Oriental Patio Garden Before and After

Making a perfect design means making it perfect not only for the people that will spend  there most of their time, but also decrypting ‘genius loci’ – the spirit of the place. Gray and dull Warsaw calls for colors of different kind.

While searching for the divine inspiration, oriental part of my soul whispered to my ears, and not even realising how I knew that the best would be ‘The Oriental Opulence Spiced a bit with Decadence’. Client loved it! The colorful concept found great space in the client’s heart. And we made it!

Have a look at before and after photos.

If you would like to see more photos click here and hop over to the Oriental Garden portfolio page.

#orientalgarden #orientalgardens #warsaw #warszawapraga  #chillout #orientalchillout #middleeasternstyle #ottomandesign #londongardendesign #patiodesign #terracedesign #urbangarden

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Dirty secret pushing Epiphyllum oxypetalum growing tall and fast

Remember my photos of the amazing flowering show of Epiphyllum oxypetalum? That day I decided to take a  little piece of this magnificent plant.
For two years it was growing slowly. Secong year flowered. But look at the photo what happened in third year in only two months!

In February it started grow a twig (?). What can I say. It keeps growing since 2 months at the speed of approximately 20 cm / 0,6 ft a week. I had to move it from the windowsill to give it more space from the ceiling. The yellow measure I placed in the pot to give you the feeling of proportions is exactly 1 m / 3,28 ft long.
When I am writing this post the twig is more than 1,6 m / 6,24 ft tall.
On the top the twig is supposed to transform into flat form resemling leaf. Every week I am looking for the leaf to start to appear. But no. Twig keeps growing. I hope it willl stop one day.  

How to make Epiphyllum oxypetalum growing tall?

3 months prior noticeable new growth I transplanted it to a new pot. The dirty trick I made was the ingredients of the potting mix. This time I have added to the composting soil a lot of natural composted manure. Thats the only difference. Evidently epiphyllum oxypetalum loves natural fertilisers.

#flowers #epiphyllumoxypetalum #dutchmanspipe #queenofthenight #ewainthegarden

Recommended reading Succulents Simplified: Growing, Designing, and Crafting with 100 Easy-Care Varieties

Growing Air

Literally. You grow fresh air indoor. If there is enough plants at home or in the office space and they are properly selected, you may literally grow air indoor. The modern new buildings are designed in such a way that there is enough plants to support the oxygen production and support the healthy working and living space.

So, why exactly to grow fresh air indoor?

More plants indoor less zombies
Plants in the office prevent draining the energy and turning workers into zombies in ties, because plants significantly lower workplace stress and enhance worker productivity. Participants working in an environment with plants present were 12% more productive and less stressed (Dr. Virginia Lohr of Washington State University).
There are many research results proving that indoor plants should become the standard technology for vital building elements, as plants have the ability to improve indoor air quality.  Some of the plant  species have the ability to remove compounds such as benzene and hexane in the range of 50% to 75% of the total volatile organic compounds.

Plants and flowers indoor boost our creativity
In the study performed by Texas A&M University researchers showed close link between flowers and plants and workplace productivity. Women and men demonstrated more innovative thinking, generating more ideas and solutions in the office with flowers and plants. Men generated 15% more ideas, females generated more creative, flexible solutions to problems.

Sick Building Syndrome is an expensive issue
There is an interesting research conducted by professor Tove Fjeld (Agricultural University in Oslo, Norway, 1998). During the research the groups were reviewing 12 of the common symptoms most often related to poor indoor air quality and ‘sick building syndrome’. The complaint rate lowered by 23% during the period when the participants had plants in their offices.

What to do if you have no indoor landscape plants?
And no resources or knowledge how to maintain them properly? Where to find solutions?
Choosing plants and containers may seem as overwhelming project because there is such a wide  choice. So many different plants that you don’t know how to compose them, what are their requirements, what containers to choose, what size, what style and colors? Maybe green walls? How to decide?

There is such service as indoor plant hire
Such companies have extensive range of indoor plants for hire including floor plants, desktop plants & different type of boxes. Whatever your indoor plant hire requirements are, whether your office has high light or low light, if you are looking for a classic or contemporary look you may find the solutions that suits your needs.
Indoor plant hire companies have also professionals with years of experience can help choose which vegetation is best-suited for certain types of areas and then make sure everything is going well with the plants, pruning, watering and rotating them as needed.
Lots of money are spent every year to improve the look of buildings and make them better working space. The same can be done for much less money by indoor plant hire.

The costs $5 per week
Office space improvement by indoor plant hire can be very cost effective. Some tailor made  solutions may start from as little as $5 per week. At the end who said that beautiful should be expensive?

#indoorplanthire #zombies #lesszombies #garden #freshairindoor #indoorplants 

Growing ginger lily in cold climate

Let’s see how we grow and propagate ginger lily (Hedychium) here in Poland, Europe, where temperature can drop in the winter down to  -30C/-22F and in the summer can get up to 36C/97F.
We can grow ginger lily outdoors, but for the winter it has to go indoor, no way it could stay outside for the winter..

This particular ginger lily is growing all year round in the winter garden/conservatory. Maybe the conditions there in winter are milder, because the place is heated, but summers  are baking hot. This is why the leafs on the photos are bit brown on the tips.

This particular ginger lily is growing here since 3 years, was brought from Azores, is blooming at the end of summer.  It takes 5 to 10 years for ginger lily to reach final size, it tolerates the soil from alkaline to slightly acidic, chalky, loamy or sandy, moist, but well drained.
In different description I read she needs sunny or partly shady position, but I do not trust it too much. Exotic plants require lots of light when grown in cold climates, because the natural amount of light here is sparse anyway. Any ray of light is a treasure. 

Why to bother growing this exotic plant here? Satisfaction of growing rare plant? Not only. The heavenly scent of the flowers. Yup….  There is always a price to pay, one needs to make sure if the benefits are worth it. In this case beauty of the flowers and the fragrance is worth all the troubles. 

How to propagate ginger lily? Either from seeds or by dividing rhizomes. As you can see on the photos, we had to take properly serious tools to get her out. It doesn’t look that strong, but rhizomes are strong and they form long lines, cos every next piece is growing after another one, strongly attached to the previous one.

We took out about 30 cm long line of rhizomes, and cut them to get four plants that will grow in the large container. All the best to new ginger lilies in my collection! Thank you Krystyna!

Happy gardening!

Recommended reading The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks

Repurpose Brilliant Urban Garden Idea Spotted in Portugal

Repurposed. Surprising. Drought resistant. Funny idea, but otherwise the wall would be boring and blank. Love the creativity behind, do you?

Freedom From The Grid: The Essential Guide to Self-Reliance & Financial Freedom

13 Best Window Box Ideas

Photo by nizoz

Further recommended reading The Window Decorating Book

Photo by conlawprof

Photo by msprague

Photo by caitlinburke

Photo by melolou

Photo by jim-sf

Photo by meg_nicol

Photo by Chiot's Run

Photo by Chiot's Run

Photo by piers nye

Photo by ateliertee

Photo by smilla4

Photo by cobaltfish

Further recommended reading The Window Decorating Book

Mysterious Callisia fragrans

Today is a sharing day. Like every day in your lives, because every day you share something or you share your life with others. Whether you are married or single. If you are single and sad today, don’t be. The paradigm of family as the only real close people is ending. You need to get little bit more open and let friends to your life. I mean real friends. People that will support you even you call them in the middle of the night.

Today is a sharing day and I will share what I have learned about the plant I asked the other day to help in identification. It’s worth it.

Thank you so much for helping me to identify the plant on the picture and enlightment that follows. My special thanks go to Rosekraft, Vi and Claude.

I would like to introduce to you her majesty CALLISIA FRAGRANS. A plant rarely to buy in the flower shop or nursery. If you live in 9+ zone it may grow outside, below 9 it can grow only indoors.

As I first saw Callisia fragrans, whithout knowing the name, I was told about it strong remedy to different health problems and the comparison to ginseng in that aspect. My research shows that there really is something special about it. 

1. The first source I’d like to share:

“I have a very healing plant I wanted send to you but I decided ask first if you need it, just as thank you gift to you wonderful souls. First the story. More then a week ago I finally bought cooper pipes. I did put together my CB. It was on back porch, was raining and i not know where to place it yet. On Sunday I made a hole in the flower bed and decided move whole CB ... long story... almost killed myself it was so heavy. It was about 10 am in the morning, I could not turn my body, bend, I could not do any healing work on myself, my whole back was off, in pain.
Now I am sitting in pain and thinking that I am not going pay those doctors, how I can go to work and work and what can I do. First thing came to my mind my plant. I used it many times before and it would take 3-4 days to take care of any inside pain.
Now the plant name is CALLISIA FRAGRANCE. We have many books in Russia about that plant and its healing abilities. “
If youwant to read more click here.  

2. Second is scientific source – results of the research made by one of the universities:

“Callisia Fragrans Family Doctor PlantThe phenomenal healing effect is explained by the bioactive substances contained by the plant. Callisia Fragrance fights various kinds of infection, stimulates metabolism, improves circulation and immune system, purifies the body. Also, it relieves pain, heals wounds and even tumours. In addition, it tackles indigestion and breathing problems. This resource is a guide on using the plant for medical purposes.It is not only a decoration plant, it has wide medicinal use in Europe and Russia. Active biological substances that are in Callisia fragrans can struggle with any types of infections, stimulate metabolic processes, strengthen immunity and circulatory system, has positive influence on growths. Substances from steroid group contained in Callissia fragrans give it these wonderful possibilities. Because of the presence of biologically active substances Callisia Fragrans (Golden tendril) can help fight various diseases. The whole plant posses curative compounds, juice is the same throughout the plant, although it's higher concentration in the stem.'Золотой ус' Zolotoy us’.”

You may read more about it by clicking here.

3. On one of the blogs the author is writing:

“Before leaving Aunt Luba initiated us into the methods of making Basket Plant extract which, as she said, “cures everything, and boosts the immune system.”
Basket Plant – (Callisia fragrans). Also known as золотой ус, or “golden whisker” in Russian.
How tomake an extract you can learn by clicking here. After clicking look n thebottom of the page.

Recommended further reading Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America, Third Edition (Peterson Field Guides)

Chinese hibiscus flowers galore

It looks that by accident I have discovered it's secret to profused and continuous flowering of chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) and I want to share it with you today.
Since I applied it last spring (11 months ago) it flowers almost continuosly and let's me enjoy sometimes up to 19 flowers at the same time. There were about 3 breaks 1-2 week long, but the total impression is it flowers almost every day, though each flower only lasts for a day or two.

Chinese hibiscus has it all :) beautiful vibrantly-colored, four to eight-inch-wide, showy flowers, beautiful glossy evergreen leaves and proper height - not too small, not too tall (in nature it grows up to 2,5-5 meters). Perfect for indoor blooming plant. And this is why enjoy it. Look at the photos only and probably you will agree.

Last spring, while preparing the potting mix for tomatos I have decided that I will use the same for my chinese hibiscus.
Mix was simple - just added natural composted manure in 1:1 proportions.  So simple. If you would like to do the same don't use the fresh one - it will burn the plant. It has to be composted for few months.

The effect? Flowers, flowers, flowers, flowers... entire summer, autumn and winter.

It flowers on new growth, so it's good to prune the tips in spring and summer to increase flower production. To keep mature plants growing vigorously, prune out about 1/3 of the old wood in spring.

Today there is still snow outside, but I can still enjoy these amazing flowers.

Do you also grow it?

White containers - like it?

White containers - great new buy from yesterday. Just have a look at simple and fine lines. Designer  had really great eye. Green and red basil will look really tidy, so will my windowsills… ha…

I was looking for something to my white windowsills, that can be humble and simple enough to host basil in the winter. First frost days are coming fast – I have to hurry up, because there is only few days left with temperatures above 0C at night.

I didn’t want to have too large containers and I am sick of too many small and different containers, seeming to be too messy, especially now, after my room and windowsill are repainted.

Yesterday on the way back from great new discovered private garden, we stopped at ikea, which is sometimes great source of new findings.

I think that these white container are perfect for small, winter herb garden.  What is your opinion?  

The new private garden - mentioned at the beginning of the post - discovered and photographed yesterday will be featured soon on Ewa in the Garden.  

Amazing cactus flowers

Cactus flowers in our climate when is given enough light and sun, which means it shoud take proudly most sunny and hot spot in the garden.  

I think this is Echinopsis oxygona - what do you THINK?

Flat big pot makes it looking more natural. 

I bet your window doesn't look better

Windows function is to let the light inside, but look what happens when it's turned to garden...  

Fresh mint misbehaving

Fresh mint... so innocent when you bring it to garden... so refreshing as mint tea in hot summer...

so wild after one year... it escapes whatever you do...

cure? always plant it containers... otherwise you will keep running after it.... like me - look it grows on the my natural pesticides free lawn - together with moss and clover...

Is your mint misbehaving too?

How to grow alpine strawberries from seeds

January last year, I was squeezing white envelope in my hand. On the poststamp there was a bicycle and written "Holland" - I closed my eyes and said to myself "the most unusual strawberries of all strawberries have just arrived"....

Strawberries fans get ready – you also would love to harvest all season, I guess. If you want strawberries all season round, go for alpine strawberries – little plants bearing white to yellowish fruits all season, very fragrant and very tasty, evergreen, producing no runners, liking semi shade (4 hours of sun daily is enough). All this sounds promising – right? I planted my grown from seeds alpine strawberries in humus rich compost. 

I got seeds last year from Patrick/Bifurcated Carrot. Alpine strawberries have the fame of germinating terribly, but they are really germinating great, if you place your seeds in the fridge for 1 month, just before sowing.

Help the seeds to germinate and don’t cover it with soil, just let it stay on the surface, keep the soil and air damp. For easy home-made propagator, that suits its job great with no cost, I recycled plastic boxes – see the picture. Easy to open and close, easy to ventilate - ->> easy to germinate any seeds.

I sow the seeds in February previous year - in June they were big enough to replant them in separate pots. Some of them flowered and had few fruits. This spring is time to plant them in their containers – big, old wooden barrels. Last year, as I used to be the ornamental gardener, I would plant petunias or surfinias there, but this year I am drifting more and more into veggie gardening, the barrels have different guests. Strawberries will be growing on such a level, that it will be easy to pick the fruits and eat directly from the plant…

Promising….

Do you grow alpine strawberries? What are your tips?

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If you would like to improve your garden to a beautiful paradise, let me help you to design it. We can work online. Contact me at ewamariasz [at] gmail [dot] com.

Happy Gardening!

Xoxo,

Ewa