Our Favorite House Plants

Hubby and I love house plants; his fave is Geranium because it reminds him of his grandmother. I on the other hand loves Orchids, and we both like African Violet. Here are the photos of them as well as the info on how to care for each of these plants.

African Violet
Originating from Africa, African Violets are probably the best known flowering house plants. African violets feature velvety leaves arranged in a circular pattern, with blooms forming at the crown. There are hundreds of different varieties of African violets available featuring differently colored flowers, and differently variegated flowers and leaves. In order to initiate blooming, make sure your African violet gets proper light. Also, African violets bloom best when slightly pot bound. To keep your African violet looking its best, remove dead flowers and leaves.

Geranium
The Geranium Stardom Red, 'Pelargonium x hybrids', exhibits beautiful red flowers. Stardom geraniums, also known as floribundas, have double flowers which emerge early, and they produce many more flowers than zonal geraniums on spreading branches. Stardom geraniums are self-branching, requiring no pinching or growth regulators. One of the best kept secrets about Stardom geraniums is their garden performance as a groundcover in the landscape setting. Geraniums are one of your best choices for use in hanging baskets. Plant in ordinary well-drained soil. Over fertilization results in excessive foliage and few flowers. Fertilize lightly every 2 weeks. Pinching of the shoots will promote bushiness Remove spent flowers to enhance flowering.

Orchids
Native to every continent except Antartica, orchids are one of the most elegant and recognizable exotic blooms. There are over 25,000 recognized orchid varieties, and many more hybrids not named. Although orchids have a reputation as being difficult to grow, they are actually quite easy to care for as houseplants, especially Phalaeonopsis. It is best to keep them near windows where they can receive indirect sunlight.

Humidity: Orchids come from very tropical climates and require a good amount of humidity. They have thick, sponge-like, roots that thrive when misted in a warm environment. They have thick, sponge-like, roots that thrive when misted in a warm environment.

Water: Tabletop orchids should be watered thoroughly by drenching them with water from a sink or watering container. After drenching your orchid, you will notice that pot feels weighted. This means that the moss and/ or bark is saturated with water and the orchid will not require water for a period of time. Remember, orchids should never be left in standing water. Discard all excess water.