Plants for Indoor Gardens | Facts

Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger is a low-growing, herbaceous perennial plant with heart-shaped leaves and unique, reddish-brown, tubular flowers that are often hidden beneath the foliage, typically found in shaded woodlands. It is a beautiful, versatile groundcover perennial that can be a valuable addition to landscaping. Here are some of its attributes and benefits when used in landscaping. Wild ginger is a plant that many may not be aware of. An ideal addition to a lawn that needs some variety in terms of the types and sizes of plants, there are plenty of reasons to start growing this plant where you live. Let's take a look at what it has to offer and how it might benefit your space. Wild Ginger Acts As a Larger Groundcover This plant is the perfect groundcover for those who want something that's a bit larger and can serve to blend in seamlessly with their much smaller plants and their much larger ones. Its heart-shaped leaves can extend up to eight inches tall, helping it seamlessly blend in throughout areas where smaller flowers feel disjointed in contrast with their much taller counterparts. If you have an area where you're having trouble growing grass, or you want something a bit different, this plant will do! Wild Ginger Attracts Unique Pollinators This plant's flowers do not bloom toward the top. Rather, the jug-like flowers grow near the bottom of the plant. As a result, this attracts pollinators like ants and flies that you wouldn't normally think of as benefitting your garden. If you have other forms of ground cover or smaller plants that may need some extra support, this plant could be an excellent addition to attract the pollinators your other plants aren't bringing in. Wild Ginger Can Suppress Weeds Groundcover is a great way to reduce the number of weeds in your garden or yard. Because ground cover takes up the bulk of the space it's planted in, it's much harder for weeds to take root and begin spreading. Should some weeds manage to start growing, they're much easier to pluck out. This plant is perfect if you're looking to reduce weeds and have something intentionally growing in your space. Wild Ginger Reduces Soil Erosion Groundcover root systems spread across the space and keep soil in place, reducing soil erosion and ensuring that your soil retains its beneficial qualities. It also protects the roots of nearby plants, which is essential if you're looking to create a robust, beautiful garden.

Lily Pads

Lily Pads are round, flat, floating leaves of aquatic plants, typically green in color, providing a resting place for frogs and a picturesque element in ponds and water gardens. They are often associated with serene ponds and water gardens, they offer unique benefits when strategically incorporated into landscaping designs. Their aquatic nature, ability to create captivating reflections, contributions to ecosystem health, and role in enhancing the visual and sensory experience make them valuable to outdoor spaces. Lily pads are clusters of aquatic plants with leaves and blooms that grow in ponds, water gardens, and natural bodies of water. They root in the soil at the bottom of quiet, freshwater habitats. There are many reasons to cultivate these uncommonly alluring plants. The Extraordinary Beauty Of Lily Pads If you want breathtaking plants and a unique landscape, consider them. The magnificent blossoms burst forth through the surface of the water with bold flowers in a rainbow of colors from bright white, pale pink, and rich red to yellow and even blue. Large green leaves provide a stunning backdrop for these graceful flowers. The delicate petals and intricate stamens create a visually exquisite display that can grace your landscape with something very special. The Spiritual Symbolism Of Lily Pads Lilies represent resurrection, rebirth, purity, and enlightenment. From the muck at the bottom of the pond, they emerge triumphantly, transformed into extraordinary blossoms. They have long been associated with higher qualities of consciousness like enlightenment and spiritual awakening. Some cultures associate the plants with grace, beauty, harmony, and serenity. In Buddhism and Hinduism, the pads have spiritual significance. In ancient Egypt, they were thought to repel negative entities, while Christians saw them as symbols of life, energy, and vitality. The Hardy Leaves and Blooms Of Lily Pads The leaves can be round, oval, or heart-shaped, and they float on the surface of the water. The leaves are supported by long stalks that emerge from thick, fleshy underwater roots. The leaves have a waxy coating that repels water while keeping them dry and buoyant. The size of the leaves varies by species. They range from a few inches to one foot in diameter. The flowers have delicate petals arranged in layers around a disk. The petals can be single or double-layered. The Strong Roots Of Lily Pads Visible blooms and leaves can completely cover the surface of a body of water. The showy display is supported by strong roots made of fleshy rhizomes that secure the plants in the muddy substrate at the bottom of the water. The rhizomes produce slender roots that absorb nutrients in the water and further secure the plant in its position. The plant is important in aquatic ecosystems, where it can be a primary food source and desirable habitat for fish and small animals alike.

Running Bamboo

Running Bamboo is a versatile and fast-growing plant that offers many benefits when incorporated into landscaping projects. Its unique characteristics and practical attributes make it popular for enhancing outdoor spaces with aesthetic and functional advantages. A running bamboo is a type of plant that will grow outwards almost as quickly as it will grow upwards. Although mostly an ornamental plant, it does serve a number of purposes within a given landscape. Let's take a closer look at what this plant looks like and the specific reasons you'll want to have it on your property. The Physical Attributes of Running Bamboo It will typically have a golden stalk from which a series of green leaves will shoot out from the top. The trees that you see will shoot from stalks that grow horizontally along the ground, which is why they are referred to as runners. How Fast Does Running Bamboo Grow You can see several inches or feet of vertical growth per season, much of which takes place in the spring or early summer. It can also grow horizontally up to 10 feet in a single season. If you are in a rural area, this may not cause any issues with neighbors or local authorities. However, if you live in a typical neighborhood, you may want to consider adding a barrier to prevent runaway growth. What Is Running Bamboo Used For This type of plant can be used for a variety of purposes, such as adding some color to a garden or to edge your garden, driveway, or other landscape components. You can also use it as a privacy screen or to help dampen noise coming from a neighbor's house, highway, or other sources. It can also be used to help reclaim or revitalize a landscape after a weather event or years of neglect. Running Bamboo Can Be Used as Pet Food Creatures such as rabbits or guinea pigs can use the shoots of this plant for nourishment. However, you probably won't see deer, rodents, or other creatures that typically exist in a suburban setting flocking to your tree, which may help to ensure its long-term survival.

Hosta

Hostas are shade-loving perennials known for their large, heart-shaped, and often variegated leaves and spikes of bell-shaped flowers, making them popular choices for garden borders and landscaping in low-light areas. They are renowned for their lush foliage and graceful appearance offer many benefits when incorporated into landscaping designs. These versatile perennials have gained popularity for their ability to enhance outdoor spaces with their aesthetic appeal, adaptability, and ease of maintenance. Hostas are attractive herbaceous plants that can grow up to 4 feet in height, although a height of 18 inches is more common. There are several species of them, each of which has slight differences in leaf color. Each species also has a different kind of bloom, and all of them make exceptional focal points in any garden. Hosta: The Leaves The type seen most commonly in the United States is the "Keepsake." The charming green leaves that are ringed with yellow accents are popular because of their hardiness in different climates and the wonderful vistas they create in a garden. Sometimes, the rings of lighter color are different shades of white rather than yellow, but they don't lose any of their eye-catching effects. They have leaves of a single color, usually dark green. All leaves of them are sturdy and ribbed, even if they're longer and tapered rather than cheerfully oval. Hosta: The Blooms Most versions of them have pretty purple or white flowers that bloom in the early summer through the beginning of fall. The flower buds form in the middle of spring and are generally the same color as the flowers themselves. Even when they're just budding, they are beautiful plants that complement everything else in the garden. Once the buds bloom, the flowers form trumpet shapes, bell shapes, or elongated pendulous shapes. Only one version of these flowers has a strong scent, and it's called the "August Lily." It's a shy flower, blooming in the evening and closing up again by morning, so it'll brighten up any garden when the sun goes down. Hosta: In the Middle of Everything When they are surrounded by flowers of similar colors, such as California bluebells for the species with violet flowers or tuberose for the white-flowered species, it creates a breathtaking effect. Alternating the various species in concentric rings would just increase their appeal and let them truly shine. Hosta: Good for Pollinators The blooms are important for most pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Not only do the flowers provide nectar, but the leaves collect dew in the mornings, and that allows these little creatures to take a drink while visiting the garden.