Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Last week’s yellowing fiddle-leaf fig and mealybug dilemmas led me to yet another houseplant in distress. Blaine Rothauser, a remarkable photographer and naturalist whose artful images have graced many of our column chats, reached out ab

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, After the story about the wisdom of Harvesting Rainwater & Snowmelt, I heard from Jennifer in Bangor, Pennsylvania. Her fiddlehead fig tree had developed yellowing leaves. How delightful it is when one question leads back to a familiar sto

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Many of us long for greenery, especially in winter. So much so that roughly 66 percent of American households have indoor plants. Not only are they beautiful, but they also improve air quality and provide joy and serenity, supporting our menta

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. During the recent deep freeze and high winds, I brought my podcast from the screened porch inside and recorded it while sitting in front of my indoor plants. I noticed that the low humidity of the house has already caused them stress. The reme

Originally published on December 17, 2015, when my dear Mom was in a nursing home.  Hello, fellow readers, “You can’t water their faces,” recalls brother Rick, one of Mom’s instructions on caring for African violets, as water on their leaves can cause spotting

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Ruth and Jim, dear friends in Hope, NJ, asked that I water their houseplants while they are away. Their magnificent Money Tree reminds me of one I met a decade ago, along with its plant parent, which turned out to be life-changing. I met Diana

Hello fellow readers, Long ago, I was given an Aloe Vera plant from a kind client who asked if I’d take the pot of aloes hidden in the corner of her sunroom, apologetically confessing to neglecting them. “I know how that goes,” I consoled, “it’s hard to k

Hello fellow readers, Last week’s story about personal growth with houseplants came with a struggle of self-doubt. Then came a recording by Louise Hay with an analogy to starting a garden that I hope will inspire you to love gardening and love yourself. Early Spring Houseplant t

Hello, fellow readers. Those who tune into the podcast version of our column know I’ve mentioned the idea of sharing the history of houseplants enjoyed for decades. Well, I finally tackled it, and it turned into a story about personal growth with houseplants. It occurs to me the

Hello fellow readers, I’ll admit I am not a huge fan of cut flowers, though I find artful arrangements lovely. But I always feel bad when the flowers fade, tossing them in the compost pile when a houseplant gift lasts for years. Recently a story came from a dear friend who bring