Duck in the Water Hyacinth and Water Lettuce tank!!

Water Hyacinth and water lettuce are floating water plants that are very versitile. You can even grow them in a bird bath :o)

The pros and cons of Water Hyacinth for your pond

Ask a pond owner about Water Hyacinth and he or she will immediately attest to the marvelous benefits of this floating tropical plant…or lambaste it for its wandering ways. You see, this tropical floating plant is banned in many southern states. It's so aggressive it clogs water-ways.
For midwest and northern ponds, Hyacinth may be a blessing in disguise. Sure these floaters spread quickly and may choke out other plants, if you don't remove them. But a lot of pond owners swear by their ability to clean up the water. Hyacinth’s roots, which dip two to three inches below the surface, remove nutrients from the water…nutrients that feed algae and cloud once crystal clear water. A great place for Hyacinth is the water fall bed. It will help your biological or mechanical filter do its job. And fish love to eat the roots!

The green almost succulent foliage of the Hyacinth is beautiful by itself. But add the tall purple flowers in mid to late summer, and it resembles a meadow in your pond. One way to prevent these spreaders from multiplying is to tie a string around the area where you want to contain them, about 2 inches above the water surface. And if you go on vacation, make sure you pull some out before you leave, because you might find they have taken over the pond when you return.
Even if you don’t live in the south, plant Water Hyacinth with care. When you remove the plants from your pond, don’t throw them into a natural water-way. Instead put them in your compost pile.

Hyacinth act somewhat like a filtration system. When they take off, murky or green pond water becomes clear again. Because these natives of the Amazon start to die off when water temparatures dip below 65 degrees, you might want to over-winter them in a bowl of water indoors. The trick here is to buy the strongest grow light you can find and place the pot in a very sunny window. Unless you have fish in the bowl, you’ll need to supplement the water with aquatic fertilizer.

If you don’t want to bother over wintering Hyacinth, they are easy to buy in the spring. Either on-line or at a local pond store, usually for less than ten dollars a plant. To find out whether your state allows this intriguing plant, check with the US Department of Agriculture.

 

Water Lettuce Care:

 

Water Lettuce has velvety foliage that spreads like strawberry plants across the surface; they may produce inconspicuous white flowers. The bright green leaves are deeply veined and resemble heads of floating lettuce; they grow to lengths of up to 10 inches and up to 4 inches wide. Water Lettuce helps to provide shade for the pond and fish, as well as a safe haven and spawning area for the fish. They help oxygenate and clarify the water and will use the extra organic nutrients in the pond, thereby reducing algae production.
Water Lettuce seems to prefer some shade in warmer climates, but is also susceptible to frost, and even a brief exposure to frigid temperatures produces scalded leaves that quickly turn to rotting areas. Zones 9-11.

Care Level: Easy

Temperament: Peaceful

Lighting: Natural

Water Conditions: 70-80° F, pH 6.5-7.5

Propogation: Viviparous

Max. Size: 10"

Color Form: Green, White

Origin: Farm Raised

Family: Araceae

 

Chenille Fire Tail

Chenille Fire Tail is a very demanding plant. It does not have any tolerence for wilting and it is a very thirsty plant that likes a lot of light.

Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispidia), also called Foxtails and Red-hot Cat's Tail, is actually a shrub in its native habitat — the Pacific islands. Grown as a houseplant for its unusual six-inch long red "tassels" of chenille-like flowers, the mature plant has leaves similar to Poinsettia. Fact is, they're related (both are in the family: Euphorbiaceae). They are easy plants to grow, especially when provided the right conditions.

Started in early spring, Acalyphas can easily top seven-feet by autumn and will be a large, bushy shrub. Yearly pruning will be necessary to maintain a more manageable three- to four-foot height.

Bright light is needed to develop their characteristic dark green leaves but they must not be subjected to direct sunlight, cold night time drafts or excessively-dry humidity. Such unkindnesses will cause leaf-scorch, wilting and dropping of foliage. A good indicator of the conditions it prefers is its origin - the warm, humid, tropical landscape of New Guinea. Therefore, the trick here, in addition to bright light, is warmth (consistently above 70 degrees Fahrenheit), high humidity, ample moisture and a rich, humusy soil. Feeding is required every 14 days with any good liquid houseplant fertilizer (Peters® 10-30-20 is one which I prefer).

In the Fall, when growth slows and flower tassels look tattered, decrease plant height to about half, and re-pot in fresh high-compost soil if necessary. Reduce watering and fertilizer and maintain a temperature of about 60-65 degrees (F).

You can take cuttings during February, leaving a little "heel" on five- to six-inch current-season stems. They'll readily root in half-sand, half-peat if kept moist, humid and shaded. Pot up into individual clay (if you have them) containers, let them catch their breath for a few days then treat them like grown-ups.

Chenille plants have only one serious pest: two-spotted red spider mites. If you allow your plant to remain dryer than it would like or put it in bright, hot sun, mites will move in, multiply, and probably kill the plant. Daily misting is recommended. If you see signs of the little pests, go for the Safer's^® insecticidal soap...fast!

One final tip: flower tassels will last quite a long time but it's a good idea to remove them at first sign of "going by." Dead-heading spent flowers will encourage formation of a continuous parade of soft, fuzzy tassels.

 

Double Red Hibiscus

Hibiscus Care And Maintenance
Hibiscus like to have 4 - 6 hours of sunshine each day, but no more than that.
The hibiscus plant loves to be fertilized. You can buy a special hibiscus fertilizer at your local garden stores.
If you choose to buy a more generic fertilizer, it is critical that you check the content of certain minerals. It needs to have a low phosphate content and the potassium content needs to come from nitrate of potash, not the cheaper muriate of potash. It is also important for hibiscus fertilizer to be free of chlorides.
Proper hibiscus care means watering thoroughly after fertilizing and also watering by hand should the weather start to get dry.
Planting Hibiscus
Your hibiscus should be planted in a nicely drained bed.
To start, you should use azalea potting mix at a ratio of fourteen bags for every hundred square feet of bed.
Add the fertilizer, then mulch to keep in moisture and prevent weeds from growing.
Hibiscus can also be planted in containers. If you live in a cold climate, you might want to plant your hibiscus in containers, and bring them inside for the winter months.
Each pot should be at least fourteen inches across and have holes in the bottom for adequate drainage.
If you have mild weather, hibiscus that were planted in the ground should be cut back to four to six inches above the ground before the first frost and mulched with pine needles.
Container plants should be pruned in January or February to have the best blossoms in the spring.
Hibiscus are heavy flowerers and the blossoms only last for a day. That means you should get rid of the dead blossoms each day.
Hibiscus care also involves the use of insecticides as the plants seem to be easy targets for insects, such as:
Worms
Cut worms
Slugs
Aphids
Mealy bugs
White flies
If you follow these standards for hibiscus care, your plants will thrive and you should experience bountiful blooms throughout the summer.

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Heat Loving Samba Purslane

Heat Loving Big Bloom Purslane

Easy to care for house plant

Common Name: Wandering Jew, Chain Plant, Purple Heart Plant
Genus:  Tradescantia
Family:  Commelinaceae
Plant Type: Perennial
Origin: South America
Blooming Time: Year round
Humidity: Average
Temperature: 50-75*F
Height: 3′-4′
Color: Green, purple, silver
Insects and Diseases: Aphids, scale, mealy bugs
Description:
The Wandering Jew is a beautiful vining house plant that has green heart shaped leaves with purple stripes and a silvery sheen. Depending on the variety, the leaves can be solid or variegated. Blooms are small with three petals and can be violet or white.
Lighting:
Wandering Jews thrive best in bright, but indirect sun light. The brighter the light that you provide for your plant, the more flowers it will produce. The plants deep colors will look faded if the plant doesn’t receive enough light.
Watering:
These plants are happy as long as they’re not kept soaked or allowed to be completely dry too long, evenly moist is the best. If the soil is dry 1/2 inch down then the plant should be watered.

Wandering Jew

Soil:
General purpose potting soil will work for Wandering Jews, but they prefer a rich soil that is organic. However, it must retain water while draining well. Sand, Perlite or peat moss can be added to help with aeration.
To make your own soil mixture, add equal parts of coarse sand or Perlite, peat or humus and garden soil together and lightly dust with lime.
Fertilization:
A water soluble fertilizer can be used twice each month during the growing season, but should be mixed at half strength. Slow release fertilizers can be added to the soil on a yearly basis.
Propagation:
Wandering Jews are easily propagated from stem cuttings. Place stems in water until roots form and then plant in potting soil. Stems can also be placed on top of soil and secured until they take root while still on the mother plant.
Toxicity/Poisonous:
In some people and animals, skin irritation can occur when coming in contact with the sap from the plant.
Tips:
Pruning the long vines will promote a bushier, fuller plant. The cuttings can then be placed in water to form roots and start new plants.

Easy to care for house plant

Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum

Extremely easy to grow. Golden pothos is a popular house plant well known for its long, trailing stems that can grow to 8 ft (2.4 m) or more. Cut them back a couple times a year to keep the plant bushy and full. Cutting right above a leaf node (the place where the leaf is attached to the stem) will encourage the stem to branch out, giving you a fuller plant.

Glossy, heart-shaped leaves emerge green and become variegated with yellow or white. Although this plant tolerates low light well, its leaves may lose their variegation. It will look its best in moderate or bright light. It makes an excellent office plant because it grows well under fluorescent lights.

Pothos is one of the best plants for removing formaldehyde from carpet and other materials in our homes. Beautiful, low-maintenance, and cleans the air. What's not to love?

 

Its trailing stems make it an attractive plant for a hanging basket. Or you can train it to climb. Pothos has aerial roots that can be trained to climb a moss stick or trellis that is inserted into the soil.

Repot in spring as needed. You can control its growth by cutting the vines back and trimming up to a third of its roots. Pot it in the same size container to keep it small.
Origin: Solomon Islands

Height: To 8 ft (2.4 m)

Light: Low light to bright light. No direct sun.

Water: Allow soil to dry slightly between waterings. It will not tolerate soggy soil.

Humidity: Average room humidity.

Temperature: Average to warm 60-80°F, 16-27°C

Soil: Any good potting mix that drains well.

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks spring through fall with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half. In winter, feed monthly.

Propagation: Stem tip cuttings root easily in water or moist perlite or vermiculite. It takes about 4 weeks.