There are so many great reasons to add houseplants to your home, office, or dorm room. They add color and life to any space, help improve air quality, and reduce stress. Plants can even make you more productive!

The great news is that you don’t need to be a certified horticulturist in order to enjoy the benefits of having houseplants. There are several houseplants that don’t require a “green thumb” in order for them to flourish.

Here’s some of the easiest, most forgiving plants to cultivate:

Sansevieria

You might know this plant as the Snake Plant or Mother-in-Law’s Tongue. Some call it Viper’s Bowstring Hemp because the strong fibers were once used for bowstrings. The plant’s bold and slender upright leaves, typically edged in a green-gray color, make it quite a stunner. It’s also quite forgiving; the only thing you need to worry about is overwatering it. 

Among this plant’s variations is the “whale fin” sansevieria (Sansevieria Masoniana) which takes its name from its wide, paddle-like leaves. Typically dark green with lighter mottling, these leaves can grow to a whopping four feet long by 10 inches wide. Learn more about Sanseviera here. 

Peace Lily

Spathiphyllum, better known as the “Peace Lily,” is a great example of a spadix type of plant, where a spike of tiny little flowers is encased in a curved leaf-like structure known as a spathe. (Peace Lilies are sometimes called Spathe flowers.) Besides being beautiful, Peace Lilies are easy to take care of and can acclimate to lower levels of light. Peace Lilies symbolize purity and innocence. They are often given as a gift to those who have suffered a loss, as the white lily represents the rebirth of the soul. Find out how easy it is to cultivate this plant here.

Pothos

The easy-going nature of Potho makes them a very popular first plant for houseplant newbies. They have thick, waxy, heart-shaped leaves that are typically green with yellow or white sections (known as variegation). These versatile houseplants look great in a pot or hanging in a container, with their vine-like stems cascading down. They grow well in bright light or low light, meaning they will flourish anywhere in your home. Find out why this is one of the most popular species for first-time plant owners here and check out the “neon” version too.  

Succulents

Because they are able to store water in their leaves, stems, or roots, succulents have adapted to survive in dry conditions, such as deserts. The come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and there are many different species to choose from. Among the most popular are aloe vera, echeveria, kalanchoe and the jade plant. 

Philodendrons

In addition to being easy to care for, philodendrons are very diverse; there are more than 400 subspecies of this plant! This includes the ever-popular Monstera deliciosa, more commonly known as the split-leaf or swiss cheese philodendron for the holes that develop in its large heart-shaped leaves. Then there’s the Philodendron Birkin, a man-made plant created from two cultivars, which has pinstripe vegetation on lush dark green leaves. Rumor is that the name ‘Birkin’ came from the expensive Hermes handbag. One of the newest plants in this family is the Philodendron ‘Atom’ which is a dwarf cultivar. This compact plant will only grow about 12 inches high and has a very bushy appearance with deep-green leaves that are ruffled, which is why it’s also known as the “lacy” philodendron.

These are just a few of the plants that are relatively easy to care for and will bring beauty to your home without requiring you to be a plant expert. To learn about these and other houseplants, visit our houseplant experts at Warner’s Nursery.

One of the great things about being in a gardening business in Northern Arizona is the talented horticulture experts you get to work with. We truly value our relationships with other gardening organizations, and one of our most special partnerships is with the Coconino Master Gardeners Association.

The association is part of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, a statewide network of knowledgeable faculty and staff that provides lifelong educational programs for all Arizonans.

The Master Gardener program’s volunteers provide free science-based horticulture information for our region, including data and guides on plant selection, insects, plant diseases, planting, pruning, irrigating, fertilizing, and more. They are probably best know for their program to train new Master Gardeners, a 15-week course, followed by 50 hours of volunteer gardening work to become certified.

But you don’t need to to become a Master Gardener yourself in order to benefit from the extension program’s expertise. Coconino Master Gardeners are our partners in Root Camp, Gardening 101 series, providing more than a dozen excellent one-hour seminars throughout the spring and summer for our customers.

Later this month, Coconino Master Gardeners will be hosting its annual Garden Tour, a chance to view and learn from the creators of seven beautiful vegetable, flower and native plant gardens around Flagstaff. The self-guided tour will be from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, August 12.

Tickets for the tour will be sold from 9 am to Noon at Warner’s Nursery the day of event. Tickets are $15 and all proceeds will benefit the Coconino Master Gardener Association community grants. (You can also buy tickets on EventBrite, but the ticket cost is $17.85 to cover processing fees).

We hope you will take advantage of this unique event, and avail yourself of the terrific programs that the Coconino Master Gardener Association provides, including their classes here at Warner’s Nursery.

Part of the true joy of gardening is watching individual plants grow, flourish and provide beauty (and sometimes really great eats!)

But the other thing you cultivate when you create a garden is a special space – a green, leafy outdoor oasis. It makes your garden and yard another “room” where you can unwind and enjoy life with your family.

Here’s what that room looks like at my house.

My yard has a bit of everything, and we’ve set it up so there are little surprises tucked into every corner. There’s a greenhouse for me to putter in and an outdoor chess set to play with. We make sure there are different seating areas where you will have a different view of the pretty flowers, so anyone can find a spot to just hang out and enjoy.

Water features are a big part of our backyard. There’s a waterfall and stream for the kids and dogs to get in when it’s hot.  I like to have running water for the birds, so we made a boulder with a hole on top that bubbles water. They love it! They also play in the stream, bathing and drinking out of it.

Speaking of water, one big change we did make is trading our lawn for artificial turf in order to be more water wise.

There are endless choices for what you can include in your backyard oasis. It can be rustic or elegant, modern or traditional. Just make sure the elements make you and your family happy and make it easy for you to enjoy the outdoors.

Flagstaff is beautiful in the summer and it seems silly to travel somewhere else when you can, with just a little effort, create your own paradise to enjoy all summer long, literally in your backyard.

Several years ago, I started blogging about our concerns for pollinators – the bird, bees, and butterflies – that are key to our gardens and essential to much of our food supply.

At that time, the headlines talked about things like bee colony collapse disorder, butterflies that were disappearing at an alarming rate, and how these declines could impact crops that depend on pollinators. Up to 75% of the food we eat relies in part on pollinators, from almonds to watermelons. 

The news is somewhat better today. Honey bees have made a remarkable comeback and while some species of butterflies (specifically the iconic monarchs that migrate between Mexico and Canada) were formally put on the endangered species list last year, other butterflies are stable and even thriving.

Yet, the danger isn’t over. One of the biggest concerns is climate change, which is impacting pollinators’ food sources. Flowering plants are blooming earlier or later than they used to, putting them out of sync with when pollinators are active. Extreme weather events like droughts, heat waves, and flooding are also endangering pollinators.

Together, we can help alleviate the challenges faced by pollinators, either by creating more gardens or making some changes in existing gardens so they are more friendly to birds, bees and butterflies.

You can expand pollinators’ garden habitats by planting at least three different pollinator-friendly plants that bloom in three different seasons (spring, summer and fall) to help ensure a consistent food supply. 

Towards the end of summer and beginning of fall, your best pollinator attractors include: Rudbeckia, Gaillardia, Catmint, Coreopsis, Agastache, Monarda, Lavender, Penstemon, Yarrow, Echinacea, Summer Phlox, Trumpet Vine, Russian Sage and, of course, Butterfly bushes.

Adopting some other strategic choices in your garden will help pollinators thrive as well. You can:

• Create habitats for pollinators by supplying necessary water, food, shelter and places to raise their young. A great example is a “bee condo,” which you can make or purchase. 
• Plant in clumps as clustering plants makes them easier to find and shortens the need for travel, reserving the energy of backyard pollinators.
• Choose a variety of colors and shapes, as different pollinators are attracted to different types of flowers. (For example, flat petal flowers for butterflies, who “taste” with their feet; funnel-like flowers for hummingbirds; yellow and blue flowers for bees, who have difficulty seeing red.)
• Use pollinator-safe pesticides and follow the directions for use carefully.

Warner’s locally grown native plant selection, as well as all the other quality plants from our nursery, provide multiple food sources for pollinators. Not only will they keep your local pollinators well fed, they’ll also keep your garden and yard looking lovely too.

Stop by and let us know if we can help.

Happy Gardening,
Misti