thegirlwithashovel, Author at The Girl with a Shovel

Gifts for a Plant Lover: 10 Unique Gift Ideas!

August 9, 2024October 4, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

Unsure of what to buy for that special plant lover in your life? Check out one of these 10 unique gift ideas! The perfect gift for any plant person!

Sometimes shopping for plant lovers can be difficult. Especially if you aren’t a plant-lover yourself, it can all be somewhat confusing. So I put together this list of 10 items that would all make a GREAT gift for a plant lover. Show them that you really care!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Face Plant/Glasses Holder

This is one of my FAVORITE pot ideas ever! Not only fun, but this pot is also very practical for those who wear glasses (I get it… I wore glasses my entire childhood…) Plus, pot it up with one of the best air-purifying plants, and your plant-lover friend will not only have a place for their special set of glasses or sunglasses, but they will also sleep better! It’s a win, win, win!!!

AeroGarden Countertop Hydroponic Herb System

For all those techie plant-lovers (we know you’re out there!) here’s the AMAZING hydroponic herb grower! This kit includes a set of starter herb seeds (6 pods) as well as the built-in LED plant lights that automatically turn on and off. This system will also remind you when you need to add more water, and when you need to add more plant food! Seriously, this high-tech herb planter makes it IMPOSSIBLE to fail!

Gifts for a Plant Lover: #2 - Smart Hydroponic Herb System

Pink Mini Garden Tool Set

Wondering why someone would need a miniature tool set? Honestly, this mini toolkit can be SUPER helpful. The main uses are in planting, cleaning, watering, and pruning small plants such as succulents, cacti, fairy garden plants, or small bonsai. The pink is perfect for women, but this company also has blue tools as well. Just make sure that whatever kit you end up purchasing, that it includes the mini watering nozzle. Trust me! These watering nozzles are a MUST for small indoor plants!

Gifts for a Plant Lover: #3 - Mini Succulent and Cactus Tool Kit

1-of-a-kind Red Copper Plated Birch Leaf Necklace

This necklace is truly remarkable! It isn’t just made from a mold like other necklaces. The producers hand-pick a birch leaf, press and dry it, remove the chlorophyll, then plate it in red copper. You are buying an actual leaf! Preserved forever in it’s one-of-a-kind design! Be aware… no two necklaces are the same! Sorry about all the exclamation points… I just LOVE this necklace!!!

Gifts for a Plant Lover: #4 - Red Copper Birch Leaf

Vintage Plant Mister

This GORGEOUS plant mister is useful for anyone who owns a palm, fern, or other high-humidity plant. But this vintage mister is also a decor piece for anyone who uses their plants as a design aspect to their home! Leave it on any shelf to add to the decor and to show off to your friends! Such a dazzling gift for a plant lover!

Organic Cat Grass Growing Kit

Give your plant lover something to give to their plant loving furry friend! I know cats can cause quite a bit of damage when they snack on your plants… so try giving them something they CAN munch on! Cat grass provides your pet with essential vitamins and minerals that most indoor cats don’t have access to. So get them away from your other plants by treating them with their own scrumptious greens!

Gifts for a Plant Lover: #6 - Cat Grass Grow Kit

Succ without You Pot and Plant

This cute little gift not only comes with the endearing pot, but it also comes with a live echeveria succulent! Spoil that special someone by letting them know you care… and having them be reminded of that every time they water their plant! Oh… so much love!!!

Gifts for a Plant Lover: #7 - Succ Without You Pot

Bonsai Tree Seed Starter Kit

This kit is perfect for any plant-lover who wants to grow a few bonsai trees! This kit includes everything you need to grow 4 different bonsai tree species, as well as instructions that will help you along the way! Definitely a great gift for the more experimental or adventurous plant lover!

Gifts for a Plant Lover: #8 - Bonsai Starter Grow Kit

It’s Not Hoarding if it’s Plants Mug

This is a great gift to give during those cold, winter months! Make your friend/relative/significant other smile with this cute plant mug! For all of us plant-lovers who can admit that they probably have a lot of plants… but still need more!

Gifts for a Plant Lover: #9 - Plant Hoarder Mug

Galison 1000pc Houseplant Jungle Jigsaw Puzzle

This plant puzzle is a collage of over 50 different plants! Bring out your true plant nerd as you challenge your brain with this amazing adult puzzle! Final dimensions are 20″ x 27″. The perfect gift for a plant lover who also enjoys puzzling!

Gifts for a Plant Lover: #10 - Plant Foliage Puzzle

I hope you’ve found inspiration for what to buy for your plant-lover! Believe me… anything from this list will get them smiling and excited! Because there’s nothing more loving than recognizing and supporting each others’ hobbies. So pick out one of these gifts, and let me know how it goes! AND… since I’m really rooting for you… if you haven’t been inspired by any of these gifts, you can find some more gift ideas here!

Happy Digging!

Indoor Oregano Plant Care

August 9, 2024October 2, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

Oregano is an easy-to-grow plant with a myriad of medicinal and culinary uses. It’s no wonder that this Mediterranean plant has made is way around the globe. Anyone with an indoor herb garden needs to grow this fantastic herb! But only a healthy growing plant can give you your desired harvest, so today I’m going to give you all the plant care tips you need to grow oregano indoors!

Don’t have an oregano plant yet?! You can buy one here!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Indoor Oregano Plant Care: Light Requirements

Oregano, like most herbs, likes to grow in partial to full sunlight outdoors. This means that indoors it needs to either be placed in a south-facing window or it should have plant lights to boost its indoor lighting. If it isn’t getting enough light, it will begin to stretch out and become “leggy”. Watch for this sign to increase light.

Indoor Oregano Plant Care: Water Requirements

Oregano is naturally drought tolerant which means that it would rather go dry than stay wet. Make sure that you only water your plant when the top inch of soil is dry. This keeps your plant safe from over-watering!

Indoor Oregano Plant Care: Additional Tips

Some things to keep in mind while growing oregano is first it’s dislike of staying wet. Make sure that you plant it in a pot that has good drainage, as well as use soil that is light and airy (such as cactus and succulent potting mix, or regular potting soil mixed with sand or perlite). Also, when your plant is several years old, it is a good idea to root some cuttings in water to make a new plant. This will keep your flavors strong with every leaf!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these plant care tips! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below! I love hearing from you! And let me know if you’d like any tips on how to harvest and store your oregano… good luck with it!

Happy Digging

Indoor Thyme Plant Care

August 9, 2024September 30, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

Thyme is a wonderful plant to add to your herb garden! It is generally easy to grow, but these plant care tips will help your indoor thyme stay healthy and happy, giving you years of harvesting this tasty herb!

Don’t have a thyme plant yet? You can buy one here!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Indoor Thyme Plant Care: Light Requirements

Thyme likes to have full to partial sun outdoors, which means that indoors we need to put it in a south-facing window or give it additional light with plant lights. If your plant is declining during the winter months, this could be your plant going into dormancy because of a lack of sunlight or because of lower temperatures. If this happens, make sure to add plant lights to give your plant longer day-lengths, and keep it away from cold winter drafts. This will help the plant feel more like it’s summer!

Indoor Thyme Plant Care: Water Requirements

This plant is drought-resistant, meaning that it is used to going for short periods of time without any water. Because of this, the biggest cause of death for thyme is being over-watered. Make sure that you only water your plant when the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the soil has dried. And also make sure that your pot has good drainage. If your soil doesn’t drain well enough, the roots can rot due to to much moisture and not enough air around their roots. So make sure to never over-water this plant!

Indoor Thyme Plant Care: Additional Tips

As with most herbs, make sure to remove any flower stalks before the plant flowers. This will allow the plant to put more energy into leaf production instead of into seed production. Them, as thyme gets older, the lower stem will begin to get thick and woody. If too much of your plant is getting woody, you can either propagate a new, young stem (by rooting it in straight water), or you can prune back the woody stems hard to encourage lots of new, young, and non-woody growth.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these plant care tips! Please leave any questions or comments below… I personally read every one of them, and I love hearing from you! And for more indoor gardening, check out this list of 5 Effortless Indoor Herb Garden Kits!

Happy Digging!

Indoor Rosemary Plant Care

August 9, 2024September 25, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

Herbs are definitely the beginner’s step into indoor gardening. However, if our herbs die a sad, pitiful death, we can end up never wanting to grow edible plants again… fortunately for you, rosemary is one of the easier herbs to grow indoors. Simply follow these rosemary plant care instructions, and you’ll feel empowered to take on the entire herbal collection!

Don’t have a rosemary plant yet? You can purchase one here!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Indoor Rosemary Plant Care: Light Requirements

Rosemary, just like most other herbs, likes plenty of direct sunlight. This means it would do well in your super-sunny south-facing window! Or, if you don’t have a lot of sun (or, like me, you already have your south-facing window full of succulents lol!) then you can give your plant supplemental light with plant lights. Here is my personal favorite! Just remember, rosemary likes to get around 5-7 hours of direct sunlight, so keep it around 8 hours with your plant light (since no light will ever be as bright as the sun…)

Indoor Rosemary Plant Care: Water Requirements

Rosemary likes to stay a little on the dry side. Make sure that you only water it when the top of the soil is dry. This plant is especially susceptible to root rot or to powdery mildew, both of which show up when you keep it too wet. Then, when watering, water the soil thoroughly in the summer months, but more sparingly in the winter. Your soil should be watered just enough to dry out every three days or so. This might mean that in the winter months you only add a fraction of the water that you would during the summer.

Indoor Rosemary Plant Care: Additional Tips

If your plant does get powdery mildew, it is important to IMMEDIATELY separate it from your other plants. One summer I didn’t separate mine fast enough and the majority of my indoor edibles got it too… I know… super sad… But from that, I found this awesome powdery mildew fungicide that works great for edibles. Just make sure that you don’t eat anything from the plant for 30 days, then wash everything before eating.

That’s all for my care tips! Leave any questions or comments below! And for some easy herb gardening, check out my list of 5 Effortless Indoor Herb Garden Kits!

Happy Digging!

How to Get Rid of Powdery Mildew

August 9, 2024September 19, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

This summer my house was hit BAD with powdery mildew!!! And it wasn’t even really my fault! I didn’t buy any plants with it… it simply spread from the neighbor’s yard! But wherever it comes from, powdery mildew can damage a wide range of plants, spotting the leaves, then eventually causing the infected leaves to die back and drop. This can eventually kill your entire plant. So basically, it’s no fun at all! That’s why I did some experimenting, and found out how to get rid of it fast!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

What to Do…

Here’s the secret… as soon as you see it, spray your plants with fungicide!!! This is the fungicide that I purchased because it is safe to use on edible plants. Just make sure that you don’t harvest anything for 30 days, and then you either wash off the plant, or you wash off the produce before you eat anything that has been sprayed.

So the best tips I can give you from my experience are…

First…

First, make sure that you spray your plant at the earliest sign of powdery mildew! If you can help it, don’t wait until the black spots have formed (this is a sign that the fungus has already reached a mature stage of growth)!

If you spray the leaves where the powdery mildew has already formed the black spots, then plan on losing those leaves. The fungicide will kill the fungus, but the leaf won’t be healthy enough to recover, and will most likely die either way.

Second…

The second piece of advice I can give you is to dilute the solution according to the instructions! The first time I sprayed, I was so anxious to get rid of the powdery mildew, that I added a bit more fungicide than I should have… (I mean they only have you add about a teaspoon per gallon! Surely that won’t be strong enough?!?!)

Anyways, long story short, I about tripled my teaspoon and ended up killing some of my seedlings because the dosage was too strong.

So basically, follow the dosage, and if you still have some powdery mildew a few weeks later, then spray a second time. Don’t go all fungicide-happy and try to up the dosage to kill it all at once… or you might end up killing some of your plants as well!

Third…

The third and last note that I have for y’all is that I sprayed this fungicide on my indoor plants. Yeah, they got the powdery mildew from outside, but I brought them indoors for the upcoming winter, so I had to spray them indoors.

With two toddlers and two pets, I was worried about safety, but this fungicide was safe as long as it dried before anyone decided to taste the leaves (I’m thinking mainly of my plant-chewing cat!) But by spraying at night, I knew that it would have dried completely by the next morning, and sure enough that’s what happened. Safe for everyone!

So if you’re still on the fence, I would highly recommend you take the leap and purchase this fungicide! Like I said, it worked great, was safe for the kids and pets, and worked for my edibles! And at only a measly teaspoon per use, it’s going to last me for years! (Which is also great, because the powdery mildew will sadly keep spreading year after year from my neighbor’s yard until they decide to do something about it, which is out of my control… )

So stop the battle, save yourself the worry, and get this fungicide before your powdery mildew has formed its black spots! Good luck, and feel free to leave any additional questions or comments below! And for some indoor plant inspiration, check out this list of easy, low-maintenance houseplants!

Happy Digging!

Indoor Mint Plant Care

August 9, 2024August 21, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

Mint leaves are perfect for topping your favorite dessert, mixing into your summer drink, or even adding into your everyday meals! But for those of us with limited garden space, as well as those living in cold climates, growing mint can pose a problem. Not anymore! Learn how to care for your mint plant indoors to enjoy fresh mint leaves all year long!

This post is geared towards indoor mint plant care. To know how to grow your mint plant outdoors, check out my post Outdoor Mint Plant Care!

Don’t have a mint plant yet?!?! Get one here!!!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Indoor Mint Plant Care: Light Requirements

Mint plants growing indoors need at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily. It is best if placed on a south-facing window, however, if you don’t have a lot of natural indoor sunlight, then you can still grow your mint plant with the help of a plant light! Here is one of my personal favorites, a cheap, full-spectrum, and hidden plant light!

Indoor Mint Plant Care: Water Requirements

This plant can be grown in either soil, or in straight water. When grown in soil, only water your plant once the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the soil has become dry. If your plant is falling over, but is staying green or yellow, then your plant is being over-watered. However, if your plant is green or brown and wilting, this is a sign of too little water. Make sure to feel the soil to know if your plant is too wet or too dry.

Indoor Mint Plant Care: Additional Requirements

Indoor mint plants will never be as vigorous as outdoor mint plants. This could be good, however, as mint plants can become very invasive. To propagate this plant, you can root cuttings in straight water, then plant them into damp soil. Also, make sure to remove your plant’s flowers before they set seed, or else your plant will grow the seeds, then quickly decline. So make sure to prune off the flower well before this happens.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and that you will soon have plenty of fresh mint leaves for years to come! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below!

Happy Digging!

How to Water your Air Plants the RIGHT Way!

August 9, 2024July 27, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

Hey everyone! I know that we all LOVE air plants, but how the heck do you water something without any roots or any soil?!?! Well today I’m going to tell you exactly how to water your air plants so they stay happy and thriving!

Now there are two different methods. First is if your air plant is mounted/hot glued/fixed in any way to it’s stand. The second method (which is the preferred method) is for if your air plant is separate and can be removed from its mount, or if the mount is waterproof. So keep reading and use whichever method applies to you! But first, before you learn HOW to water your air plants, you need to make sure you’re using the correct TYPE of water…

If you want overall care tips for your air plant, check out my post here on air plant care!

Want to boost your air plant collection?! You can get some awesome air plants here!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep providing you with such awesome information!**

What Kind of Water to Use for Air Plants

Unlike most other houseplants, air plants DON’T like distilled water! If it’s a choice between distilled or tap water, go with tap water every time! The main harm with tap water is its chlorine. But for this, you can simply leave your water out for about 30 minutes to allow the chlorine to dissipate. This should be your easiest choice of water.

To go to the next level with your watering, choose a natural source, such as rain water, pond water, or lake water. While the rain water is what your plant is used to in its natural habitat, spring water, pond water, or lake water can also be extremely good for your air plants because it is usually rich in nutrients. Another alternative to these is if you have an aquarium. Aquarium water can also be highly beneficial to air plants as your air plant can get added nutrients from this water as well.

The only recommendation that I have, however, is if you use one of these water sources that already contains nutrients, then hold off on the fertilizer. If you use both, then it could potentially be too much for your little guy!

Now… on to the exact methods!

How to Water Air Plants Method 1: Fixed to a Mount

If your air plant is fixed to a mount or a stand, then the best way to water your plant will be through misting. This can be tricky though as most people who mist their air plants end up with rotted, dead plants. (Trust me! I know from personal experience!!!)

To correctly mist your air plant, the important thing is to think of it more like a shower than a misting. Spray it with a spray bottle or a misting bottle until the leaves are dripping with water. (I would recommend placing it in a sink or on a towel while you do this).

The next two tips are vital to avoid rotting your plant! These two tips are: turn your plant upside down, and give it good air circulation.

After you mist your plant you should place it upside down for 10-15 minutes to allow any excess water drain out of the plant. This is vital! Air plants aren’t like bromeliads that can keep water cupped in their leaves. If you do this to your air plant, it will most likely die on you. Instead, give it a good shake and place it in a position where all of the excess water can drain out.

This was my first big lesson with air plants. My first tillandsia was glued into a hanging glass globe. Little did I know that while I was spraying it down, all of the excess water was collecting in the bottom of those glued-in rocks, which was cradling the very center of my air plant… And let’s just say, it didn’t appreciate the long-term bath! So please remember to drain any excess water off of your air plant!!!

Next, make sure that your plant has good air circulation while it is drying. Normal indoor air circulation is fine, but if your plants are in glass terrariums, or in some of those glass globes (like my first air plant), then you’ll need to help it out a bit with a light fan. This will help to avoid any rotting from excess moisture.

Once it has finished soaking up all of the water and has completely dried, then you will be good to go! Simply follow this spray, shake, and circulate a couple times each week dependent on the temperature and the amount of indirect sunlight. Then watch your beautiful plant thrive!

How to Water Air Plants Method 2: Removable Air Plant

The soaking method, or the water bath method, is the preferred method of watering and I recommend purchasing your air plants separately from their container for this reason. It will be a lot easier for you and your plant in the long run. However, note that the xeric air plants, (most air plants with fuzzy leaves, such as the tillandsia tectorum, or the tillandsia xerographica) don’t like as much water and will do best with the misting method mentioned above.

So what you do for this situation is… once every 7-10 days, fill up a large bowl (or your sink or tub depending on how many air plants you own) with lukewarm water and place your air plants inside. Leave them to soak for several hours. Your goal here is to give your plants a good soak. Let them absorb as much water as they possibly can. I’ve heard of some people leaving their air plants to soak for up to twelve hours!

After they are done soaking, then you NEED to place them upside down on a towel or dish cloth to drain. Let them drain for about 4 hours, or until they are completely dry. If you live in a humid climate, you can also speed up the drying process by placing a fan nearby to increase air circulation.

After the plant is completely dry, then it is ready to place back on its stand and wait anther 7-10 days to water it again. If the tips begin to turn brown, lightly mist your plant a few times during the week, or increase your watering frequency.

How Often Do I Water my Air Plant?

To know how often to water your air plant, you will need to consider several different factors. First, it will help if you know the genus tillandsia that you have. This will help you know if it comes from a humid environment, like south america, or if it comes from a more arid climate, like found in central america. Then, factoring in how much indirect light it is receiving, you can start off with an estimate of whether it would like more frequent or less frequent waterings. A good rule of thumb is to give your air plant small amounts of water. Then, if the tips of the leaves begin to brown, you will know to slightly increase your watering.

I hope this helps! Let’s keep our air plants happy and well-watered (but not rotting!!!) And if you have any questions or comments, feel free to join the Facebook group, Houseplants for Plant Killers or follow me on Youtube! I love hearing from you!

Happy Digging!

Frequently Asked Questions:

How Often do Air Plants Need to be Watered?

The frequency of water will change with both the time of year, the indoor humidity levels, and how much light your plant is getting. As a general rule of thumb, however, you should expect to give your air plant a good soak every 7 to 10 days.

Can you Soak Air Plants in Tap Water?

Yes. You can use tap water to soak your air plants. The best practice, though is to fill your bucket of water, then leave it out for at least 15-30 minutes to let the chlorine evaporate out. This will be much healthier for your plant without you sacrificing too much of your time.

Do Air Plants Need Sun?

Yes. They need sunlight. But not all tillandsia species do well with DIRECT sunlight. Instead, they do much better with lots of indirect, bright light. In general, if your plant has a lighter, pale color, then it will do better with more sun. If your plant is more vibrant in color, then it will most likely be fine in lower light or fluorescent light conditions.

How do you Water an Air Plant without Soaking It?

To water an air plant without soaking it, you can use the spray/misting method mentioned above. This will require more frequent watering, but is necessary for plants that are secured to a non-waterproof base. If the spraying is still getting too much water on the plant stand, however, it would be better off to gently remove the air plant and soak once per week as recommended.

Outdoor Mint Plant Care

August 9, 2024July 24, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

Hey guys! And welcome to another awesome post! Today I wanted to talk about proper plant care for growing mint outdoors. If properly taken care of, your mint plant will give you an endless supply of leaves all season long! Just follow these instructions to keep your plant not only healthy, but also keep it from overtaking all of your other plants!

**This post is geared towards growing mint outdoors. For information on indoor mint plant care, check out my post here!**

Don’t have a mint plant yet?! Get one here!!!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Outdoor Mint Plant Care: Light Requirements

Mint plants can tolerate a wide range of sun conditions from full sun to part shade. Be aware, though, that if your plant is coming from a garden center or from a sales location that is indoors, it will need to be slowly acclimated to a full-sun position. Also keep in mind that any decorative mint plants (with variegated leaves) will need to receive more protection from the sun and will instead do best in a partly shaded area.

Outdoor Mint Plant Care: Water Requirements

Watering will vary with how much sun your plant is getting and how well-draining your soil is. If your plant is in full sun, it will need more water. Also, if your plant is in well- draining soil (such as in sandy soil) then it will also need more water. A good thing to do is to go out several times during the season and feel how moist or how dry your soil is. Then adjust accordingly. Mint normally likes to be kept moist, but not drowning in water.

Outdoor Mint Plant Care: Additional Requirements

Mint can be an invasive plant. You need to take precautions to keep this plant from spreading itself all across your yard. These two maintenance steps are easy to do and essential if you want to keep this plant under control. First, you need to keep the root system separated from your ground soil. The best way to do this is to grow it in a pot (either without drainage holes, or with the drainage holes placed away from any soil). You can also grow mint in a raised garden bed, but make sure to remove all of the roots after every season or to simply designate a mint area and make sure to cut or weed it to its designated area several times each summer. The second step is to remove all flowers before they set seed. Doing this will greatly reduce the spreading of your mint plant, and you will be able to enjoy your plant rather than constantly be in battle with it!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this information! Please use the share buttons to share it with your friends or to save it to your social media account! Also, feel free to leave any comments or questions below! I personally read every single one of them!

Happy Digging!

Indoor Lavender Plant Care

August 9, 2024July 20, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

Not all of us have outdoor space, and even if we do, bringing a lavender plant indoors can add color and fragrance to a space all summer long! But how exactly do we get our lavender plant to grow (and flower!!!) indoors?! It can sometimes be tricky with this plant, so be sure to follow this advice carefully!

Growing your lavender outdoors? Check out my post on Outdoor Lavender Plant Care!

Don’t have a gorgeous lavender plant yet? Get one here!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Indoor Lavender Plant Care: Light Requirements

One of the biggest challenges with growing lavender indoors is providing it with enough sunlight that it can produce a good amount of flowers (instead of just a bunch of stretched out leaves). If you live in a region with mild winters, you might be able to get away with placing your lavender plant on a south- facing window ledge. However, for those of you in colder climates (that have shorter day lengths in the winter), you will need to purchase a plant light to shine over your lavender. This is because lavender plants need about 8 hours of sunlight a day to grow without stretching. You can find my favorite natural-looking and cheap plant light here!

Indoor Lavender Plant Care: Water Requirements

Lavender plants are used to being in hot, dry conditions… which means that the worst thing for them is to have their roots soaking in water. Keeping this in mind, only water your lavender plant when the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the soil is dry. Also make sure that your soil and pot has good drainage so that it dries out a couple of times each week. This is especially important in the winter as most people water their plants the same way throughout the year and end up drowning their plant in the winter when the plant uses only a fraction of their normal water.

Indoor Lavender Plant Care: Additional Tips

Another thing that helps lavender plants to grow is a slightly alkaline soil. To achieve this, you can dry and crush up eggshells. Then sprinkle these on the top of the soil. Next, remember to prune your plant in the fall or the spring in order to keep your plant from getting woody. I’ve included a video below to demonstrate exactly how to do this. Then as a final tip, be sure to harvest the flower stalks before the last flower has opened in order to get the scent and the oil at its most potent moment!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these care tips! And enjoy growing your own lavender indoors! Feel free to leave any comments and questions below. I love hearing from all of you! And once again, if you’re planning on growing your lavender outdoors (even if it’s only during the summer), be sure to check out my Outdoor Lavender Plant Care post!

Happy Digging!

Low Light Plants for the Bathroom

August 9, 2024June 13, 2019 by thegirlwithashovel

Today I’m going to give you a list of 9 low light plants for the bathroom! Because, let’s face it, most of us don’t have large, beautiful windows that overlook the ocean from our luxurious bathtubs. Even though are bathrooms are dark, we can still make them feel luxurious with our plant choice! Now the only question is which plants will be able to survive my dark, humid bathroom? Well, here they are…

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Low Light Plants for the Bathroom #1: English Ivy – Hedera helix

This beautiful vine does great in low light situations. When you choose your English ivy, make sure to choose one with solid green leaves rather than white or yellow variegation. The green varieties do a lot better with low light conditions.

Buy one here!

Low Light Plants for the Bathroom #2: Nerve Plant – Fittonia spp.

This colorful plant not only looks stunning, but it also prefers indirect light over direct sunlight. But be aware that the lower the light levels, the less bright this plant’s colors will be.

Buy one here!

Low Light Plants for the Bathroom #3: Prayer Plant – Maranta leuconeura

The Prayer Plant does surprisingly well in low light conditions and it absolutely loves extra humidity. Just be sure to place it in well-draining soil as this plant doesn’t like to stay wet.

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Low Light Plants for the Bathroom #4: Rabbit’s Foot Fern – Davallia denticulata

Rabbit’s foot fern is known for its thick, furry roots that make quite a bold statement! And, as all ferns, this plant does well with moist bathroom conditions.

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Low Light Plants for the Bathroom #5: Slipper Orchid – Paphiopedilum

The slipper orchid is the type of orchid that does the best in lower light conditions. Imagine having one of these beautiful orchids in your bathroom!

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Low Light Plants for the Bathroom #6: Bird’s Nest Fern – Asplenium nidus

This fern is a personal favorite! I love how the thick, wavy leaves are sure to make a bold, tropical statement wherever they are placed! And, for a fern, this little guy isn’t nearly as messy as some other ferns can be.

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Low Light Plants for the Bathroom #7: Bamboo Palm – Chamaedorea seifrizii

Bamboo Palm does better in low light than any of the other indoor palm trees. It also loves the added humidity found in most bathrooms. This extra humidity will also help keep the leaf tips from turning brown!

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Low Light Plants for the Bathroom #8: Guzmania Bromeliad – Guzmania spp.

Bromeliads are nice plants to own in that they are slow growing, so they require little maintenance other than watering. They will also look great for years before they have an approximate 6 month long flower, and then they will produce new offsets while the parent plant will decline. This makes them incredibly easy-going plants!

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Low Light Plants for the Bathroom #9: Fancy-leafed Begonia – Begonia spp.

Fancy-leafed begonia needs less light than flowering begonias. And it’s a good thing, too, because with their colorful foliage, these plants can really brighten up any dark space!

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That’s it for my list! Remember, you can get away with placing any plant in poor lighting if you get two identical plants. Simply place one plant in good lighting and the other in the poor lighting, then switch them once a week! This will give each one enough light to stay healthy and still look good. And feel free to leave any questions and comments below! I absolutely love hearing from you!

Happy Digging!