Besides early blooming spring bulbs, Forsythia are one of the earliest indications that spring is approaching! With its golden, yellow flowers lining it's stems, you can't miss it! Sun Requirements: Forsythia do their best in full sun but will still tolerate partial sun. Water Requirement This plant likes average moisture but can be drought tolerance once established. It is best to water heavier and less frequently than less water and more often. For the first full season, you will need to keep up with watering. In the second and third year, you may need to provide supplemented water if there ..read more

There is nothing like seeing some green pop out of the green in February when Wisconsin is in it's 4th winter! In this blog in episode I am only diving into bulb types that are spring blooming that do best in COOL climates. I know there are other types out there but these are the most commonly found types. Bulb Types | Spring Blooming, Cooler Climates Crocus Hardiness zone around 3-8 (fall planting). Plant these in fall at around 2-3" deep and space each bulb by 3-4". Most Crocus are purple, blue, yellow, white or a mixture. Sizing is typically very short, no more that 6" tall. Bloom time is ..read more

Since it is my birthday, I thought it would be fun to talk about what's been going on with my own collection, what I am loving, what I am hating, and what I've suck with over the last couple years, etc! How's it going with my plants? It is survival of the fittest in my household right now. As many of you know, my personal like has been hectic and taken more of a priority lately (getting married, buying a house, my sister having her third baby, soaking in time with my husband, friends and family, etc) so I've lost lots of plants but I've also had some great success with many plants that only ne ..read more

Propagation is always an exciting adventure for any houseplant parent. Who doesn't love to multiply their plants?! What does propagation mean? Oxford Languages defines it as "the breeding of specimens of a plant or animal by natural processes from the parent stock." What medium can you propagate in? There are some way that are better than others but it is personal preference and sometimes dependent on the plant. The key to successful propagation is higher moisture with any of these options below Your usual potting mix I use FoxFarm Potting Mix (Happy Frog or Ocean Forest) and add Perlit ..read more

This plant is beautiful, fragrant lily that is forced to bloom for the Easter holiday and naturally blooms in the summertime. A white lily symbolizes purity and rebirth, which explains why they represent this particular holiday. Botanical Name: Lilium longiflorum History: Originally native to southern islands of Japan. The lily was introduced to England by a plant explorer Carl Peter Thunberg 1819 In the early 1800s the Easter Lily was brought to the United States by Louis Houghton Because of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese source of this bulb was cut off and they quickly became known as "White G ..read more

Medium or soil is a mixture (no pun intended) of your personal preference, environment, and what plant you are dealing with. There is not one true answer to any soil question and there are different ways to go about all of it. That being said, this post should explain what each medium is, what it is typically used for, and where you can find it. Let's dive in! What does "potting mix" or "potting soil" mean? There is only one big difference which is the presence of soil versus lack of soil. Most people will use these terms interchangeably and the same amendments like peat moss, vermiculite or b ..read more

This reptilian textured fern is known for its scaly patterned leaves. Even though this houseplant needs a bit more moisture and humidity, the unique texture and pattern is well worth the work! Botanical Name: Microsorum musifolium This bumpy leaf fern gets its name from the crocodile-like details on it leaves. Those leaves grow out from the center of the plant as well. As this plant matures, the pattern and texture become more prominent while the edge of the leaves become more rippled. Sun Requirements: Medium light is all that is needed for this fern. They could do okay in bright, indirect l ..read more

Light can be one of the trickiest things to understand because it seems like everyone has their own definition. It also is very dependent on your environment, and the type of plant you have. Usually when I talk about light I think of it as Bright Light, Bright Indirect Light, Medium Light, and Low Light. These measurements are usually determined by which window you are (or are not) placing it near. It can also change if there are any obstructions like curtains, trees or shrubs outside. Also, grow lights are an easy solution if you want a certain plant in an area of your home that doesn't natu ..read more

This adorable orange blooming houseplant has (you guessed it) blooms that look like goldfish! With its small waxy leaves, even the foliage is adorable! Photo Credit: University of Iowa Botanical Name: Nematanthus gregarius Common Names: Goldfish Plant, Guppie Flower, Candy Corn Plant Sun Requirements: In order to get this plant to bloom consistently, you will need to put it in (at least) medium light, but preferably bright, indirect light. If you need any guidance to understanding light, or are in need of a grow light to help increase your light, check out the links! Water Requirement Keeping ..read more

This fabulous and frosty fern attracts the attention of every plant lover! It is a more difficult plant to care for, but that's where I can help! I am here to give every plant parent (at any skill level) the tools and knowledge needed to grow a healthy Staghorn Fern! Botanical Name: Platycerium bifurcatum The Staghorn Fern has green/blue almost chalky feeling fronds ("leaves") with a unique shield-like structured frond protecting the base of the plant. The structured, rounded base fronds start as a light green color and eventually turn to a tan, crunchy like texture (totally normal). The gree ..read more