The Iowa State University Department of Entomology recently presented the results of a study on common catnip. They concluded that an essential oil in catnip is very effective at repelling mosquitoes. When placed in a garden, small doses of catnip oil were 10 times more effective than DEET. While the researchers don’t know why mosquitoes […]
BASIL
The Folklore and Magical side of BASIL … While most of us associate basil with Italian food, it is actually native to India and Southeast Asia. The earliest known reference stretches back 5,000 years to Indian Vedic texts. And true to its long history, it […]
STAYING COOL
People sweat to cool off, and plants do something similar. We call it transpiration. Thank you Freepik ! As summer heats up, some of the water drawn up through the roots exits the plant through pores – or stomata— which are in its leaves. As it evaporates, heat is removed, providing a cooling effect. However, […]
The NYBG
Or for those in the know The New York Botanical Gardens – a truly magical place to get lost in or even find yourself in ! For me after working all week with plants – guess where you will often find me ( they have a bar and a great restaurant – did I mention […]
A Fungus Among Us
Scared ? You should be ! Root rot is one of the top reasons why people call me for help with their Indoor plants. They send me pictures of their plants in dire straits and looking stressed. Pictures like these: Thank you ourhouseplants.com! For these sick little specimens ! ! Their cause for […]
Some useful Tips to think about when planning a ...
Plant Specialists has been creating spectacular rooftop retreats in Manhattan for over 50 years ( that’s a lot of gardens ! ) Here are a few tips that we consider with every garden that we design. If you are looking for good terrace design – consider these, then call Plant Specialists ! Tip 1 […]
David Gallie’s Pickled Jalapeño’s recipe.
I worked for the longest time with a remarkable man who could really do anything he put his mind to ( don’t you hate people like that ) I mean if he had an interest in it – then he was great at it – quite annoying really Anywho ( I say that as […]
How do I water my indoor plants
Indoor plants are on a boom ! – we have never seen this level of interest in indoor plant scaping since the 1970″s. People are increasingly interested in bringing nature into their interior spaces. Plant Specialists started as an interior plant company in the 1970’s so we were here for that ! We offer […]
Flowers & herbs and their meaning
What doe yellow roses mean ( friendship ) How about red roses ( romance ) what about dead roses – hmmmmm lets not go there lol Below is a list of flowers and herbs and their meaning taken from the old farmers Almanac – a go to resource for everything garden. Plant Specialists team or […]
