In this issue:

Growing indoors

Capturing the Clerodendrum: Growing Butterfly Flowers Indoors

...A fascinating story about tropical clerodendrum collection grown indoors. How-to-grow tips, all secrets you need to know for successfull cultivation of these beautiful flowering exotics indoors....

Legendary Plants

Aphrodisiacs: plants of love

...During the course of history, humans have discovered many plants with peculiar effects: magical, reality- altering, and stimulating. Many of these sacred plants had interesting side effects, such as the awakening of sexual desire, and increased physical pleasure. These plants were called "plants of love"...

Growing a pomegranate tree

...Of all the plants of Aphrodite, the pomegranate tree attracted the greatest cultural interest. The ancient Egyptians associated it with love, eroticism, and sensuality...

Growing outdoors

The garden where happiness lives

...A story about creating amazing garden with tropical fruit trees in subtropical Florida: useful tips how to make plants happy outside of tropical area, how to fit more trees into your small yard, how to reduce watering and maintenance, how to make the garden enjoying...

Exotic Kaleidoscope

Tambalacoque, the Dodo tree

...Until recently, it was thought that this species was dying out. It was hypothesized that the Dodo bird, which became extinct in the 17th century, ate tambalacoque fruit, and only by passing through the digestive tract of the Dodo could the seeds germinate...

Richardia: humble groundcover from the royal family

...Low growing, fast growing, easy growing and yet, it has pretty baby-pink flowers... It makes a beautiful ground cover...

Useful Tips: Tropicals in Winter

Increasing humidity with a plastic bag

When bringing tropical plants indoors for winter, low air humidity in the house may become a serious problem that causes leaf drop. To help plants to adjust to indoor conditions, you may put a clear plastic bag over the crown (leaves) and gently tie it around the trunk. Make sure to leave soil open to provide proper air circulation. Remove the bag once a day, every time leave the plant open for longer time to help gradually adjust to indoor conditions. Remove the bag permanently after 5-10 days.

Dealing with frost

When cold spell threatens your tender plants in the ground, help them to survive the first cold shock by creating a "hut" around them with 3-4 bamboo sticks (or PVC pipes) and a blanket. It will protect them from chilly wind which is more dangerous than low temperature itself. After surviving the first cold, the plant will go into dormancy, its metabolism will slow down, so the next cold spell will be less stressful. Remember to reduce watering.

Clear plastic can also be used for cold protection, with advantage that it can be left for long time (unlike blankets that should be removed after 2-3 cold nights). However, cold plastic should NEVER touch leaves: this may cause even worse cold damage. That means, a temporary structure holding the plastic must be build around the plant or group of plants. Such temporary greenhouse will dramatically improve chances of survival even without additional heating. It can be used for a large potted plant collection, too.