Through the years many plants were considered to be only greenhouse subjects rather then house plants. That, thankfully, has changed and many species can be considered as house plants to decorate your home. Here is a house plant guide to the basics of caring for your plants also known as container gardens. It is best to choose plants that have thick leathery foliage. The reason they can withstand heated rooms is that they have tough leaves and can withstand adverse conditions. This also cuts down on house plant care. It is wise however, to keep the foliage free of dust so as not to interfere with the plants pores.

It pays to get your house plants ready for indoor life. If it is possible buy your plants when you no longer need to heat your home. This way they will get plenty of fresh air to harden the developing foliage, giving it strength against a hot dry atmosphere of heated rooms. This is especially important for tropical house plants. If you buy a tropical plant, such as a begonia, keep it in a room that is warm and moist, like a bathroom. They thrive on moisture and because of the steam from showers tropical house plants will get the necessary humidity.

To keep house plants species hardy they must be in a cool a place as possible. An unheated room that does not fall below 45 degrees is ideal. If you have a very cold spell, bring the plants into a heated room but be sure to get them back to the cool atmosphere as soon as possible. If you have a very large house plant that is not easily moved cover it with material, like several layers of burlap, to shield it from the elements.

When it comes to house plant care, watering is usually the trickiest. The amount of water will depend on how fast the plant absorbs the moisture. Obviously, a house plant that is in active growth requires more water than a dormant one. A good rule of thumb for house plant care is that they will require more water during the growing months, April through October. All container gardens should be watered when relatively dry. Sufficient water should be given to the house plant to reach to the drainage hole. This is important because the feeding roots closest to the bottom need water to continue growth.

A good trick for house plant care is to tap the pots half way down with your knuckles. If there is a hollow sound the plant needs water. But, if you hear a dull sound there is still plenty of water. The exception here is if the soil has been compacted firmly into the pots, then you will always here a hollow sound. If possible use rain water for house plant care. If you cannot use rain water on your container gardens, you can use tap water. Be sure to inspect your house plants daily to see if they need moisture.

If the tips of your foliage turn a sickly yellow you are over watering the plant. Do not water it again until the soil is quite dry. Over watering will also cause a moss or algae to grow on the soil. This must be removed, then use a sharp stick to aerate the house plant.

Another task of house plant care is feeding the plant. Plants that have rooted well and are growing freely need the most feeding. This extra nourishment is especially needed from May to August. Flowering house plants benefit by feeding them as soon as there flower buds appear. There are many types of fertilizers, speak to the people at your garden center to find the right one for your house plants.

These are some tips on caring for house plants. Keep your house plants feed, watered and clean so that you will have years of enjoyment and beauty.

Tree ferns have been around since prehistoric times when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Originally popularized by the Victorians, the tree fern has undergone something of a revival in recent years, helped no doubt by it frequent appearances in many of the television garden makeover programmes.

Tree ferns can roughly be divided in hardy and non hardy when growing in the UK. It is likely there are up to a thousand species of tree fern, with most of them growing in the Southern Hemisphere and the tropics. Many of these are not a all cold hardy and it would be very difficult to grow them successfully outside in the UK. The two main cold hardy types for our climate are called: Cyathea and Dicksonia.

Where to Buy Tree Ferns

Tree fern are available as plants that have been propagated from spores and complete trunks that have been harvested from rain forests or tropical areas of the world, often as a by-product of other activities. You can usually buy them at garden centres or specialist nurseries. The trunks are often sold without fronds straight from the container and the fronds will start to appear after a few weeks. Expect to pay more if you want to buy a tree fern with fronds.

Choosing a Position for a Tree Fern

Tree ferns prefer to grow with some shade. They will adapt to a sunny position but will need very regular watering and may suffer from sunburn to the fronds. So ideally you need to pick a spot in the garden with some shade during at least part of the day. Ferns also like a moist surrounding and tree ferns really need watering every day during the warmer months especially inside and down the trunk. They will grow equally happy in containers but again will prefer a shady spot.

How to Plant Tree Ferns

Tree ferns don't need a rich or deep soil. They will survive happily even in very poor or stony soil. Ideally a slightly acid soil (adding ericaceous compost will help) is preferable and a light dressing with blood and bone meal will give the plants plenty of food to start them off. If you've purchased a smaller plant just dig a hole big enough for the root ball.

Feeding your Tree Fern

The tree fern will need feeding from time to time. If you have planted it in the shade under a canopy of larger tree your tree fern will extract some nutrients from the decaying leaf-fall. They will still need some extra feed and one of the best around is one called Maxi Crop. Maxi Crop is made from seaweed; it is easily available and contains a good range of nutrients and minerals. Follow the manufactures instructions for the dilution and feed well at least every two months.