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Central Florida

Create your own indoor garden, using houseplants

October 18, 2017 By Nicole Pinson

A popular trend from Victorian times is making a comeback: Growing houseplants.

If you look online at image-sharing websites, apps, and boards and you’ll find that indoor plants are very popular.

In fact, a new term called “jungalow style” incorporates the use of plants inside homes and offices. Jungalow style brings the beauty and life of plants indoors by integrating them in living areas.

An easy-to-care for “ZZ plant” growing in Nicole Pinson’s office. 

Plants may be grown indoors — both for their beauty and their air quality benefits.

A study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted regarding air quality and houseplants concluded that a plant is “very important in removing indoor air pollution either directly through its leaves or indirectly through the root/soil pathway” (Wolverton, Douglas, and Bounds, 1989, pg. 10).

Plants tested by NASA include bamboo palm, English ivy, peace lily, Sansevieria laurentii, spider plant, golden pothos, and philodendron.

As with any plant, be sure to follow the first principle of Florida Friendly LandscapingTM: Right Plant, Right Place. This means selecting plants suited to your landscape (or home) based on light, water, temperature, and soil conditions.

My grandmother grew about 20 different African violets. She placed them in the perfect spot in her living room – a north-facing windowsill.

African violets grow well in bright, indirect light. A south-facing window would generally be too sunny for African violets.

You don’t need many plants to create an indoor garden.

Choose easy-to-grow plants such as spider plants, Aglaonema spp., and hoya.

One of my favorite indoor plants is called a “ZZ plant” or Zamioculcas zamiifolia. ZZ plants have shiny, dark green leaves. They thrive in low-light environments and are drought-tolerant. ZZ plants have no significant pest or disease problems. The main concern is proper watering. ZZ plants need soil that drains well. Water your ZZ plant and let it dry out between waterings to reduce the chance of root rot, which can be caused by too much water.

Generally, you should have few pests with indoor plants, but you may occasionally encounter mealybugs and whiteflies. If this happens, remove the pot from your house or office and place it outside in a similar environment. Often, natural predators will eat the pest insects. You may also use least toxic pest control methods, such as horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps. Some pests, such as mealybugs or aphids, may be treated by wetting or removing the insects with a cotton swab dipped in a solution of one-half water and one-half rubbing alcohol.

To avoid disease problems, water appropriately. This requires some care and monitoring of your plants. Plants grown indoors don’t dry out as quickly as plants grown outside.

Monitoring your plants to provide sufficient – but not too much – water can be tricky at first. But, over time you’ll know your plants’ watering needs. For example, I have an English ivy in a windowsill. It requires more water during the summer months than it does during the winter months. Additionally, some months I water it every two weeks because that is all the water it needs!

A word of caution: Some houseplants may be considered invasive when planted in the landscape. Be considerate of the growing characteristics of houseplants and check their status prior to planting them in the ground.

You can look up plant names and view pictures of invasive plants on the UF/IFAS Assessment website found at https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/. For example, searching for the plant Sansevieria will yield results for three plants included in the Assessment. You will see that Sansevieria cylindrica is not considered a problem species at this time. However, Sansevieria trifasciata is listed as invasive in Central Florida and throughout the rest of the state.

Get creative with your indoor garden by choosing flower pots that match your décor, or try growing plants in a terrarium.

I enjoy searching for vintage or antique pots in thrift stores, yard sales, and antique shops.

Keep an eye out for unique finds when traveling. I spotted the geometric flower vase — now hanging in my office — at a garden center in Nashville, Tennessee. You may find other creative containers such as pottery, vases, jars, concrete planters, baskets, wall pockets, and galvanized buckets.

The UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County office can help answer your gardening questions. We are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Our office and gardens are located at 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, Florida 33584.

For additional information, contact or (813) 744-5519, Ext. 54145.

Nicole Pinson is the Urban Horticulture Agent in Hillsborough County. The author gratefully acknowledges Master Gardener Nancy Ham for contributing to this article.

Published Oct. 18, 2017

 

Filed Under: Nature Notes Tagged With: 5339 County Road 579, African, Central Florida, English, Florida, Florida Friendly LandscapingTM, NASA, Nashville, Sansevieria, Seffner, Tennessee, UF/IFAS Assessment, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, Victorian, Zamioculcas Zamiifolia

TBARTA picks Don Skelton as interim executive director

June 17, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Don Skelton is the new interim executive director of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority board of directors.

He replaces Bob Clifford, TBARTA’s first executive director, who resigned to join the engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, according to a release.

Skelton has a lengthy career in transportation planning and programs, including serving as secretary of the District 7 office for the Florida Department of Transportation for seven years, ending in 2012. During that time, he was on the board of directors as an “ex officio” member, and was instrumental in providing support for the development of TBARTA’s master transportation plan.

Right now, however, he is vice president at H.W. Lochner, where he provides transportation engineering services for the Tampa Bay region and Central Florida.

“Don was there when we started, and played a major role in our early success,” said Ronnie Duncan, TBARTA’s chair, in a release. “There could not be (a) better person to serve in this capacity as we work through the process of selecting a permanent executive director.”

TBARTA was created in 2007 by the Legislature to plan and develop a multimodal transportation system that will connect the second counties of the Tampa Bay region — Pasco, Hillsborough, Hernando, Citrus, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Bob Clifford, Central Florida, Citrus County, Don Skelton, Florida Department of Transportation, H.W. Lochner, Hernando County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County, Parsons Brickenhoff, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Ronnie Duncan, Sarasota County, Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, TBARTA

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Avalon Applauds… Norah Catlin

February 23, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

CONGRATULATIONS to Norah Catlin, for being applauded by Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. Catlin, a senior at Wiregrass Ranch … [Read More...] about Avalon Applauds… Norah Catlin

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‘Aladdin jr.’

Live Oak Theatre is now selling tickets for its Acorn Theatre production of “Aladdin jr.” Performances will be March 18 through March 28, at the Carol and Frank Morsani Center for the Arts, 21030 Cortez Blvd., in Brooksville. Seats are $15 for adults and $8 for children ages 13 and younger, when accompanied by an adult. For show times and tickets, visit LiveOakTheatre.square.site, email , or call 352-593-0027. … [Read More...] about ‘Aladdin jr.’

03/05/2021 – Apple Pie Bombs

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will offer “Foodie Feast: Apple Pie Bombs” on March 5. Participants can learn how to make tasty, apple pie bombs. Watch the prerecorded video between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., online at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary. For information, call 352-567-3576, or email Danielle Lee at . … [Read More...] about 03/05/2021 – Apple Pie Bombs

03/06/2021 – Bridal Trunk Show

The Gulfside Hospice New Port Richey Thrift Shoppe, 6117 State Road 54, will host a Bridal Trunk Show on March 6 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will be more than 250 dresses to choose from, starting at $29.99 and many brand new. Admission is free, but limited spots are available to allow for social distancing. Brides must register online in advance, by March 3, at bit.ly/NPR-Bridal-Trunk-Show. All proceeds from the shop go to help hospice patients in Pasco County. For questions, contact Jeremi Sliger at , or call 727-842-7262. … [Read More...] about 03/06/2021 – Bridal Trunk Show

03/11/2021 – Economic security

The Pasco Unit of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County will sponsor a panel discussion on “Economic Security in Pasco County During the COVID Outbreak” on March 11 at 7 p.m. Panelists will include Brian Hoben, community services director, Pasco County Public Services; Marcy Esbjerg, director of community development, Pasco County Public Services; Don Anderson, CEO, Pasco Homeless Coalition; and, Mike Bishop, director, Stakeholder Engagement, Pasco Economic Development Council. For information on how to register, email . … [Read More...] about 03/11/2021 – Economic security

03/13/2021 – ‘Grease’ event

T-Mobile will sponsor “Grease is the Word” on March 13 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. There will be a sing-along contest pitting Pasco County Fire Rescue against the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, a free movie “under the stars,” and a classic car show with prizes. There also will be food trucks and games. Admission is free. … [Read More...] about 03/13/2021 – ‘Grease’ event

03/13/2021 – Exhibitors needed

Demene Benjamin and UrEsteem will host “UrSelf: A Dabble in Self-Care” on March 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. Exhibitors can be anyone who has a product or service to promote physical, mental and social health, including physical and massage therapists; counselors; churches; nail techs/hairstylists; yoga/pilates/exercise; or natural products. For information, call 813-334-6006, or email . … [Read More...] about 03/13/2021 – Exhibitors needed

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