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Growing English Ivy
By Brenda Hyde
English ivy is a charming houseplant. There are close
to a hundred varieties with fancy edged leaves and
various shades of green.
Englisy ivy (Hedera helix) needs to be pinched to control growth, and
they need to have sufficient humidity as well. Keep
them away from heat registers or changes in temperature.
If it is dry in your house, you may need to keep your
ivy pot on a tray of pebbles to which you add water
daily. This will keep the air around it humid.
A small pot
English ivy will last up to two years on a table or countertop
with just overhead lights rather than sunlight. Ivy doesn't do
well in dry air, so mist daily and try to keep in a room where
the air circulates nicely and is a temperature of 60-70 degrees.
Water ivy regularly and do not let the soil dry out. In the winter
it likes a rinse under gently running water to clean and rinse the
leaves.
English ivy in a rustic clay pot that has
been decorated with a red velvet bow and a layer of Spanish
Moss or tiny pine cones on the surface of the soil is perfect
for holiday buffet decorations or as an entry way accent.
Add a little country charm to your home with ivy!
About The Author
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her husband and three kids. Stop by and visit her garden blog, Garden of Grace & Whimsy, and her photography blog, A Dance of Words & Photos.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing