Be sure to pay attention to your climate as well as area since certain plants just cannot make it in particular circumstances, so it is smart to carry out all your investigation before hand. Talking with your local dealer will provide you a few notions of which plants you can and cannot keep in your pond.

Lotus Plants

Undoubtedly, because the pond holds Koi, a tropical variety of fish, you might wish to keep with the theme and place Lotus plants in your pond. Pretty much every person that has a tropical water garden will want a Lotus plant because the beauty is completely unrivaled by different plants.

Lotus plants give gorgeous blooms, as well as a smell that is unmatched, but unless you live in an area which holds temps greater then sixty five degree Fahrenheit, you’ll have to have a place to keep them during the colder months. A greenhouse setup specifically for water plants will function best, plus Lotus plants need soil, as well as a huge volume of sunlight. These must be placed in water about two to three feet deep during the warm months, and indoors throughout the colder times.

Water Hyacinths

If you just don’t have any time to plant or keep up the water garden’s foliage, or you’re a bit lazy as far as gardening, you may want to consider including Water Hyacinths. Water hyacinths have gotten extremely fashionable recently due to their simplicity as they do not require any type of soil or planting, you must simply throw them into the water. Only minimal time is needed to anchor them down so that they do not float all over the pond freely.

Water Hyacinths are not only gorgeous, but are additionally quite useful too, helping in the battle against both algae as well as blanket weeds. One downside of having Water Hyacinths is the fact that they will take over your pond as well as yard if you permit them since they’re extremely invasive, and will spread if allowed. In extreme cases, they may actually hop the fence and annex your neighbors yard as well, and once they have caused this kind of infestation, it is extremely hard to destroy them.

Covered But Practical Plants

Alternatively, you might wish to consider investing in plants that are not necessary seen. Those plants reside below the water line, and provide many required functions to the Koi pond, with a few assisting you to battle algae, replace oxygen in the water, or feed the Koi for you.

You can locate those plants in bundles at your local pet stockist or a Koi dealer. The majority of underwater plants won’t require additional support during the winter, so when you put them in the water, you may not think twice about them again. Still the benefits which you get from having these types of plants compensates for the fact that you are not in a position to in reality see them.

Some forms of maple bonsai do not take well to extremely cold temperatures. If you live in a region where the temperature drops below zero, you will want to ensure that your maple can survive. Frost can damage the roots, branches and leaves of the tree, effectively shortening its lifespan. A greenhouse may be required for storing your maple bonsai if you live in a colder region that goes beyond the normal habitat of these trees.

If you are interested in purchasing a maple bonsai, you can buy seeds, a seedling, or even a full grown tree through an online vendor, or you can inquire about these trees at your local garden or plant nursery.

Bamboo bonsai is an extremely popular, easy to care for bonsai that allows growers of all skill levels work with a fast growing, beautiful plant. The most common type of bamboo bonsai found in homes is the ‘lucky’ bamboo, which is believed to bring luck to their owners. This variety of bamboo is hardy, and can be grown indoors or outdoors, provided that the bamboo is protected against frost. Like most species of bamboo, the plant does not thrive well in places where frost occurs. Frost damages the bamboo and stops its growth, often shocking and killing the plant. It is for this reason that many bamboo species cannot thrive in northern climates unless they are kept indoors.

For beginners, bamboo bonsai is extremely rewarding due to the fact that the plants are so quick to grow. A new grower can start a plant and see a large amount of growth within the first year of owning the plant. This lets the beginners experiment with wiring and caring for bonsai without having to wait for five to ten years to see the results of their efforts.

There are many places that you can acquire bamboo. You can purchase it at many stores carrying plants, buy new shoots online that can be grown and transplanted into bonsai pots, or you can cut shoots from other bamboo plants and transplant them to begin your new plant. How quickly the bamboo bonsai will grow and take root is based off of the species of bonsai you are growing. Also, some species of bamboo will not take root as well from cuttings as others.

Bamboo bonsai uses many of the techniques for care that more difficult bonsai trees use. You will need the same types of tools to maintain them, and you can use the same style of wire to help guide the trunk and branches of the bamboo. When you are pruning bamboo, like many other bonsai trees, there is a certain time of year that pruning is best done at. When you prune your bamboo is dependent on the type of bamboo that you have. Each species of bamboo is different and requires different care. As many people own the ‘lucky’ bamboo, you will most likely want to prune your bamboo bonsai in the fall and winter, removing all of the leaves. If you are working with a dwarf bamboo, you will need to prune in the early spring before the new growth has occurred.

You can purchase your bamboo bonsai online or through a local nursery.

However, there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind when caring for banyan bonsai. As the tree can reproduce and spread itself through the root system, pruning of the roots is required in order to keep the bonsai healthy. Failure to do so can cause problems in the plant, drastically shortening the lifespan of the tree. As these trees can live to be over two hundred years old, it is important that the pruning and root care is properly done.

Pot size is fundamental in the care of the banyan bonsai. As this plant is also named a ’strangler fig’, a pot too big or situated with other plants can cause the bonsai to grow larger than you desire. As this species of tree can grow to cover over a kilometer of ground, the dwarf versions of this tree can be sometimes extremely aggressive in smaller pots. The world’s most renown banyan, the Great Banyan, has a canopy covering a circumference of over one kilometer. This tree lives in the Indian Botanic Garden, and is one of the most famous trees in the world.

Juniper bonsai are extremely common, as this type of tree is so easy to care for and train. They grow quickly, allowing people to see their hard work progress, making this an excellent tree for beginners. Because of the fast grow rate, many bonsai nurseries will keep this hardy tree in stock, as it can be trained much faster than other species used in bonsai. This is also why the juniper bonsai is so common as a gift. As they are easy to care for and fast to grow, many people are comfortable giving these trees away.

If you have received a juniper bonsai as a gift, or you are interested in growing your own from a seed or seedling, you will want to keep pruning and wiring supplies on hand, as these are the most common tools you will use with your juniper bonsai. Careful pruning of new buds and excess branches and needles will help improve your design of the tree. Remember, wear gloves when working with junipers, for the needles can cause allergic reactions and irritation to the skin.

Juniper bonsai can be purchased at online stores or at local nurseries.

Step 2: Watering. You may think that diligently pruning your bonsai tree is the most important part of caring for your bonsai tree, but if your tree isn’t properly watered, you’ll end up with a dead, well-pruned stump. Watering technique depends on the type of tree that you’ve chosen but as a general rule you should never allow your tree to dry out. Check the soil the same way you check your muffins to see if they’re done. Insert a toothpick in the soil and if nothing sticks or the toothpick is dry, then your plant needs some water stat. Generally if the soil surface appears dry, your tree should be watered. Make sure that you add drainage holes or the roots will rot, but don’t let water sit in the saucer because, again, the roots will rot. Spray the leaves with water often, taking care not to puddle the water in the saucer.

Step 3: Pruning. The issue here is cutting versus pinching. Cutting is the typical idea that people have when they think of pruning, but it’s not ideal to cut every kind of bonsai tree. Some trees, like Evergreens, should be pinched into pleasing shapes. Pinching requires that you take a new growth or shoot between your thumb and forefinger and pinch the shoot off. Pruning should take place in the spring, the growth season of the bonsai tree. In winter and when the tree is first purchased, pruning is not necessary. Pruning will keep your plant nice and bushy and full while allowing it to stay in the shape you want.

Step 4: Fertilize. Fertilize only in the growth season, the spring, because that’s when the plant is growing and needs its nutrients. Evergreens, for example, can be fertilized from spring until the end of fall or early winter, but not through winter and alternate between months or at most once every three weeks. If your bonsai is in bloom, don’t give it fertilizer. Mild fertilizers with trace elements are best, especially if they have a good balance or proper dilution. If you don’t dilute the fertilizer properly, you run the risk of burning the roots and killing the plant, because it sits in a shallow pot and collects the remains at the bottom.

Step 5: Repot. Every couple of years the bonsai tree needs a new pot to sit in. Be gentle when you lift the tree out of the pot and gently separate the soil from the roots. Replant in fresh soil with plenty of water and remember your drainage holes. The new pot should be the same size as the old one.

Step 6: Root trimming. This step should be completed during the repotting step, while the plant is already out of the pot. Separate the soil from the roots and, depending on the size of the roots, cut off one third of the root system. As the plant tries to grow, the root system will grow and grow, encouraging your plant to grow and grow. You want to keep your plant nice and small, so the best way to do so is to trim the roots every few years. Do this with caution, because if you cut off too much, you run the risk of killing the plant. If you cut the roots too much, the plant will be unable to take up enough water and nutrients from the soil.

Step 7: Cleanliness. When you trim or pinch your tree, don’t leave the little bits behind on the surface of the soil. Right, it’s just soil, it’s natural debris, why clean it? Well what ends up happening is that the remains decompose and that allows for plant fungi to grow and for moss to grow. Fungi will kill your plant and moss will take away the nutrients that are supposed to go to your bonsai. Some people like the moss and find it decorative, which is fine but if you want to keep it, you have to monitor it carefully and keep it away from the trunk of your tree. Moss is easy to remove very gently and you can even use a hard bristled toothbrush or something with a soft tip. Don’t use any sharp-edged objects around your trunk.

Step 8: Weeding. Weeds will find a way into the soil and they will thrive in the conditions that you keep your bonsai. Weeding has to be done gently as well. Try using a pair of tweezers to pluck the weeds out by the roots. Remember that any grass is a bad thing to have in your soil and you should remove it. It may seem innocuous, but even the smallest blade of grass will take nutrients away from your bonsai, just like the moss will.

Step 9: Disease and Pests. The ideal conditions are attractive to diseases and pests and if you don’t keep an eye on things, your plant may die. One of the worst offenders is a type of fungus called “powdery mildew”. Powdery mildew is exactly that, it leaves behind a whitish powder dusting on the leaves and trunk of your bonsai. Rust is another disease that appears in brown and orange patches on the leaves and is the result of too much potassium. This can be rectified by changing the formula of your fertilizer and repotting using different soil. Bonsai trees can also get a disease called chlorosis, which is caused by a lack of iron. Lack of iron is a soil problem, chalky soil retains iron so just change the soil and your plant should recover. A clear sign of chlorosis is a yellow tinge to the leaves or needles. The humidity can also attract ants, caterpillars, spider mites, aphids and other unwanted pests. Treat with pesticides.

Step 10: Shaping. A new plant won’t train to be the shape you want it to be right away. This will take years. Initially, some people will wrap their bonsai tree trunk in aluminum foil or copper wire to force the tree to keep its shape. In some ways it’s good for a beginner that the tree won’t stay in form right away because if you make a mistake, you can just correct it the next time you prune the tree. Start shaping from the top of the tree down and work slowly.

If need creepers you can grow in the wall and would give u not a wall like feeling when it is well grown. In the case of indoor plant I suggest you to go for potted plants ,easy to clean,purifies more air and requires normal humidity .

Choose plants with healthy foliage , and see that it gives flowers that are of high fragrance and is covered full of leaves . Choose the indoor plants that is needed of either a residential complexes,the commercial ones or in the office environment . The movement of the plants affects them when you take it outside in two climatic conditions during the winter.

If you are taking the plant outside in the summer do not allow the sunlight to directly fall on the plant and cover it with shades or keep it in a cooler inside the car.

During the winter, the harsh climate will severely damage the leaves of it, and hence keep a heater or warmer in your car and take it outside.  I have seen many gorgeous plants pass before their time due to this one fatal mistake. Rare exotic flowers have met untimely deaths on their way to conservatories due to this unnecessary mistake.

So maintain as warm a temperature as possible around these plants when transporting them from one location to another. you need to move a plant only if the root of the plant have exceeded the pot bottom cover , You can either re-pot it and cut the roots lightly extending past it if you need to place in the same pot or to place it in a more bigger pot add more of the required soil and place over it.

Most plants are removed easily from their pot, if the lip of the container is knocked upside down against any solid object. Hold your hand over the soil, straddling the plant between the fore and middle fingers while knocking it out of its present container. You could then suitably place it outside.

I place them according to their requirement of light like if they require high light I put them near the south facing window as there they will get maximum sunlight where as plants with low light requirement are placed near the north facing windows in my house. Apart from the light requirements you also need to see whether they fit in the home décor when you keep them there.

In my opinion plants that need high light need to be placed near south window and so I adjusted the interior and made it suitable to match with those plants. In this way I gave the plants their requirement and at the same time I have maintained my home décor too. Indoor plants look nice in the living room and if the size of the living room is comparatively large, plants with moderate heights can also be placed there. Then you can decorate small indoor plants in the kitchen or hanging plants in the bathroom window too.

If you have a well-kept bathroom, small hanging plants look very beautiful there. If you live in a hot and dry area you can decorate your home with plants that survive in hot climates and are beautiful too. But here you will have to satisfy yourself with less green rather desert plants because green plants need water and sunlight as well as moisture in air to survive.

You can get lot of information regarding varieties of indoor plants and their requirements on Internet and with the help of this information you can choose the plants that will grow in your environment and area. If you have even a small balcony then you can keep more plants that need more water and light because it is easy to water them there. In this way depending upon the variety of the plant and climate of your place you can choose indoor plants and place them as required. My email id, seema_mshr@rediffmail.com

Southern facing windows get the most intense light and northern facing get the least (about a quarter of southern facing). Both east & west get about half as much as southern facing windows.

You should also consider the decor you have in the room. Shiny, reflective surfaces will intensify the light & heat while dull and dark surfaces will do the opposite. Although plants need light, preferably sunlight, to grow they also need some period of darkness daily. Select a spot that will give them at least eight hours of sleep.

All house plants are sensitive to cold and hot drafts, especially flowering plants. It is not recommended you place any plants close to heating sources or drafty windows in the cold weather. This extremely dangerous for all plants, particularly bonsai trees. It can cause the roots to prematurely become brittle. This can in some cases be a long term health issue. Once the plan is moved from the area where it was exposed to the cold air, the roots my continue to deteriorate without any visible signs. If this happens to your plant there is usually no reversal.

You can easily move the pot off the ground onto a decorative plant holder to keep away from baseboard heat and unto the dining table to keep away from windows. You can seasonally change this configuration and it will freshen up your room also. Since most indoor plants are tropical or sub-tropical they do enjoy some level of humidity. In excess can be dangerous however moderate humidity can add a shine to a healthy coat that invigorates the plant.

If your space is very dry, especially if you have forced air heating, you can use a humidifier or easier still place several plants together in a grouping which increases the humidity for all of them. Every so often, if possible, move your plant out to the patio or balcony for some fresh air and light. Of course this needs to be done during temperate weather months and only for short periods of time.

Do not place it in direct sunlight outside, only indirect. Direct sunlight can cause burning in the outer layer of the plants which can lead to inadvertent dehydration. This is a situation that must be avoided at all cost for it decreases any plants life expectancy.

I was thinking $10 should buy me several little green creatures to strategically place throughout my house… WRONG! Plants are expensive. In fact, they were more expensive than this old dog I adopted from a pet shelter! I brought my plants home and placed them throughout my home. Although I had asked the “plant store lady” how to feed and water them, I failed to ask about where the plants should be kept. Now, I understood they were indoor plants, but I had this memory of my mother placing plants everywhere in our home.

So, I put one in the kitchen by the sink, several in my living room, one in the entry way, a couple in the bedrooms, and even one in the bathroom. I still did not know the names of my plants and do not to this day. I must mention that our home has registers in the ceilings. The plant that I put in the kitchen was placed on top of the cabinets near the register in my kitchen. Another plant was placed in the entry way, which is kind of an enclosed area. I first noticed these plants began to look a little sick after a couple of weeks, meaning the leaves were turning brown and the plant itself was kind of drooping.

I wasn’t sure if it was due to the lack of sunlight in these areas or the heat coming out of the register. I am assuming both. I immediately moved these two little rascals to the living room (or ER for the sake of plant recovery) in front of my patio doors. I opened the curtains and watered the plants really well. I continued to do this for two days and within that time, my plants began to come alive once more. It was amazing. So, I knew these two plants needed lots of sunlight and less air blowing on them. I had placed two plants in my living room on some book shelves. They grew so fast, I had to replace their pots within a month! No direct sunlight for these two gals. They do like their water though! They have vines extending down my book shelves and continue to look marvelous. So, my assumption is that this style of plant does not need direct sunlight. They were lucky I placed them where I did, so they didn’t have to go thought the trauma that my other plants experienced!

I have to mention that I still do not know what they are. Poor girls- I just call them Thing 1 and Thing 2! So, it is important when you purchase your plants to ask what type of plant they are as well as where they should be placed in your home!