International House Plant Day

International House Plant Day

In Today's Green Issue

International House Plant Day
My little green pal
House Plant
That's Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing
Random Joke

Xmas is over. The decorations have been put away for another year. The house looks a little plain, a little drab. In the greyishness of January, your eye catches something in the corner of the room. It's your little oasis of green... your little houseplant! 

Today is THE day to get back to tending to, and loving your houseplants. And, it's also a day to appreciate just how special and important they are. They are therapeutic, lifting your mood and outlook. They add warmth and a calming effect. If you are a gardener, they give you an opportunity to play in the dirt, until spring arrives in the far, distant future.

Growing houseplants is pretty easy. They need a little sunlight, water, occasional nutrients, and a little love..and a good talking to !!

Housey Housey House Plant
Never been outside Plant
Does he miss his chlorofil mates
Unedible and edible he sees on plates
I realise that I called him a he
I wonder what he thinks of me

I water him about once a week
I often sing, but always speak
I heard that this will help him grow
It might not work, I'll have a go

And if he grows so very high
Then I'll climb him up into the sky
Like Jack and his stalk I'll vertical walk
With goose and giant, I'll have a talk

I'll see if I can take the treasure
To spend and use to my own pleasure
But right now, he's two inches high
So I'll sing as I water supply

Growing plants indoors goes back to ancient times:

In the ruins of Pompeii, researchers found much more than the well-preserved skeletons and homes of residents. They found the remains of indoor gardening—terra cotta pots that had the remnants of flowers and other plants.

It’s thought that Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar was among the first to “domesticate” plants by building his wife the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to help her feel less homesick.

The evolution of indoor heating changed the game:

Before the early 1800s, most homes were too dark and cold for seedlings to survive inside. The Age of Technology changed that; homes became warmer and brighter with the advent of better-quality glass that allowed more sunlight indoors and warm stoves that replaced open fires.

Most common houseplants came from the tropics:

That’s because they can easily thrive in warm indoor environments and grow during colder months. There are thousands of varieties of tropical houseplants that can adapt to being grown inside. These include bromeliads (which dwell on rocks, the forest floor or trees in nature), succulents (which need very little water and thrive in bright sunlight) and orchids.

They are beneficial to our health:

While ancient cultures grew plants indoors as a sign of wealth, today many plant lovers keep them in their homes not only for their beauty, but for their health benefits as well. They can reduce stress, reduce air pollution and allergens and reduce noise pollution emitted by household electronic devices.

Their meanings come from Victorian times:

We know flowers and plants can be used to convey emotions like “I’m sorry” or “I love you.” They also can be used as symbols—orchids are often considered symbols of love, strength and beauty, for example. But how were their meanings selected?

The Victorians not only brought about the modern houseplant, they also assigned meanings to several of them. 

That's Amaaaaazing

The world's oldest potted plant is a prickly cycad (Encephalartos altensteinii), which was brought from South Africa to the UK and planted in 1775. The cycad is currently on display in the Palm House, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Surrey, UK . These tree-fern like Cycads are often called 'living fossils' as they are amongst the oldest surviving species of plants; it is known that they were growing over 200 million years ago during the Permian era. Cycads are dioecious meaning their male and female reproductive structures are on different plants with reproduction achieved through seeds. They typically grow to 4-7 m (13-22 ft).

Random Joke of the Day

My wife is leaving me because she thinks I try to make everything into a 'Quiz' 

Is that: 

A) Weird 

B) Annoying Or

 C) Unfair