apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I love that friends continue to have faith in us.

Grace, I saw these Aquaglobes in an informercial this weekend and wondered about them myself. I, like you, have what my friends call, a black thumb, a plant's kiss of death. I think the commercial had them advertised, four globes for $19.99 s&h. Let me know if they work, i'm trying very hard to keep some moth orchids alive and this seems to be a semi-attractive way of doing so.

Some plants though, orchids included, need to go through a wet-to-dry cycle.

Napa Style also has a version of these using on old wine bottle.

Where is your friend getting the flowers? My college botany teacher told us most store-bought houseplants are bred to die. So maybe it's not your fault...

My Mom is a master gardener and she uses those.

She says the key to watering is to wait until the soil dries out a bit-if it's always damp, it can rot in the roots - and tells me to put the plants in the shower & hose them for a few minutes, then let them drain adequately. I've killed a cactus before, so this has kept other plants from suffering the same fate.

looks like there's a less attractive, but higher capacity, variation on this idea called the Plant Nanny:
http://www.aquastakes.com/aquastakes.htm

they also have a glass globe one:
http://aquastakes.com/aquaglobes.htm

I have tried something similar, but not nearly so attractive, in the past in the past. I consider it a harbinger of root rot. You can’t control how much it drips and when.

For the gardenia:
Re-potting it may help. Often plants sold for decoration are in pots way to small to support there tops (because it looks prettier). Repotting give their roots a place to grow. Generally plants need to be the same size above the soil as below. If the plant is pot bound (the roots are all tangled up against the size) loosen them up with your fingers or just trim them off and plant them in a bigger pot. I recommend terracotta because it is porous and better maintains even moisture in the soil, preventing mold.
My process for watering plants that are delicate is to soak them in a bucket of water for 15 to 20 min. Then let them drain over a sink for about an hour, once or twice a week.
Gardenias are a difficult plant to grow, they’re supper picky. They like to be in still humid air. Like a green house. If there’s a bet involved, you may want to consider a terrarium otherwise keep them out of drafts.

My dad always advised me to pick my battles. You may happier with jasmine. It smells lovely and is easier to care for. If all else fails there are some very beautiful succulents.

My mother used to grow gardenias at our home in Michigan which many people thought wouldn't work due our climate. However, someone suggested putting one of those plastic bags you get at the dry cleaners over the pot to create a little greenhouse. Although it made for an ugly looking pot, it worked very well and she got blooms on it many times.

grace, I also have a gardenia plant and was losing leaves like crazy, so I went back to where I got it and asked what the secret of watering was and they said to water from the bottom and not to let the roots sit in water, so I put water in the tray at the bottom and if it sucks it up fast, I put in some more. I wait 30 minutes and if water is left in tray I dump it out and I water this way everyday. The loss of leaves has stopped. My plant is almost a year old. Hope this helps.