Grandma's Garden

This is my Grandma's corridor garden. My grandma's hobby is gardening. She took good care of all her plants. She always use water which she had used for washing fish, rice and vegetables to water her plants. From a few pots of plants, her corridor garden has now more pots and more varieties of plants and flowers. One thing which my grandma does not have is stainless steel flower pots. If she has stainless steel flower pots and flower stands, then she would not need to be afraid of mischievous children who always knocked down all her plants. Each time the children had broken the flower pots, she had to find new ones to replace them. If she has stainless steel planters and stainless stain plant stands, then that would be perfect.



Grandma loves flowers. She always cut her flowers from her corridor gardens to place them at the altar. Her vases often dropped on the floor as a result of strong wind. Such thing will not happen if she has stainless steel vase instead!

What Goes Where

Pink Pelargoniums

Plants enliven a room and you will want to place them where they look most attractive and can be seen and appreciated much of the time. They should also be within easy reach for watering and tending. But houseplants have preferences about where they live, and to avoid disappointment over a poor show of flowers or limp, chilled foliage, you must primarily take the plant's needs into consideration. Many plants will adapt to less than ideal conditions and several species are naturally suited to difficult places -- a shady corner or cool north-facing window with little light -- but others demand a much more comfortable environment.

Light and temperature are the most crucial factors -- humidity can be controlled. Avoid extreme conditions. Plants in a sunny window suffer leaf scorching if pressed to the glass under direct, hot sun, and the compost will dry out more quickly. Cover the window with blinds so that you can adjust the amount of light coming through the windows. Alternatively, shades can be used to filter out strong sunlights too.

One basic rule is that green foliage plants survive much better than flowering plants in poor light, and variegated foliage needs some good light to maintain its colours. The vivid blooms of Impatiens, Primulas and Pelargoniums are a happy choice for a bright, sunny windowsill; the red and yellow foliage of Codiaeum or cool green and cream of Chlorophytum benefit from a position near a window; further into the room where light is dim, you can keep a plant with a large leaves adapted to making the most of available light, such as Monstera deliciosa or Ficus 'Robusta'.




Primulas

A south-facing window gets the most sun, but do not assume all light-loving plants must look south. Many appreciate the less fierce rays of morning or afternoon sun and may prefer a window facing east or west. Green plants do well in north light with no sun, but there is no need to restrict the choice entirely to these. Bulbs, Dianthus or Chrysanthemums can provide seasonal colour in a north-facing window, or choose the spectacular Columnea, a trailing plant with a heavy cascade of dark foliage and bright orange-red flowers.


Dianthus

Plants are most often kept in the living room or kitchen. These frequently used rooms tend to have the best light and regular temperatures. The plants' progress is constantly on view, so it is worth trying more delicate varieties in the living room, as well as the large range of tolerant and adaptable plants. Do not place or hang plants directly over a source of heat -- above a radiator or by the cooker.


Columnea

The choice between keeping a few single specimens or arranging massed groups of varied types depends upon your preference and the time you can give them. Plants grouped together must like or tolerate similar conditions. An interesting easy-care arrangement can be devised using green foliage interspersed with variegated plants. Combinations of flowering and foliage plants can be livened up seasonally if the plants are kept in separate pots. Excellent effects are achieved either by grouping several plants of the same type in a dense cluster, or by introducing definite contrasts of height, colour, leaf shape and texture.

Large ferns and palms may grow to such a height that the container must be on or near floor level. As a general rule, small plants should be at or below eye level, trailers at or above eye level and large, showy plants arranged to minimize the effect of bare stems and draw attention to the spreading foliage above. Mask leggy plants by grouping smaller, bushy varieties around the base.

The best light source is the sun. For houseplants which are placed near the windows, use blinds or shades to control the amount of lights. Ordinary light bulbs and spotlights generate a lot of heat and do not satisfy a plant's needs for light. The only type of artificial light in the home that actually encourages growth is cool white or daylight fluorescent tubes. Even so, these must burn for several hours a day to support foliage growth.