What do you know about San Pedro cactus? How can you love a cactus? They are hard to hug, they need their space, they need little nurturing and they love to hang out and do seemingly nothing in the sunshine, except to ask us for food or drink. This fascinating group of plants makes [...]
Caladium leaves are variegated All leaves develop from a small mound of meristematic cells near the tip of a stem. At this primordia level all leaves look pretty much the same. But from the leaf primordia of Ficus trees - simple, pinnately veined leaves develop. From the leaf primordia of Fatsia, multi-lobed palmately veined leaves [...]
Pesky aphids damage plants Welcome to bug season. With the warmer weather comes the sudden rise in insect populations. A plant that has been “pest-free” in the cooler months is unexpectedly overcome with spider mites. The pothos is suddenly infested with mealybugs. Aphids are feasting on the new growth of your Schefflera arboricola. What [...]
Howea forsteriana - Kentia palm Howeia forsteriana (kentia palm) is a palm of mystery and beauty. This palm is one of the more commonly used plants in the interiorscape, particularly in low light areas. Its widespread popularity is due to the perfect symmetry of its spreading fronds and proven durability -- it will survive for [...]
Succulent arrangements create interesting & beautiful focal points in interiorscapes The succulent trend can hardly be called a trend any longer - these desert natives are making a permanent statement in interiorscapes. We love succulents because they're low maintenance, beautiful and they thrive in any number of decorative containers. Succulent varieties span the color [...]
Are you prepared to handle unexpected situations? Your reaction to a crisis can either save an account or damage the good relationship your company has with the client. To give you practice responding to different crises, envision the following situations and measure your reaction against the described response. Talk with your supervisor about your company's policy [...]
Catch mealybug infestations early to protect the health of your plants There is nothing harder than getting rid of a mealybug infestation. Well, maybe scale. When you spot those telltale white cottony blobs on the Aglaonema in the planter at the mall you just have to moan ‘cause you know you’re in for a [...]
Are your plantscapes harmonious? Interior plant technicians create "emotional environments" that bring a response from people. Whether you've been in the plantscaping family for years or are just beginning your career, it's often easy to forget the reasons why you started. Do you remember the effect that a plant or planting had upon you [...]
Interior conditions should support plant health Sometimes the best approach to preserve a plant’s beauty and the quality of an interiorscape design is to focus on the environmental conditions that may be causing a plant to deteriorate. In order to correct the situation, you must first determine the cause of the underlying stress and change [...]
Visible scale insects on the plant stem and surrounding leaves When you walk under that 16’ Ficus and your shoes stick to the carpet, like in an old movie theater, you have scale. When your Spathiphyllum looks like somebody has dribbled a can of soda over some of its leaves, you quite possibly have [...]
