The Rural Voice, 1995-11, Page 37Gardening
Houseplants give children a taste of gardening
BY RHEA HAMILTON-SEEGER
Spring is such an exciting time for
teaching children about gardening
that we too often stop there.
Window -sill gardening through the
winter months will keep that passion
for plants growing.
My daughter Sarah has a mother -
of -millions plant on her window sill.
She brought it down for the summer
months to join the few houseplants
left in the dining room. I soon
realized that if it wasn't returned to
its solitary spot upstairs I would have
the wee mothers throughout all my
houseplants! If you are unfamiliar
with this plant, the parent drops
young plants that line its serrated
leaves into the soil below it and into
any pot nearby. The young plants
are complete with at least two leaves
and a few root hairs and can quickly
take up residence anywhere, soon
taking over a pot. This is a member
of a succulent family and doesn't
require a lot of watering. It grows
well in any window too. There are
some wonderful eccentric looking
plants that will delight children and
adults alike and which are not as
invasive in the indoor garden. Most
children have a window in their
room and there is a plant for every
exposure so youngsters could keep
their own plant in their window.
The first priority is to select a
plant that is best suited to the light
exposure available. Will this be a
window -sill pot or a hanging plant?
Depending on the age of the child
and how much you can rely on them
to water this new life form, you may
want to select a plant that is more
like a cactus that requires minimal
care.
For an east exposure you could
look at a rosary vine. It has lovely
wee heart -shaped leaves that tumble
down in a trailing mixture. It is a
member of the milkweed family and
has fleshy, inch -long dark green
leaves splashed with creamy -white or
light green giving it a marble -like
effect. It will produce small pinkish
or purplish flowers usually found in
pairs along the wiry stems which
hang limply due to the weight of the
succulent leaves. Native to Natal,
Africa it adapts quite well to our
homes. It requires light, well -drained
soil like you would use for cacti or
succulents. Keep moist during the
growing period but allow it to dry
out between waterings. If watering is
decreased gradually the plants will
go dormant. The little tubers are
planted to make new plants.
A jade plant makes a wonderful
plant for a west exposure. We have a
rather large grandfather -looking one
here that I prune every two years to
keep it in line. They grow quite fast
and look quite old and stately. If an
older child is interested in bonsai this
would be a good plant to learn on. It
is easily recognized for its thick
fleshy leaves that are dark green and
shiny above. In California they are
grown in tubs outside and turn a rosy
red. We can get the same effect if
the pot is set outside during the
summer months in a sheltered spot.
Give this plant a sandy, well -drained
soil with little humus. Be careful not
to over -water but too little will cause
leaves to yellow and drop. Although
I have never seen flowers on my
plant my research shows they can
produce small, fragrant, showy
creamy -white flowers.
In the late fall, rest the plant by
keeping soil rather dry, with only
enough moisture to prevent leaves
from shriveling. This will help
induce flowers on mature plants.
Repot in the spring but keep larger
specimens in the same container for
three to four years. In the spring
scrape soil from the surface, replace
with new and follow with a normal
feeding program during spring and
summer. In insufficient light, growth
becomes lanky and leaves small; tips
tend to bend over and curve upward.
I think I better go move mine. You
can prune them in the early spring to
restrict their size or to develop a
bonsai look.
For those cold lonely north
windows there are two really
wonderful plants that will delight
children: pick -a -back plant and the
prayer plant. The pick -a -back plant
is also called mother-of-thousands
and is a low growing ground cover
from the west coast from Alaska to
California. It will withstand cold
temperatures and is amazingly
adaptable. It likes a rich, well -
drained soil and a bright window
Strong sunlight will give the lea\ es
yellowish cast and turn the edges
brown. The leaves arc heart -shaped,
about three inches long, jagged along
the edges and hairy. Children love
the little plantlets that appear on the
stem at the base of the mature leaves.
The plantlets will root in water or
sand and peat moss making new
plants to replace those that are old
and tired looking. When allowed to
dry out completely, the plant will
collapse.
Children love the prayer plant in
the evening when its leaves fold up
in prayer. It is a low -growing plant
with chocolate -spotted, oval leaves.
I used to tell my youngsters the spots
were like rabbit tracks. It is
commonly found in supermarket
plant sections. Although you can
grow this plant in the north wind', A,
it does require warmth and humidity.
Temperatures below 10 degrees
Celsius will injure their foliage.
Keep soil moist and provide good
drainage as the roots resent a
stagnant condition. From December
to February the soil can be kept
barely moist while the plant is
resting. Don't panic when the prayer
plant loses a lot of leaves since new
shoots will appear from the roots in
early spring.
The south window of course is
ideal for geraniums. Feed with high -
phosphorous fertilizer in February to
promote blooms. I find that southern
exposure in our homes is often
already filled with plants being
wintered over for the gardens and
there is little room left to for new
acquisitions. Children will just have
to share that space with Mom and
Dad.O
Rhea Ilamilton-Seeger raises two
children, and is a skilled cook and
gardener.
NOVEMBER 1995 33