The purchase of a houseplant and the care and maintenance of it requires time and effort. It will reward you through its ability to bring life to the home and as a decorative feature. You can gain additional benefits through growing your own new plants from seeds or cuttings.

Seeds

You should always collect and use good quality seed. It is not always possible to guarantee that the seeds are first rate unless you have selected your own from a good plant. If you obtain your seeds from a reputable source, that is a good start.

If you are growing plants from seeds, it is vitally important that the soil is properly prepared. You should begin with sterile earth, not just the dirt that is outside your house as this soil may have weed seeds, bacteria that may be harmful to the new seedlings, insect larvae or any number of other problems. To maximize seed germination, it is best to use good soil that is known to be pest free.

Using a seed starting tray is best for most new plants as they contain a capillary mat which will soak up water from below, feeding the seeds and maintaining moisture in the soil. They are also an ideal size for the critical first few months of a plant’s life. You should aim to keep the soil warm (at least 72 degrees F or 22 degrees C) during the day and no less than 65 degrees F or 18 degrees C at night. Use a warming lamp if needs be.

Enough light is vital for newly developing seedlings. If the climate or the location of the plants does not allow enough natural light, supplement with artificial lighting. The light should be suspended above the tray allowing a few inches between the tray and light.This heat will then penetrate the soil, warming the seeds to allow germination and once the seedling is above the surface, the same light and heat will supply the energy required for photosynthesis and therefore plant growth.

When the seedling has developed a few leaves, it is time to apply a fertilizer that is diluted to between 1/4 - 1/2 strength. It is then time to transplant the seedling into a pot.

Cuttings

You can use many of the same ideas when growing a new plant from a cutting. For instance, you would like to try growing Bird of Paradise plant from cuttings. Just like growing white Bird of Paradise from seeds white bird of paradise from seeds, the first step is to choose a good, healthy cutting. Green stems that have not hardened or become woody are the best and choose one that has a node (this is the point where a leaf attaches to the stem). This will then develop into roots to support and feed the new plant.

Be sure to remove all but one or two leaves with their nodes. Until the nodes develop roots, the plant will obtain its nutrients from the leaves. The soil should be prepared as for the seeds and the cuttings inserted with care and gently into the soil.

Ensure that the soil is kept moist but not overly wet during this stage as too much water will cause rot that will kill the new plant. Allow for plenty of light as with seeds - at least 12 hours per day, supplementing with artificial lighting if necessary.

After the plant has developed a root system, allow a few months before replanting into a longer term pot.

Homeowners look for nice items to use as garden ornaments. A decorative bird feeder would make a great garden ornament. There are different things that can be done to make a decorative bird feeder. Simply using paint or stain can certainly add to a wooden bird feeder.

A decorative bird feeder, specifically one that is built like a house, can be designed to resemble the homeowner’s actual house. Using miniature shutters, windows and various paint colors, a basic house bird feeder can quickly be transformed into a unique decorative bird feeder.

Putting up a decorative bird feeder, especially if you want it to be unique can be a difficult task. To make sure that your efforts aren’t wasted, you have to make sure that your bird feeder will not be damaged by squirrels, raccoons or any other such creatures that you inevitably find in gardens. Mount it up on a fairly tall pole, well away from any high points from which these critters can jump onto your bird feeder.

If you are lucky enough to be sure that squirrels or raccoons will pose no threat to your bird feeder, you can easily put the feeder anywhere you like - in the garden, or hang it somewhere, like a gazebo, or in a big tree. You could even put it on your patio. The birds around are sure to love it, and you are sure to love having it around you as well.

If you are crafty and have a particular vision for your decorative bird feeder, perhaps it would be best if you built it yourself. Looking at pictures in gardening books and magazines should provide ideas and perhaps instructions for a bird feeder. No doubt while shopping for garden ornaments, either at the local gardening center or online, you’ll find the perfect decorative bird feeder for your garden.

There are many articles around that will tell you about the ins and outs of looking after your Bonsai tree. They go into forms and styling, pruning techniques, repotting and so on. But let me just take you quietly into the feeling of Bonsai and why the majority of Bonsai gardeners become addicted.

If you have not heard of Bonsai trees or Bonsai plants you are a rare person indeed! Bonsai miniaturization probably dates back before the Chinese started several centuries ago. Then Bonsai techniques were picked up by the Japanese who really went to work and refined and perfected the skills to turn them into an art form. Since then the rest of the world has caught up with this amazing hobby and taken to it with a vengeance!

To the newcomer there seems to be an overwhelming amount of information on the techniques of growing Bonsai. There are seemingly important things like styles and forms, pruning and potting, watering and feeding and a long list of things you should and should not do. Is it no wonder that the novice might throw their hands in the air and say its all too hard! However to do that would be a mistake.

Bonsai trees carry an air of indefinable uniqueness. You are taken to a different perspective by their miniature stature and undoubted beauty. To be in the presence of a fully mature tree that is only 12 inches or 30 centimetres tall is a feeling that has to be lived to be fully appreciated. You are transported to a different place, one far from the hustle and bustle of modern city life with its pressures and stresses, and into a place of inner calm. That feeling is enhanced when those Bonsai trees have been trained by you.

As you begin to care for your Bonsai plant and spend some time getting to know your Bonsai you tend to enter into a kind of meditation. The rest of your busy world looses its focus while you concentrate on the job at hand. You can see the shape that the tree is inclined to grow into so you coax it by pruning and shaping, bit by bit until you have the result you were after. It becomes so soothing and relaxing that you can become quite addicted to your ” Bonsai time “.

Time and patience must of course be put in to achieve your aims. But it is the time and patience that is the whole point of Bonsai. It is in the doing that the spirit is calmed not in the achieving of the objective.

However there are some basic things you need to learn before you can loose yourself in this type of meditation. Start with some good quality supplies and the type of Bonsai tree suited to your area. There is plenty of “how to” information available for both new and experienced growers alike and you may want an interesting pot and display table to finish off the project.

If you allocate enough time to the basics in the beginning you will be rewarded well into the future with a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure.

Some Interesting Facts About The Mini Bonsai Trees

You are aware than bonsai means ‘tree in a pot’ in Japanese and this terms refers to a type of trees that are dwarfed by special growing techniques to reproduce the larger version in a miniature form. These plants are not only stunning beautiful, they are also very expensive and painstaking to grow. This is why most people would be surprised to know that there is another yet smaller type of miniaturization called the mini bonsai.

What Is The Mini Bonsai?

The mini bonsai is a tree which is further miniaturized having it grow to maximum the size of your palm. This type of bonsai is very common in Japan and China where it is also known as mame bonsai or shonin bonsai. The great thing about these mini bonsai trees is that almost all of them flower and fruit every year offering an amazing spectacle.

The mini bonsai can propagate from both seeds and cuttings in different seasons according to the growth chart of the species they belong to. The best part with these miniature trees is that they can be grown absolutely anywhere as they need very little special care or space. Their beauty is such that it can completely mesmerize anyone who sees it for the first time.

The same conditions and rules apply to the mini bonsai as it would apply to the regular bonsai trees, i.e. utmost care should be given that water is sufficient in the soil because flooding would rot the roots while dryness would kill it. You need to ensure that the plant has adequate food and light or it would wither away. Most of the mini bonsai trees though considered (maybe owing to their exquisite shape and size) to be indoor plants are actually outdoor plants.

This is why when kept indoors these trees need to be placed in a well ventilated area preferably facing southeast in a place where they could get well exposed to sun light for about six hours per day. If the place offers more than six hours direct sunlight, ensure that they have something that provides shade as protection against dryness.

For food the miniature bonsai trees would need nitrogen based fertilizer twice a month during the spring and summer and daily watering. Pruning and shaping should be done in late spring and early summer when the growth of these trees attains the maximum rate. These trees need to be repotted once every two years until they reach ten years of age. Immediately after repotting the tree would need a lot of water and natural shade to allow the roots to catch up.

Sometimes all of this looks like a lot of trouble and special care; however when you see the miniature trees in all their glory flowering and fruiting, you would find that each one of the efforts involved to get these masterpieces are well worth the trouble.