| red princess |
| birds nest fern |
| snake plant |
| china doll |
| corn plant |
| nepthytis |
| benjamin fig |
| schefflera |
| dracaena |
| heart leaf |
| english ivy |
| parlor palm |
| hope plant |
| dieffenbachia |
| peace lily |
| clown croton |
| rubbertree |
| lemon-lime |
| norfolk pine |
| golden pothos |
| pothos |
| parlor palm |
Whether green, colored, or blooming; plants cheer up anyone's spirit naturally. They give off oxygen, and naturally make everyone feel better. Most all our plants require very little care, and care instructions are always sent with every potted design order for that specific plant. We don't send plants in plastic pots. All of our plants are decorated for the season and occasion. Bows comes on each design. Plants are guaranteed to be appreciated. If the recipient does not like their gift, they may bring it in within two weeks for exchange to another product.
| norfolk island pine tree |
Araucaria heterophylla or Norfolk Island Pine or Australian Pine is a beautiful year round houseplant and is easy to care for. If you want to invest in a houseplant with a future, buy a Norfolk Island pine. The Norfolk Island pine makes an excellent indoor Christmas tree. The needled branches are much like those of a fir tree. Instead of a Christmas tree some may opt for a Norfolk pine. We decorate them lavishly before delivery.
| corn plant |
austere specimen of good floor height. comes decorated in a pot. Suitable for the home, will grow for anyone. Broad leaves with generous yellow stripes running along their length. A good remover of formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene and trichloroethylene from the atmosphere. Lives virtually forever. Plants are grown in Nigeria.
| tropical planter |
We don't carry planters, we make our own exceptional products by assembling tropical plants together in a large basket and decorating it for the occasion. Our planters are guaranteed both for longevity and that the recipient will appreciate the gift. Every order of plants is customized to your wishes.
| bonsai |
Bonsai: We make custom for every order a wide variety of what we call zen plants. More unusual specimens, containers, and design that makes your gift an original, and a work of living art. Your plant gift will come with all necessary care instructions.
| bamboo hut |
Bamboo hut: We make custom for every order a wide variety of what we call zen plants. More unusual specimens, containers, and design that makes your gift an original, and a work of living art. Your plant gift will come with all necessary care instructions.
House plants and green living plants: Whether green, colored, or blooming; plants cheer up anyone's spirit naturally. They give off oxygen, and naturally make everyone feel better. Most all our plants require very little care, and care instructions are always sent with every potted design order for that specific plant. We don't send plants in plastic pots. All of guaranteed to be appreciated. If the recipient does not like their gift, they may bring it in within two weeks for exchange to another product.
Columbus Florist, Green House
| Your first plant from the florist. |
| Good herbs for indoors are. . . (read more) |
| Bromeliads are plants with a reservoir. . . (read more) |
| Orchids are a very special class of indoor plant. . . (read more) |
| The jade plant, success and good fortune. . . (read more) |
| Other "lucky" plants include. . . (read more) |
Popular plants for indoor bonsai are about any pines, can be used. Many good reference books are available for the bonsai art form. Look for a bougainvillea, Buddhist pine, dwarf pomegranate, elfin herb, English ivy, fig (dwarf varieties), jasmine, natal plum, serissa. Good herbs for indoors are Basil, sage, Bay, chives, dill, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, scented leaf geranium, tarragon, thyme. Bromeliads are plants with a reservoir to hold water. They absorb much less from the soil, and should be watered at the base of the flower inside the cup formed by the latest leaves, at the very center of the plant. They usually bloom at their full mature size, which can take years. If they don’t bloom, place them in a plastic bag with ripe apple for a few days. The ethylene gas given off by the apple initiates the flower bud. Bromeliads purchased with blooms will die after blooming, discard the plant. That being said; professionally we have kept them around and they sprout several new "babies" off the sides, which becomes an interesting plant. Orchids are a very special class of plant, and each variety takes a different kind of care. A separate sheet of care instructions is available with each orchid type that we sell. There are also many excellent websites from orchid clubs with all kinds of information. See our page of orchids with basic care instructions.
The jade plant (crassula ovata), brings success and good fortune, great gift for new homes. Keep on the dry side, well drained sandy soil, high light (east/west windows in room). According to oriental tradition, like other plants with heart-shaped or round leaves, the succulent called jade plant generates prosperity and luck. It is also known as the wealth plant because its leaves resemble pieces of the valuable gemstone, jade. It makes a perfect housewarming gift. Other “lucky “plants include the lucky bamboo (really a Dracaena stem), and the money tree plant, whose dried seed pods resemble coins. In general, it is tradition that a new home or office space be immediately gifted with a houseplant of any kind to encourage rapid circulation of chi.
There is an endless list of air pollutants that green plants remove like air vacuum cleaners.
Helping short day plants bloom (poinsettia). Phototropism is the natural tendency of plants to grow towards a light source. Indoor plants will usually bend toward a window. Rotate plants periodically to avoid excessive growth on the side nearest the light. Several popular short-day house plants exist, but the best known are holiday cacti and poinsettia. In the average home, which is illuminated at night, these plants may never bloom. Even a streetlight or garden lamp shining down on them is enough to prevent flowering. You can help them to bloom in time for the holidays by taking a few easy steps. If your climate is frost free, simply put short day plants outdoors in the fall, in a spot where they wont receive any light other than daylight. Make sure they are protected from street lamps and even car headlights. Indoors, starting around October 1, put short day plants in a dark closet or cover them with a cardboard box in the evening, then expose them to bright light again in the morning. They need a full 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness.
A few guidelines about light: Intense: 0-2’ from a south window, 0-1’ from a west window Bright: 0-0. 5’ from a north, 0-4’ from an east, 2-6’ from a south, and 0. 5-4’ from a west window Medium: 0. 5-4’ from a north, 4-6’ from an east, 6-8’ from a south, and 4-6’ from a west window Low: 4-6’ from a north, 6-8’ from an east, 8-10’ from a south, and 6-8’ from a west window. A sheer curtain lessens the light intensity and heat in a south or west window, making the conditions appropriate for medium to bright light plant. Flowering plants usually need bright to intense light, but some fare well in medium light. A south window provides direct light farther into the room in winter than in the summer, but heat build up is greater in the summer. The intensity of direct light varies according to the season. When the sun is higher in the sky (in the summer in the northern hemisphere), the light is hotter and more intense, but reaches less distance into the room. In winter, the sun is lower in the sky, providing direct light father into the room but with less intensity. Low light plants usually do well in east, northeast, or north windows, where they get mostly indirect light. A west window is usually hotter than a south window because of the concentrated quality of the sunlight in the late afternoon. An east window strikes a nice compromise between heat and intensity. It receives full sun in the morning hours when the temperature is still cool. Most flowering plants thrive under such conditions. Decorator’s secret! Do you really want a high light plant in a low light location? Most plants do okay with only two weeks exposure, so: Buy two identical plants and keep one in a high light location and the other in the dimly lit location where you want it. Switch the plants every two weeks. East windows get high exposure (intensity) during the morning, and it wanes throughout the day. West windows get low exposure (intensity) during the morning and it waxes throughout the evening. South windows start dim, wax to high, then wane to dim. North windows are always dim exposure. (All notes are written for northern hemisphere) Plants that tolerate low light (dim reading level): Chinese evergreen, cast iron plant, ponytail palm, bamboo palm, dieffenbachia, Dracaena, English ivy, philodendron, lady palm, snake plant, peace lily. Many Florist plants bought in full bloom can be maintained in dim light for a while. Plants that need medium light (good light but little direct sun): Maidenhair fern, lipstick plant, Anthurium, Norfolk pine, birds nest fern, begonia, caladium, spider plant, columnea, sago palm, fig, nerve plant, wax plant, jewel orchid, prayer plant, swiss cheese plant, blushing bromeliad, oxalis, screwpine, slipper orchid, peperomia, moth orchid, Swedish ivy, Buddhist pine, aralia, table fern, chine doll, easter cactus, mistletoe cactus, African violet, schefflera, Christmas cactus, moss fern, babys tears, air plant. Plants that need bright light: Chenille plant, orchid pansy, vase plant, aloe, pineapple, bamboo, browalia, yesterday-today-tomorrow, ornamental pepper, areca palm, florist mum, citrus, croton, coffee plant, jade, siam tulip, umbrella plant, venus flytrap, orchid cactus, evergreen euonymous, poinsettia, Persian violet, Japanese aralia, fuschia, gardenia, velevet plant, amaryllis, florist hydrangea, polka dot plant, impatiens, bloodleaf, shrimp plant, mandevilla, banana, oleander, apostle plant, false holly, tropical pitcher plant, pregnant onion, lollipop plant, avocado, staghorn fern, elephant bush, primrose, azalea, cineria, gloxina, Jerusalem cherry, coleus, cape primrose, spiderwort, yucca, calla lily. Plants that need intense light (four or more hours): Agave, paris daisy, silver torch, euphorbia, heliotrope, jasmine, Kalanchoe, lantana, birdcathcer tree, cape leadwort, dwarf pomengranate, miniature rose, air plant, adenium, aeonium, dyckia.
Watering tips: Plants benefit from a bath once or twice a year. Spray them gently with tepid water until soaked. Gently shake to remove excess moisture and allow to drip dry. Submerge a plant that has become too dry for watering efficiently. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain. If you have any other options, don’t use tap water, it is high in chlorine and low in plant nutrients such as dissolved metals and minerals. Use collected rainwater, bottled spring water, or aquarium water, or collected stream water. If you use tap water, be sure to fertilize monthly using an inexpensive dissolvable fertilizer according to package directions. Let a crowded plant wick up moisture through the holes in t he bottom of the pot by placing pot inside a dish and watering the dish. When you are away, get a capillary mat. Or a cheaper solution might be to tie up a clear plastic bag around your plant, remove from direct sunlight, and thoroughly water before sealing the bag. The air will circulate, and the plant will live on all available water. Remove any dead or dying leaves or branches, and all blooms before using this method. Also, you make a wick system with a nylon stocking. Get one end of the stocking into the roots through a drainage hole in the pot, the other end of the stocking goes into a bowl of water, placed higher than the plant root ball. The water travels along the nylon and keeps the soil moist. More than one plant can be connected to the bowl.
Plants harmful to people and pets (toxic if ingested or sap gets on skin): African milkbush, amaryllis, Anthurium, caladium, chenille plant, Chinese evergreen, clivia, crinum lily, croton, crown of thorns, dumb cane, English ivy, euphorbia (except poinsettia, it is not poisonous- as was commonly held), fern palm, ficus, heliotrope, Jerusalem cherry, lantana, mandevilla, natal plum, oleander, ornamental pepper, peace lily, philodendron, pothos, pregnant onion, sago palm, swiss cheese plant.
Plants to match microclimates:
Seasonal chores:
Resources: An excellent book is: Complete guide to houseplants, Meredith 2004. ISBN 0897215028. A very informative website is: www.aboutflowers.com
The jade plant (crassula ovata), brings success and good fortune, great gift for new homes. Keep on the dry side, well drained sandy soil, high light (east/west windows in room). According to oriental tradition, like other plants with heart-shaped or round leaves, the succulent called jade plant generates prosperity and luck. It is also known as the wealth plant because its leaves resemble pieces of the valuable gemstone, jade. It makes a perfect housewarming gift. Other “lucky “plants include the lucky bamboo (really a Dracaena stem), and the money tree plant, whose dried seed pods resemble coins. In general, it is tradition that a new home or office space be immediately gifted with a houseplant of any kind to encourage rapid circulation of chi.
There is an endless list of air pollutants that green plants remove like air vacuum cleaners.
- Formaldehyde: carpeting, pressed wood, fiberboard, foam insulation, paper products
- hydrocarbons: vinyl furniture, detergents, fabric softeners,
- nitrogen dioxide, malfunctioning furnaces, water heaters, leaking chimneys,
- benzene: glue, spot remover, paint, varnish, paint stripper,
- methylene chloride, paint stripper, aerosols
- trichloroethylene: Ink, paint, lacquer, varnish, adhesive
- Boston fern
- Florist’s mum
- Pygmy date palm
- ‘Janet Craig’ Dracaena
- ‘Kimberly queen’ fern
- Bamboo palm
- Rubber plant
- English ivy
- Weeping fig
- Peace lily
- areca palm
- Corn plant
Helping short day plants bloom (poinsettia). Phototropism is the natural tendency of plants to grow towards a light source. Indoor plants will usually bend toward a window. Rotate plants periodically to avoid excessive growth on the side nearest the light. Several popular short-day house plants exist, but the best known are holiday cacti and poinsettia. In the average home, which is illuminated at night, these plants may never bloom. Even a streetlight or garden lamp shining down on them is enough to prevent flowering. You can help them to bloom in time for the holidays by taking a few easy steps. If your climate is frost free, simply put short day plants outdoors in the fall, in a spot where they wont receive any light other than daylight. Make sure they are protected from street lamps and even car headlights. Indoors, starting around October 1, put short day plants in a dark closet or cover them with a cardboard box in the evening, then expose them to bright light again in the morning. They need a full 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness.
A few guidelines about light: Intense: 0-2’ from a south window, 0-1’ from a west window Bright: 0-0. 5’ from a north, 0-4’ from an east, 2-6’ from a south, and 0. 5-4’ from a west window Medium: 0. 5-4’ from a north, 4-6’ from an east, 6-8’ from a south, and 4-6’ from a west window Low: 4-6’ from a north, 6-8’ from an east, 8-10’ from a south, and 6-8’ from a west window. A sheer curtain lessens the light intensity and heat in a south or west window, making the conditions appropriate for medium to bright light plant. Flowering plants usually need bright to intense light, but some fare well in medium light. A south window provides direct light farther into the room in winter than in the summer, but heat build up is greater in the summer. The intensity of direct light varies according to the season. When the sun is higher in the sky (in the summer in the northern hemisphere), the light is hotter and more intense, but reaches less distance into the room. In winter, the sun is lower in the sky, providing direct light father into the room but with less intensity. Low light plants usually do well in east, northeast, or north windows, where they get mostly indirect light. A west window is usually hotter than a south window because of the concentrated quality of the sunlight in the late afternoon. An east window strikes a nice compromise between heat and intensity. It receives full sun in the morning hours when the temperature is still cool. Most flowering plants thrive under such conditions. Decorator’s secret! Do you really want a high light plant in a low light location? Most plants do okay with only two weeks exposure, so: Buy two identical plants and keep one in a high light location and the other in the dimly lit location where you want it. Switch the plants every two weeks. East windows get high exposure (intensity) during the morning, and it wanes throughout the day. West windows get low exposure (intensity) during the morning and it waxes throughout the evening. South windows start dim, wax to high, then wane to dim. North windows are always dim exposure. (All notes are written for northern hemisphere) Plants that tolerate low light (dim reading level): Chinese evergreen, cast iron plant, ponytail palm, bamboo palm, dieffenbachia, Dracaena, English ivy, philodendron, lady palm, snake plant, peace lily. Many Florist plants bought in full bloom can be maintained in dim light for a while. Plants that need medium light (good light but little direct sun): Maidenhair fern, lipstick plant, Anthurium, Norfolk pine, birds nest fern, begonia, caladium, spider plant, columnea, sago palm, fig, nerve plant, wax plant, jewel orchid, prayer plant, swiss cheese plant, blushing bromeliad, oxalis, screwpine, slipper orchid, peperomia, moth orchid, Swedish ivy, Buddhist pine, aralia, table fern, chine doll, easter cactus, mistletoe cactus, African violet, schefflera, Christmas cactus, moss fern, babys tears, air plant. Plants that need bright light: Chenille plant, orchid pansy, vase plant, aloe, pineapple, bamboo, browalia, yesterday-today-tomorrow, ornamental pepper, areca palm, florist mum, citrus, croton, coffee plant, jade, siam tulip, umbrella plant, venus flytrap, orchid cactus, evergreen euonymous, poinsettia, Persian violet, Japanese aralia, fuschia, gardenia, velevet plant, amaryllis, florist hydrangea, polka dot plant, impatiens, bloodleaf, shrimp plant, mandevilla, banana, oleander, apostle plant, false holly, tropical pitcher plant, pregnant onion, lollipop plant, avocado, staghorn fern, elephant bush, primrose, azalea, cineria, gloxina, Jerusalem cherry, coleus, cape primrose, spiderwort, yucca, calla lily. Plants that need intense light (four or more hours): Agave, paris daisy, silver torch, euphorbia, heliotrope, jasmine, Kalanchoe, lantana, birdcathcer tree, cape leadwort, dwarf pomengranate, miniature rose, air plant, adenium, aeonium, dyckia.
Watering tips: Plants benefit from a bath once or twice a year. Spray them gently with tepid water until soaked. Gently shake to remove excess moisture and allow to drip dry. Submerge a plant that has become too dry for watering efficiently. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain. If you have any other options, don’t use tap water, it is high in chlorine and low in plant nutrients such as dissolved metals and minerals. Use collected rainwater, bottled spring water, or aquarium water, or collected stream water. If you use tap water, be sure to fertilize monthly using an inexpensive dissolvable fertilizer according to package directions. Let a crowded plant wick up moisture through the holes in t he bottom of the pot by placing pot inside a dish and watering the dish. When you are away, get a capillary mat. Or a cheaper solution might be to tie up a clear plastic bag around your plant, remove from direct sunlight, and thoroughly water before sealing the bag. The air will circulate, and the plant will live on all available water. Remove any dead or dying leaves or branches, and all blooms before using this method. Also, you make a wick system with a nylon stocking. Get one end of the stocking into the roots through a drainage hole in the pot, the other end of the stocking goes into a bowl of water, placed higher than the plant root ball. The water travels along the nylon and keeps the soil moist. More than one plant can be connected to the bowl.
Plants harmful to people and pets (toxic if ingested or sap gets on skin): African milkbush, amaryllis, Anthurium, caladium, chenille plant, Chinese evergreen, clivia, crinum lily, croton, crown of thorns, dumb cane, English ivy, euphorbia (except poinsettia, it is not poisonous- as was commonly held), fern palm, ficus, heliotrope, Jerusalem cherry, lantana, mandevilla, natal plum, oleander, ornamental pepper, peace lily, philodendron, pothos, pregnant onion, sago palm, swiss cheese plant.
Plants to match microclimates:
- Steamy bathroom (with good light): flamingo flower, cape primrose, coleus, croton, ferns, hibiscus
- Cool foyer: cactus, citrus, Japanese fatsia, spider plant, umbrella plant
- Dark corner in cool living room: cast-iron plant, Chinese evergreen, dracaena (some), snake plant, philodendron, pothos
- Cool sunroom (in winter): asparagus fern, cactus, Christmas cactus, clivia, English ivy, artillery plant, Swedish ivy
- Warm sunroom (in summer): bromeliads, cactus, crown of thorns, grape ivy, wax plant, jade plant, panda plant, nerve plant, ponytail palm, ficus.
Seasonal chores:
- January: Give plants a shower, adjust for short days
- February: Check for new insect outbreaks
- March: Prune for spring growth. Check carefully for pest outbreaks and control as needed. Fertilize.
- April: Repot if necessary. Fertilize.
- May: Fertilize. Plant items to be harvested for drying later.
- June: Fertilize, move plants outdoors if desired.
- July: Fertilize.
- August: Inspect plants for insects. Prune where needed. Fertilize lightly. Harvest all drieds.
- September: Bring in plants; take cuttings of annuals for growing on window sill. Fertilize lightly. Dry out bulbs to be forced later.
- October: Check carefully for pests and control as needed. Treat poinsettias for blooming.
- November: Check humidity levels after you turn on the furnace.
- December: Relocate plants as necessary to compensate for shorter days.
Resources: An excellent book is: Complete guide to houseplants, Meredith 2004. ISBN 0897215028. A very informative website is: www.aboutflowers.com