Say it with Flowers...

Flower language was a flourishing art in the Middle Ages.Giving and receiving flowers was once part of an elaborate and lengthy courtship with many different types of flowers used to express sentiments and carry messages. Exchanges of flowers would take place over weeks and months, through the seasons, each flower or sprig of leaves having a meaning--a conversation in flowers...

Some tips for flower care and indoor gardening ....

# To prolong bloom, protect from drafts and keep them moderately
moist.

# Turn and prune house plants regularly to keep them shapely. Pinch
back new growth to promote bushy plants.

# Check all house plants closely for insect infestations. Quarantine
gift plants until you determine that they aren't harboring any pests.

# Overwatering indoor plants encourages root rot. Water when the soil
is dry to the touch.

# Keep winter fertilization of most houseplants to a minimum as plant
growth is now at its slowest. # House plants and holiday gift plants should not be placed on top of
the television. This location is too warm and in most homes too far
from windows to provide adequate light.

# Thin-leaved plants are very sensitive to transplant shock. If a
plant wilts after repotting, encase the entire plant in a plastic bag.
Twist the bag shut and punch two or three holes in it. Allow the plant
to recuperate out of direct sunlight in this protected environment for
two or three days. Resist the urge to water a wilted plant if the soil
is moist...