Plant Your House

03/14/2023

I've gathered a bunch of photos of beautifully curated rooms with either a few or a lot of plants! They make lovely vignettes, not just the choice of plants but also the pots and stands or tables. Take a look 😍

Discover ailsaf's collection, Plant rooms

03/12/2023

So many reasons to incorporate houseplants into your life!

The perks can include sharpened attention, more productivity, reduced stress and anxiety, and a happier outlook

03/11/2023

Have you ever seen a pencil cactus? These two in square pots are called Euphorbia tirucalli or Firesticks because of their brilliantly coloured stems that grow increasingly vibrant when the temperature dips. This interesting succulent originates from Africa but can be found in many dry and hot areas of the world. It can also be a very attractive houseplant if you have a bright room with south or west-facing windows. The plant grows vertically and in the wild can grow upwards of 10' tall; indoors, considerably less, unless you have a conservatory or greenhouse. If you do decide that this is a plant for you, take care not to touch the milky sap that can exude from cuts as this can be corrosive to your skin and can cause serious irritation (also, don't let your pets eat it!) But it is a very beautiful plant if grown well.

02/18/2023

Did you know that there are black houseplants?! And I don't mean dead ones 🤣
Let me introduce you to Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Dowon', registered as 'Raven'. A striking colour of the usual ZZ plant, with the same requirements as low water, little care and will tolerate low light (or medium or bright - so super flexible). It has glossy black leaves that are green when they first appear and get darker with age.

02/14/2023

Happy Valentine’s Day 💚

02/11/2023

Don’t do this to your Pepperomia…😕😢

02/09/2023

Welcome!

Before we get started, let me tell you a little bit about me. My name is Ailsa Francis and I come about plants honestly :c)

I have a diploma in Horticulture from Algonquin College in Ottawa and have been making my own way in the world of plants and gardens ever since. Before that I studied the Visual Arts at the University of Ottawa and then obtained a Masters Degree in the History of Art from the University of Toronto.

I have always been attracted to art and the beauty of our natural world so in 1997 I opened what became a very popular gardening store here in Ottawa called Hortus Urbanus. I ran the store for ten years during which time I must have sold thousands of plants (and garden accessories) to happy customers. I was attracted to the beautiful and unusual but also keen to carry indoor plants that were considered “bullet-proof” so that even customers who had “black thumbs” would succeed. I never sold a plant to someone who I knew couldn’t keep it alive! I even had one customer admit that she came back when I wasn’t working, bought the plant she wanted but that I told her she couldn’t have as her conditions weren’t right, and then as I predicted, it promptly died. We had a good laugh and I put a better plant in her hands to take home.

From 2009 to 2016 I was the bi-weekly gardening columnist for the Ottawa Citizen newspaper and ran my own gardening business. I still do the latter and most of my clients have remained with me from the very beginning. Like our gardens, our indoor plant collections morph and change depending on our tastes, our experience and our sense of adventure.

Let me introduce you to the houseplants that best suit you and your indoor space and give you instructions so that you can best manage their care and see them thrive!

With my help you’ll:

• get a list of plants that suit your indoor conditions and level of expertise;
• obtain the names of providers that carry the best selection of both plants and pots;
• know what to look for when choosing the best specimens and what to avoid;
• get an idea of the fussiest plants out there and whether you should wait until you’re a ‘plant pro’ before attempting to grow them at your house, despite the undeniable attraction;
• receive direction as how to best care for these new plants, including watering advice, potting or re-potting, day to day care, fertilizing, pest and disease control/avoidance and general maintenance tips and tricks to ensure their good health;
• get advice on where to find the most attractive and interesting pots locally;
• be able to design your own collection of plants in beautiful pots, called a “pot scape”, no matter your conditions and level of skill;
• get follow-up advice via email or phone for a month, or add on for more supplemental advice;
• have the opportunity to have me shop with or for you for an added cost (Ottawa and area);
• choose to show off your newly acquired skill of keeping beautiful houseplants when I showcase, with your permission of course, the pictures you send me on the PLANT YOUR HOUSE page!

I’ll help you create a healthy and green indoor space by assisting you in planting your house with the most appropriate, beautiful and healthy houseplants. No more wasting money on plants that always seem to die a premature death – let me be your houseplant coach!

02/09/2023

There is an art to growing citrus indoors - bright light, attention to watering and no cold drafts!

Homegrown citrus is an indoor gardener’s Mount Everest. But if you have bright space, you can grow citrus indoors.

02/08/2023

This plant, Phlebodium Pseudoaureum (or Phlebodium aureum or P. areolatum) or simply Blue Star fern, is a small genus within the family of ferns, Polypodiaceae. This particular plant hearkens from the rainforests of South America where it grows as an epiphyte, that is, embracing tree branches in the moist canopy with its fur-like rhizomes that resemble rabbit's feet.

As a houseplant, it is easy! Give it bright or less than bright indirect light, make sure the soil doesn't dry out, and re-pot it once every couple of years when its furry feet reach well beyond the edges of its pot.

This one is very attractive because of its broad blue-green fronds that are not finely cut like the regular rabbit's foot fern; they can reach upwards to 1' tall and across.

I purchased mine last summer so I could create a hanging basket that would do well in a permanently shaded spot and it certainly did. I mixed in with it asparagus fern and variegated ivy; I can't believe I contemplated composting the whole thing last fall until I brought it inside as it was really thriving. And it has done well ever since in my south-facing but shaded plant table.

Highly recommended for low light, to those who don't forget to water!

02/05/2023

02/05/2023

What a striking plant! Peperomia is easy to grow, easy to propagate and non-toxic to pets. A winner, even in lower light.

Some plants just captivate you with their leaves! Peperomia Watermelon is always a favourite for us, especially when they are this nice and full. Easy care and pet friendly too! Available in store. 🍉

Our Information ⬇️

📍4228 Navan Road
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🖥 www.robertplantegreenhouses.com

We hope to see you soon!
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