Growing Cactus Indoors

While the Cactus boasts a well deserved reputation of being one of the hardiest houseplants in the world, it does need a little TLC on occasion to bring the best out of this beauty. A Cactus belongs to a group called succulents, which are plants that retain water in their leaves to adapt to a dry climate. But there are actually thousands of types of cacti, and they can be broken down into five groups:

· Desert cacti such as the Prickly Pear or Saquaros (the typical multi-armed tall version you picture in the desert). Of course these favor more direct sun and less water.

· Mountain cacti such the Monk’s Hood or Bishops Cap, which favor cooler night temperatures;.

· Seashore cacti such as the Melon Cactus and Copiapoa Cactus. This group needs more humidity and tend to be the most difficult group to grow as a houseplant.

· Rainforest cacti, the most popular cactus, the Christmas Cactus, belongs in this group and of course, they need less sunlight and more water.Savanna cacti, such as the Indian Head or Pincushion cactus tend to be the easiest to grow as a houseplant, and do well in terrarium settings.

Caring, Feeding, Lighting and inddor guide located here

Begonias Indoors

Looking for a versatile houseplant that can offer fancy foliage, stunning blooms and can forgive occasional forgetfulness? Begonias can be brought right inside from their normal place in the garden, where they’re usually found as a bedding plant or container plant, and become a prized houseplant that will produce year round rewards.

The key to helping a Begonia houseplant thrive is to properly identify it. While there are over 1,000 varieties of Begonias, there are actually three types of Begonias, based on root structure, commonly used for houseplants.

Caring, Feeding, Lighting and inddor guide located here

African Violets

African Violets – do they deserve their finicky flowering reputation? Yes and No. While African Violets flourish with a precise recipe of light, moisture, warmth and feeding, once you know the recipe, it’s an easy one to follow.It helps to understand African Violets if you know their origin. African Violets are native to Tanzania, which is in East Africa. This means they tend to grow best under similar conditions to their native environment, which is a warm climate with a lighter, airy growing medium rather than a heavy potting soil.

Why isn’t my African Violet Flowering? Growing tips etc

Fittonia White Anne

If you are on the hunt for a houseplant with exotic, showy leaves that doesn’t require constant care, the White Anne Fittonia, also known as the Mosaic or Nerve plant, may be just the showstopper you’re looking for.

Forgive and forget is the motto of this tropical plant as it can easily look faint if allowed to dry out, but it also forgives so easily when provided with a drink of water. If only all exotic plants were so tolerant of the occasional short term neglect!

For years, many have loved the Fittonia plant, but the large leafed varieties have been known to be somewhat difficult to grow and a bit too needy for normal household growing. Enter stage left the smaller leafed varieties of the Fittonia, including the popular White Anne variant.

Tips for Care
As the Fittonia species is native to the rainforests of Peru, it’s used to high humidity, warm temperatures and medium lighting conditions. Without water for a few days, this plant is known to “faint” but is easily revived with a quick watering and will make a miraculous recovery.
Keep the soil moist at all times but don’t allow the Fittonia to become waterlogged. Misting between waterings helps keep the Fittonia perky and happy and gives it the humidity it craves. If the leaves of the plant begin to look curled up, it means it’s thirsty. If you’re watering it regularly, it may need a more humid setting.

Areas of the home with high humidity, such as the kitchen or bath, are perfect for this moisture loving plant. For lower humidity rooms, keeping the plant on a damp tray of pebbles helps create the necessary humidity. In fact, Fittonia White Anne makes a wonderful terrarium plant.
While this plant has a nice shape to it, pinching the ends off of growing stems helps it to keep an attractive bushy shape and become denser. Feeding once or twice a month with a general household plant food helps keep the Fittonia healthy and happy as well.

The Fittonia is best grown with medium light, as direct, strong lighting can scorch its delicate leaves. If the proper natural lighting conditions aren’t available, try placing on a table near a lamp and be consistent with its light.

Bottom Line
With a little loving care now and then, the Fittonia White Anne will reward you with its outstanding ornamental foliage that’s sure to become a conversation piece. While this exotic plant can be finicky at times, it will forgive you and bounce back from the occasional short-term neglect.

The White Anne adds a design element to any style of home decor: from the kitchen to the living room. Special offer located right here,

A Variety of stunning Live indoor plants here