Power Picks – Indoor Plants

It’s The FINAL COUNTDOWN! Duh duh duh da da da……….

Yesterday Seth and I unleashed our top plant picks for the yard and for containers. By no means are those the only options. They might not even be the best options for your plantings. They are just plants that Seth and I believe in and like.

Today is the final round of our co-founder matchup.  Now that we’ve discussed the yard and containers, there’s only one major arena left: Indoor Plants.

Some of you will call them house plants or potted plants, but that doesn’t really sum it up. The plants we’re talking about today don’t discriminate. They don’t care if you live in a house, an apartment, or even that van down by the river! We’re talking about those plants that are staples in your scenery. Think of them more like plant pets.

So who has the better plant picks Seth or myself? You decide in this final (for now) roundup!

-Mason, Co-Founder of GrowIt! (mday55 on the app!)

The picks are in! Which Indoor Plants are your favorites?

Seth’s Top 3:

1. Used Orchids – The plant business guy in me encourages people to throw plants like orchids, poinsettias, and other potted plants away after they are done blooming. The plant nerd in me likes buying orchids that are discounted, just to see if I can bring them back to life, and get them to bloom.  Surprisingly, they are rather easy to care for; give them a bright indirect light (so don’t put them in the window, just a bright room), water them thoroughly once a week (I put them in my shower for a few minutes), and a lot of patience.  Summer is a good time for these types of projects because the light levels are really high.
2. Umbrella Plant – Ok, so this plant may be considered to be rather boring, BUT, this plant is  SO easy to take care of, I doubt anyone can kill it (I don’t mean for that to be a challenge). Another great thing about this plant, is you can easily keep it at any size that you want, just by snapping off its new growth. The plant in the photo has been that same size for the last 4 years. It’s easy! And I really do believe the green color adds an element to the living room that lacks when it isn’t there. The plant can also be found it brighter colors.
3. Echeveria – this is an easy to grow succulent that has been popping up on the app more and more. It has a nice blue hue to the foliage. The blooms’ bright orange color contrast the foliage in and exciting way that you just don’t get from a green plant. The plant nerd in me really likes the architecture of the plant and how it is completely different than most other plants.  It doesn’t require much water, so you will see it in many interesting containers.

Mason’s Undeniable Top 3:

1. Cyclamen – I really like Cyclamen because they are versatile. For most of us that live in the frozen north, cyclamen are considered a houseplant that we can bring outside for some well-deserved sunshine. However, in some parts of the country, cyclamen can be considered perennials that bloom year after year. The growth habit on these is awesome because it’s so controlled and the flower has to be one of the most beautiful on the planet.
2. Succulents and Cacti of ANY kind – Want to start gardening, but don’t know what to grow? Go to your nearest garden center and ask them to show you their succulent display. Even though you won’t find lots of blooms, you are going to see more shapes and textures than you thought possible from plants. You’ll see plants that look like rocks (lithops), plants that look like dishes (paddle plant), even plants that look like Shrek’s ears! These are the ultimate gateway plants.
3. Cylindrical Snake Plant – Snake Plants are common fixtures in office buildings around the world. However, the Cylindrical Snake Plant is a rarer beast. This thing looks like something straight out of Jumanji. Sometimes growers even “train” their plants with string and wire to get them to intertwine. Again, all about texture here and a very easy plant to care for.

 

To see more photos of these plants, search for them in the Search feed under the “plants” tab in the App.

Which founder has the best taste in plants? Let us know in a comment, or post a picture on the app of your own favorites!

5 Plants for Early Spring!

At GrowIt! we stand by the ideal that all men and women were created equal. However, we also believe that all plants were not. Some plants bloom all summer long, but don’t bloom in the cooler parts of spring. Whereas some plants like it cool, but stop flowering in June.

Here are 5 plants that you’ve probably been seeing quite a bit of recently. They perform best in the earlier spring months before it gets too hot. If you’re looking for some last minute color for your gardens, through May these might be ok for you. However, these plants are not going to last all summer… and that’s ok! Basically what we’re saying is: take pictures of these plants when you see them, because they are in their prime now, and they’re only going to decline from here.

1. Hellebores – These early spring blooming perennials are favorites in a lot of collector gardens. Very popular in the Pacific Northwest and are generally hardy up to Zone 5 with some varieties even managing to over winter in Zone 4. So as long as you aren’t seeing temps lower than -15 to -25 degrees Fahrenheit your chances are good at this popping up every year. Some varieties have an awesome lime green bloom color which is not easy to find in the plant world!

From User: luriegarden

From User: indianajones64

2. Erysimum or Wallflower – A great flower for beginner gardeners looking to dabble in those early spring bloomers. Erysimum offers a great range of colors. Also, it’s one of the spring-bloomers that prefers the sunny spots. If you live in a warmer area (not the tundra of the Midwest) you might even see this come back for you!

From User: chaletnursery

3. Bleeding Heart or Dicentra – This perennial has one of the most unique flowers. It actually looks like a heart! Beautiful pink and white blooms year after year. However, they often stop flowering when the summer heat starts setting in.

From User: sidraisch

4. Tulips and Daffodils – We couldn’t leave out these bulbs! While tulips and daffodils are some of the most famous plants across the globe, many forget that they do not last into the summer. This is why tulip festivals are always held in the early parts of spring. Sometimes even as soon as mid-May these will begin to go out of flower. Take photos of these ASAP before it’s too late!

From User: nickflax1

From User: mrsjenclarke

5. Osteospermum – Sometimes referred to just as “Osteos” these can be a little tricky. Most varieties on the market prefer the cooler spring temps over the heat of the summer. However, some companies are working on varieties that can stand up to the heat! Before you buy this one, be sure to check the tag to make sure you know whether you’re getting something for spring interest or something that might last a little longer.

From User: cleigh

Another spring flower of note is Pericallis or Cineraria. You might have seen a lot of these on GrowIt! recently! This is because Suntory Flowers is giving away $200 in total prizes to people who upload a picture of their Senetti brand pericallis onto GrowIt! with the hashtag #SenettiRocks in the comments! One winner will receive $100 and two second place winners will receive $50. How cool is that? You could win some cash for your garden just by uploading a photo!

Be sure to stay tuned as we’ll be getting ready to see even more color in the garden as the temps get warmer! Next time we’ll be talking about all those plants that love the heat!

It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than That!

Over the past weekend we were invited to be a part of Chalet Nursery’s Garden Faire event in Wilmette, Illinois. The first weekend in May is the grand opening of spring in the Midwest. When we showed up to the garden center, it was about a quarter to eight in the morning and there was already a line of people waiting to get inside! It’s clear that people had enough of Old Man Winter and wanted to get some plants in the ground.

We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. It was 70 degrees and sunny for the most part. Also, we were able to camp out next to the popcorn guy so that wasn’t bad either!

Plants looked great as well, and the selection was fantastic. Even though some of the more prominent summer annuals weren’t available yet, the wallflowers looked fantastic and so did the lobelia baskets.

We held a raffle as well! Four lucky people are set to win $25 gift certificates to Chalet Nursery and four luckier people are set to win GrowIt! t-shirts. We also had an AMAZING run-in with one of our GrowIt! fans this weekend as well!

Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, Youtube.

Those are all examples of mobile apps that are the first thing downloaded when someone gets a new phone. This past weekend, we learned that you can now add GrowIt! to that list!

Last summer while we were doing events in the Chicagoland area we had the chance to talk to a lot of people about what we are doing with GrowIt! Because we are currently only a mobile platform some people couldn’t use GrowIt! from the beginning because they didn’t have a smartphone. Turns out that we left an impression on those folks too!

We actually had one fan stop by – in a GrowIt! t-shirt no less – and tell us that last summer she was unable to use the app because she did not have a smartphone. However, she said that back in December she finally upgraded to an iPhone. Can you guess what the first app she downloaded was? Yep! It was GrowIt! We honestly, thought she was kidding at first but she assured us that she downloaded it right at the Apple Store! How cool is that?

She now uses the GrowIt! app as username “booter13”, and really enjoys helping people identify plants that they have questions about. She said that it’s a lot of fun and that she enjoys spreading her passion for gardening.

At the end of the day that’s what GrowIt! is all about: Spreading a passion for plants. We’re just glad we can make people smile while doing it. It truly was a great weekend capped by an AWESOME interaction with one of our users.

Bring On Spring!

It is getting hot out there!!! Have you looked at the temps lately? Spring is breaking down the front door.  As we get further into the planting season we thought it would be a great idea to check in with everyone and fill you in on what we’ve been up to!

Have you seen us this spring? Seth and I have been covering a lot of ground this past month telling everyone about GrowIt!

One of our latest events was the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. We had an awesome time and had the chance to make some new friends. We also had the chance to check out some new plant trends first hand.

Small space gardening was featured in many ways at the show. There were vendors selling small succulent terrariums. There was a whole display of window box gardens. There were even some planter boxes designed to get the most out of the limited space that you might have.

One of the other major themes of the show was children’s gardening. We learned that flower shows aren’t just for your grandmother anymore. The Chicago Flower & Garden Show was loaded with activities for kids. It’s not like they cornered off a jungle-gym and labeled it the “Kids Corner” either; they had multiple gardens where kids could interact and learn. Whether they were planting pansies and learning about bugs, or planting veggies and learning about the benefits of fresh food, there were smiles from ear to ear.

The smells in the building were terrific. There were hyacinths EVERYWHERE. Along with planted hyacinths and even a planted rose garden (yes it was awesome), there was also a large floral presence at the show. Mariano’s sponsored the show and had a fantastic display of cut flowers to be purchased right on the show floor. This way people could take home some color even if the temps weren’t the nicest quite yet. There were also some very interesting “tablescapes” as well. These seemed to blend a wide variety of ideals. It was like a floral type of landscaping, mixing ideas from the garden and the kitchen.

Seth and I also had the chance to talk about what’s coming in the world of gardening. The first thing that we proposed is that since after years of effort, we haven’t been able to come up with a better word to replace gardening, we just have to change the definition. Gardening isn’t just about having a backyard and a massive flower bed. Gardening refers to the act of growing any plant. Are you growing a cactus on your coffee table? Guess what… you are a gardener. Aside from trying to start a “Garden Revolution”, we also talked about how a new wave of technology was sweeping the garden world.

All in all it was a fantastic week and we met a lot of people. Keep an eye out for us this spring as we continue to travel the country spreading the colorful message of GrowIt!

-Mason, Co-founder of GrowIt!

www.growitmobile.com 

Do You Believe in Magic?!

GrowIt! Co-founder Seth Reed recently had the opportunity to go to Disney World with his family. The plants caught his eye for sure. This is what he had to say:

I’m going to take a wild guess that you’ve probably visited Disney at least once in your lifetime.  If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, you have to put it on your list.  If you have kids, wait till they are about 5, and then take them and their faces will light up in ways you could never have imagined! A few weeks ago I took my family including our 4 year old daughter, and we had a blast.

I’m from the Midwest, and the months of November through February just suck.  The weather is cold, the trees have no leaves, and generally speaking the landscape is kind of dismal – unless you’re one of those people that see 3 feet of snow as a winter wonderland.  Disney World on the other hand is in Orlando, Florida. I should have known better, I guess you could say I was expecting warmer temperatures, but the same grey landscapes. Boy was I wrong! I was pleasantly surprised how green and colorful it was for November.  Below I want to share with you a few ways that Disney makes plants magical…

1. Poinsettias in the landscape – I wasn’t expecting this to be a landscape plant, but it worked fantastically and provided Christmas color everywhere. Much better than how we use it in the Midwest. Poinsettias in large plots look way better than the lonely individual poinsettias we’re used to.

2. Amazing Green Topiarys – ok sometimes having just green creations is a bit boring, but when they are shaped as Disney characters, it brings an area to life! Too Cool!

3. Hanging Baskets – Even with limited options they tend do find something creative to show off.

4. Green is everywhere – everywhere I looked there were trees and plants to help set the mood, and transform the setting into the magical world that they want you to experience.

Perhaps Disney is already aware that plants make people calmer, or that plants provide better oxygen, or that the plant life provides a cooler temperature in the region, or that the shade extends the life of the concrete that it encompasses.  Whatever the reason, it appears that plant life is an integral part of the Disney experience, and that is all part of the magical plan.

I would love to hear comments about your own trips and the plants you saw.

-Seth Reed, Co-founder of GrowIt!

www.facebook.com/growitapp

www.twitter.com/growitmobile

www.growitmobile.com

More Than Poinsettias!

Trying to do the whole Christmas plant thing this year? Well here’s the scoop.

Believe it or not you actually have options! For years the go-to has always been Poinsettias. Classic Red, Pink, and White used to be the only varieties that you could find, but these days you can get them in just about any color as well. Just know that if you’re seeing Blue, Purple, or a Silver Sparkle, that your Poinsettia is putting on a façade. Psst! It’s Painted!  If that’s your thing we won’t judge. Just don’t let those plant purists find out.

However, we’re here to tell you that you don’t have to succumb to the pressures of Christmas past! If you want to change things up a bit this year we have a couple different plants to try out.

This first plant on our GrowIt! “Nice List” is the Christmas Cactus!

The Christmas Cactus isn’t actually something new at all. It’s a plant that used to be pretty popular but like the Poinsettia (and that “Shake it Off” song by T. Swift) it was overplayed! Now the waiting period has passed. People are starting to question why they disappeared in the first place.

It’s a showy plant that comes in a couple different colors. The most common of which are a red, and a purplish pink. The leaves have a pretty rockin’ texture too. They’re almost reminiscent of pieces on a suit of knight’s armor! Also, even though their name might suggest that they have a thorny or spiky element, they won’t stab your fingers or pets! Plus after the holidays a Christmas Cactus can be kept. It turns into a pretty cool houseplant, and you can look up methods on how to get it to re-bloom!

The other Poinsettia alternative that we have to offer up is the Amaryllis.

If you could ever use the word “sexy” to describe a plant, you would use it to describe the Amaryllis. Sleek and beautiful, it stands out as a decadent piece for this time of the year. If you’re looking to impress guests this Christmas, seek out a couple of these bad boys. Maybe even think about sending one to that special someone.

You can find them in a few different colors. Pink and white are nice, but RED is the way to go. It’s a classic look that hasn’t been overdone. Pricing usually depends on the variety of the Amaryllis. You can usually find these at shops when they’re just about to bloom. However, if you’re feeling adventurous try starting it from a bulb ahead of time!

Whether you’re sticking with the “old standard” or trying something new, we hope you have a fantastic Christmas season!

Merry Christmas!
Mason Day, Cofounder of GrowIt!
www.facebook.com/growitapp 
www.twitter.com/growitmobile
www.growitmobile.com

Holiday Contest!

It’s time to kick off the first annual GrowIt! Holiday photo contest!
We will be awarding special prizes to the top three photos uploaded to GrowIt! during the holiday season.

How will we be judging the photos?

• Obviously each photo must be a picture of a living plant. Cut Greens, Christmas Trees, Food, and Silk Flowers DO NOT COUNT!

• The picture must show some sort of Holiday Cheer! No matter which Holidays you celebrate, it’s the time of year to decorate and be with family and friends.

• And lastly if you can get a picture of Santa holding your plant there may be bonus points involved.

So get out there and let’s see those Poinsettia and Christmas Cactus pictures!

An Update on all of the Updates

We interrupt this program to bring you an update from the GrowIt! studio……

Seriously though, gears have been moving behind the scenes here at the GrowIt! laboratory, and we wanted to take a little time and tell you about a couple big changes that have already happened, or are in the works.

SPEED

If you’ve updated the app recently, you might have noticed a couple things. The most obvious change is that it no longer takes years for plants and images to load! Recently we’ve upgraded our back-end servers (Tech Jargon for “we’ve done some computer coding stuff”) to make your GrowIt! experience much more expedient and enjoyable. Our upgrading process allows your phone to load more pictures at a faster rate than ever before. We understand that your time is valuable, and that nobody wants to spend hours waiting for pictures to load.

QUALITY

This is something that you might not have noticed, but the pictures that GrowIt! captures when you use your camera in the app are better than ever! We’ve upped the resolution of the photos that the app can use. We understand that pictures need to be as clear as possible to show the beauty of the plants you love!

UPCOMING: ANDROID!!!??!?!

The transformation process has begun! Our developers have already shown us multiple screens for an Android version of GrowIt! We’re learning that there can be “translation” difficulties when taking an app from one operating system and formatting it for another; however, we are striving to create an app that offers stellar performance for both iPhone and Android users. Our fingers are crossed (when they aren’t typing furiously) but we’re hoping GrowIt! should be available in the Google Play market in the next few months!

We hope all is well with all of our GrowIt! fans out there. Hopefully the snow hasn’t hit you too hard yet.

Just remember when times get cold; Spring is only a few months away, you can make it, and if you need to see something green to brighten your winter days, GrowIt! has you covered.

– Mason Day, Mustachioed CoFounder of GrowIt!

http://mobro.co/masonday – Our Movember Page!

Guest Blog: DIY Gourd Lamp by Plant Jungle

Halloween has passed and Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. You have plenty of fantastic gourds left over but what do you do? Today we have a guest blogger with the perfect answer to this question. Megan Evans on behalf of Plant Jungle in Utah, details how to turn plain old gourds into stunning works of art.

DIY: How to Make a  Gourd Lamp 

By Megan Evans 

Special thanks to Mark Burton & Graham Hickey

Brought to you by Plant Jungle

Looking for a fun DIY project or a thoughtful holiday gift for a loved one? A homemade gourd lamp is a perfect solution for both. Young bottle gourds can be harvested for culinary purposes. Alternatively if a gourd is allowed to mature it will desiccate to form a hard woody shell. This “petrified” gourd can be hollowed, cleaned and used for a number of applications.  In fact dried bottle gourds have been used for centuries to make items like lamps, utensils, bottles, and even musical instruments such as the sitar.  As bottle gourds come in many shapes and sizes, your imagination is essentially the only limitation to what you can make with these.

Building lamps from bottle gourds is our personal favorite use of bottle gourds. The gourds themselves are very esthetically pleasing as lamps. Additionally placement of a light source within the gourd provides a fantastic glow that casts light through the designs etched into the exterior of the gourd. This provides a really nice effect that will brighten up any room in your house. Construction of a lamp from a bottle gourd essentially consists of 3 major steps: hollowing a dried gourd, carving/drilling a design on the exterior of the gourd, and then fitting the gourd with an appropriate light.

Below are some basic instructions for constructing your own gourd lamp. After mastering the basic approach to using a gourd to construct a lamp we encourage you to be creative and think of new designs and other cool uses for dried gourds. Due to the material of the gourd, we do not recommend that you leave the lamp on unattended or on for long periods of time.

Materials that you will need:

• Dried gourd
• Drill and drill bits- The largest holes were drilled with 1 inch bits with the consecutive holes being 5/16^thof an inch to 1/8^th of an inch. The largest holes can be finished with a dremel
• Sandpaper (80 and 100 grit)
• Stencils
• Compass
• A pencil
• 10 watt incandescent light bulb
• Tapped thread size 1/8^thlamp couplings
• One 2” candelabra socket
• 1/8^thCandelabra base
• 1/8^thlamp nuts & washers
• 1/8^thtapped solid hex nut

Directions:

1. Sand the gourd with 80 grit sandpaper. After thoroughly sanding the rough areas, finish with 100 grit sandpaper.
2. Measure the midsection of the largest part of the gourd and then use a geometric compass to make a concentric circle from the largest section. The concentric circles will provide a systematic placement for the pattern.
3. Use a pencil to stencil the pattern on the gourd prior to drilling.
4. Drill the largest holes around the midsection with a 1inch or smaller bit. Afterward, drill smaller holes along your traced pattern.
5. Drill the top of the gourd to fit a 1/8 Candelabra base
6. To assemble the light fixture insert the candelabra base through the hole on the top of the gourd. Fasten the candelabra in place with a steel washer and hex nut. Do not over tighten the hex nut as this may crack the gourd.

Since 1998, Plant Jungle has been in the indoor plant business selling live and artificial plants as well as plant maintenance tools, pottery, custom gifts, and plant arrangements. Give a unique gift! We can create custom corporate/client, housewarming, and condolence gifts. Additionally, we offer seasonal products such as gourds, pumpkins, and Christmas trees. Plant Jungle also specializes in patioscaping and indoor plant designs including container gardening, office plants, and plant arrangement for special occasions. Plant Jungle can customize interior plant arrangements to your specifications such as custom designed Christmas ornamental plant displays or custom designed garden containers for your business. For more information regarding our custom gifts or perusing our indoor plants go to www.plantjungle.com or contact plantjungle@twistlab.com

As always be sure to check for the latest version of GrowIt! on the Apple App Store, and stay up to date on the latest GrowIt! news at www.facebook.com/growitapp and www.twitter.com/growitmobile!

Quinoa Stuffed Squash!

Every great recipe starts with great ingredients.

Everyone knows that the best of those ingredients are fresh, local, and if possible straight from your garden!

It’s harvest season and with that comes a surplus of veggies like squash, onions and peppers. We thought we would help you out with an AWESOME fall recipe for:

Sausage and Quinoa stuffed Acorn Squash

Courtesy of Seth’s Amazing Girlfriend Elizabeth!

What you will need:

1 Cup Quinoa (cooked according to package)

3 Green Onions, diced

1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, cut in halves

1/2 Red Pepper, diced

2 Spicy Chicken Sausages, diced

3 TBSP. Fresh Mint, diced super fine

1/4 Cup Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, diced super fine

1/2 Lemon, squeezed

1/2 Lime, Squeezed

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

Parmesan cheese (Optional)

1 Acorn Squash, cut in half

 Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 375°. Cut squash in half, and remove all seeds and strings. Place cut side down into a baking dish with one inch water. Bake 45min.

2. While squash is cooking, prepare quinoa according to package directions.

3. Wisk together olive oil, lemon, lime, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

4. In a large mixing bowl add green onions, tomatoes, red peppers, sausages and olive oil mixture to prepared quinoa. Mix well.

5. Remove squash from oven. Place in a dry baking dish, cut side up. Fill with quinoa mixture, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place back into oven for 21 minutes, or until heated thoroughly.

6. Serve with love and enjoy 🙂

Gardener’s Note!: Some left over scraps can be replanted for future use! For example if you’re only using the green part of green onions, you can replant the bottoms!