the top. 
• Azaleas look lovely in water – like gossamer paper floating in liquid. They start losing their pigment and take on a translucent quality.
• Sometimes less is more. Arrangements with multiple flowers and plants are fun to make, but the globe space is limited. My favorite arrangements showcase a single flower or species.

Flower Aquarium

My sister-in-law, who is a fantastic gardener and landscaper (see Rambles in Drizzly Juneau), gave me a Flower Aquarium as a Christmas gift one year. The flower aquarium is manufactured in Germany, and consists of a round, 7-inch globe with a 2-inch opening; a silicone base that serves as a flower frog and seal for the opening; and a base that acts as a stand.

Flower Aquarium

To use, gather plant material from your yard, garden, or floral provider, and gently rinse off any dirt, pollen, or tiny insects. I usually just immerse the material in coolish water for several minutes. Here is an assortment of azalea, Camellia, polypodium, and a tulip tree bud.

Plant and flower material rinsed and ready to arrange

Arrange your plant material in the silicone frog, using toothpicks as wedges to secure smaller stems. Fill the globe with a mixture of water and three teaspoons white vinegar, insert the arrangement through the opening, and seal. I was a little skeptical about the seal at first, but German engineering prevailed, and the seal is watertight. (My skill at forming the seal improved after several arrangements). Insert the base in the stand to reveal your beautiful arrangement. The plants and flower transpire tiny droplets of air for the first day or two, which is normal.

Flower Aquarium floral arrangement

I have had many hours of creative fun thinking up arrangements for the underwater garden, and experimenting to see which plants and flowers work best. I can recommend the flower aquarium as a great gift to give others or yourself. I'm not sure if the original product is still manufactured, but I have seen similar products offered online from various sources (such as Breck's, Amazon, and sometimes used on eBay). It's worth tracking down for all the pleasure it can add to your life throughout the year.

Houseplant for Brown Thumbs

My husband and I have kept several houseplants alive for over 30 years. The plants grow as vines that resemble philodendrons, and are called Pothos (or Devil’s Ivy). He purchased several starter plants to brighten up his college dorm room. After we married, the plants stayed with us through multiple moves, our son and his friends, busy schedules, and different seasons of life. The plants continue to thrive, despite periods of neglect. Now I typically water every two to four weeks depending on the season; fertilize once a month; and give the plants an outdoor “spa” break when the San Francisco Bay Area weather turns warm in August and September.

Pothos vines, here cropped short, catch light and
shadow, and add some life to the room.

I’ve propagated many starter plants from the originals – by placing cuttings in water until they root, then planting them in potting soil. One of these starter plants is on my desk at work, which is a nice reminder of home while I’m away. Others have ended up on co-worker’s desks. I typically keep the vines pruned short to encourage a full, bushy look, but many people like to train the vine along a wall or window. The vines also do well in a hanging basket. Either way, it is a pleasure to grow a living plant in the home or office.

Epipremnum aureum is in the Araceae family and originates in tropical Southeast Asia. This small genus of climbing vines does well in bright to low light, and grows up to 40 feet long in nature. The soil should dry out between waterings, and, according to Taylor’s Guide to Houseplants, should only be fertilized two or three times a year. The leaves are ovate-cordate with petioles, glossy, bright green, and irregularly splotched in yellow or white. Flowers are produced in a spade (though ours have never flowered). Aerial roots cling to surfaces and provide stability. The plant is toxic to cats, dogs, and children, and may become invasive if introduced into the wild in a non-native environment. Despite these hazards, they are an excellent houseplant in many situations

Indoor Gardening - Houseplants

Houseplants provide a perfect diversion for the weather-bound gardener waiting for spring. They provide a living, decorative touch to a home, or office setting. "Houseplants" is a descriptive category not a botanical one; houseplants span many, diverse plant families. Some houseplants are tropical or subtropical plants from the jungle, and adapted to a darker, low- or filtered-light environment. Others, such as cactus and succulents, require lots of bright light, but not much water or tending. Still others, such as orchids and ferns, require warmth, filtered light, and humidity.

A houseplant livens up an office waiting area.

The trick for the indoor gardener is to recognize a plant’s origins, and find the ideal indoor placement for the plant; or, choose a plant that will thrive in the indoor environment in which you plan to place it. In some cases, you may need to alter the environment slightly, for example, you may need to periodically mist a plant that requires high humidity using a spray bottle.

A great book for learning about houseplants is Taylor’s Guide to Houseplants, which is based on Taylor’s Encyclopedia of Gardening, published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Inc. in 1987. The book describes the light, temperature, and humidity requirements for 320 houseplants; provides pictures and drawings of the plants; identifies how difficult they are to maintain (I like the “Easy to grow” category); and provides cultivation and propagation tips. The book provides the scientific name, as well as common names, which is useful when locating plants for purchase. Armed with a little knowledge, many indoor gardeners may find their thumb is not so brown after all!