National Indoor Plant Week - 2017

It's that time of year again!! It's NATIONAL INDOOR PLANT WEEK!! We are celebrating our 4th annual plant week on the streets of Boston. You can find us Tuesday, September 12th at 12:30 in front of 50 Post Office Square. We will be there at lunch time handing out baby azaelas (until supplies run out...and they go quickly)!! Come join us in the celebration of indoor plants and all that they do for us!! 

Benefits of Indoor Plants:

1. Purifies Air: Plants breakdown chemical components found in industrial glues and paints and remove other pollutants from the air

2. Noise Reduction: Reduces distractions and makes it much easier to concentrate

3. Creates Oxygen

4. Connects with Outdoors: Plants in the work-space give a sense of connection with nature (something you miss when you are inside all day)

5. Ease Tension: Plants moderate temperatures, increase relative humidity, and can personalize an office space

Introducing the ever popular...Ficus Lyrata!!

Being in the plant industry you get to see a lot of different plants, but since the very beginning one of my absolute favorite plants has been the Ficus Lyrata (Ficus pandurata), commonly known as the Fiddle Leaf Fig! I just love how big the leaves are and how much of a statement the plant is!

It's becoming a very popular plant in homes and offices so I figured now would be a great time to provide some tips on how to care for them and keep them happy!! 

*These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children*

Light & Temperature: These beautiful specimens require bright, filtered light. Though they can tolerate some direct sun light (too much sun will cause their leaves to fade and lose their dark green color). When kept too dark the plant will rapidly begin to fail. Keep temperatures between 60 - 75°F. Avoid temperatures lower than 55°F

*Keep turning your Lyrata to keep it growing straight and evenly on all sides

Water: The right watering is key to this plant. Water when the top soil become slightly dry. I like to give my Lyrata about 1 to 1.5 cups of water each week. But make sure to test the soil fist with your fingers to makes sure that the top soil has dried. (keep in mind that the frequency of water and the amount of water changes through out the seasons and the levels of humidity)

*Make sure to never over water your Lyrata there is no going back one this plant is over watered. But on the other had allowing the soil to dry out too much will cause the plants leaves to turn brown. Cut down on watering during the Winter months. 

Soil: Make sure that your soil is a well draining soil, this type of soil could include part bark and perlite. Only re-pot your ficus when it is young and still growing. Once it reached maturity you only need to replace the top soil each year. 

Fertilizer: Unlike most Ficus trees this plant does not require much fertilizer. Only feed diluted liquid fertilizer to plant once a month only during the spring and summer months (their growing months). 

Pests & Cleaning: The Ficus Lyrata is susceptible to many pests: mealy bug, thrip, whitefly, spidermite, fungus gnats, and aphids. Spray your Lyrata bi-weekely with warm  soapy water to ward off any of these pests that live on the plants leaves. Keeping the leaves clean and dust free will also allow the leaves absorb more light. 

** A Ficus Lyrata has a level #1 toxicity**

For other great tips about the Ficus Lyrata visit: House Plant 411, Spruce, and House Plants Expert

Benefits of Indoor Plants

I just love this charming hand drawn cartoon that correctly depicts some of the wonderful benefits that we receive from plants. All of which are very true!

Which square is your favorite?! 

Taking care of your indoor succulents

Care for a succulent garden

Light: In general, succulents need about 6 hours of light. Though, that said, 6 hours of direct sunlight can scorch or burn the plants. Placing your succulent garden in a south facing window is a great location, but again make sure that it's not receiving too much sunlight. According to blogger Succulents and Sunshine, an east facing window is an ideal location for your succulents. Things to consider, the farther they are away from a window the more the plants will begin to stretch towards the light (which some succulents don't look too great all stretched out). 

Water: Over watering your succulent is one of the fastest ways to kill you succulents. Here's the scoop; the roots like to be soaked with water but then dry up quickly. So if you keep the soil wet every day your succulents will die quickly from over watering. But simply misting them can also kill them as well, due to them not receiving enough water at their roots. So simply put; when watering give your succulents enough water but allow the soil completely dry out before watering again. Your frequency of watering obviously will depend on the container and the light levels. If you are keeping your succulents in direct sun you may find that you need to water more often than if your plants were in less direct light.

Temperature: Succulents can handle very hot climates but their ideal temperatures for summers are between 70 and 80 degrees. Come winter during their more 'dormant' period, succulents like to be between 50 and 60 degrees.

Bugs: There are 2 common bugs that you may run into; fungus gnats and mealy bug. Generally if you see little flies in your containers you most likely have fungus gnats. This is because the soil is being kept too moist and you are providing a nice home for these gnats to lay eggs. The best way to avoid or solve this problem is to let your soil dry out completely between each watering. Also make sure that your soil is a well draining soil that will mot hold in additional moisture. Secondly, the mealy bug, this bug will appear most likely where the leaves meet the stem. They are a white sticky looking bug. If your succulent gets mealy bug there are 2 different solutions. First mix a bit of dish soap with water in a spray bottle and spray on areas affected. The second method is using rubbing alcohol again you can put this in a spray bottle and spray the plant making sure to also lightly spray the soil as to kill any eggs. Or you can soak a Q-tip in the rubbing alcohol and directly target the bug. 

Lobby Plant Design

Choosing the right look for your lobby or office can definitely present it's challenges! Where do you start, and how do you choose from so many different options?! Well, that's exactly what we at Harding Botanicals are here for! We are here to make your decision making process that much easier. 

The first thing we like to establish with our clients is the look that you want. Do you want a lot of plants? Or do you want plants in the key areas? Secondly, what style are you working with? As we look around your space we will get a sense of the decor we are working with; be it modern design, traditional, elegant, eclectic, ect. Third, we take the reins it is important to us that we have a budget so that we can know what perimeters to work within. Now you sit back relax and let us pick out a few options for containers, plants, and design, that we believe will look best in your space!

Take a look at some of the beautiful spaces that we have designed and maintain.