Where did your indoor office plant Tulips come from?

1. Tulips – we call them – take their name from the turbans of Sultans who grew them. Dulband, the Persian word for turban, led to tulbend, the Turkish word for the gauzy muslim fabric. The metaphoric link between the silky wraps and the colorful blossoms was cemented for Westerners when tulbend was Latinized as tulipa. The Latin stuck, determining both the French and English versions that followed (tulipe and tulip respectively). So why are the Dutch (who say tulp, by the way) the ones most associated with the flower?

2. For one thing, the Netherlands has a perfect tulip-growing climate. You don’t hear of true tropical tulips because they thrive in relatively temperate ecosystems, ones which include a good long winter. Since that period of dormancy, followed by a cool spring, is ideal for growing, the Netherlands were ripe with promise for a tulip bloom – that is, once the country even got tulips.

3. Since at least the sixth century, Turks had been cultivating the bulbs, but Europeans did not see them until the 1560s, when an Austrian ambassador touring Constantinople was shown Sultanate gardens full of them. A deal between the Ottoman rulers and the Habsburgs led to the import of, at first, a small number of bulbs, the ownership of which conferred a certain cachet on the nobles and scientific scholars lucky enough to snare them. From Paris to Prague, their initial rarity made them as desirable a commodity as fine jewels.

So that is where our PDI Tulips originate. We at, Plantscapes of New England, receive our tulip flowers and bulbs from Holland and deliver and care for them in your Boston, MA office interiors.

Why and how to use phytoseivlus persimilis on your indoor office plants?

This photo depicts a Phytoseivlus persimilis (orange) devouring a Two Spotted spider mite (white).

Opening remarks: persimilis is the most commonly used beneficial mite in the world. It works well on low-growing plants. Adults are bright orange and slightly larger than spider mites. Persimilis is noted for its quick knockdown of spider mites. Persimilis reproduces faster than spider mites and thus can quickly gain control of a spider mite outbreak. Persimilis does not work well on tomato because tomato's sticky hairs interfere with its movement.

1. Release at first sign of mite infestation. Once leaf damage is serious, (more than 4 mites per leaf) control is more difficult. For heavy infestations, remove the most affected plants and use knock-down spray (see SucraShield) or use safer organic canola oil spray.

2. Release predatory mites after 48 hours. Predators will consume egg, nymph and adult stages of pest mites. Light infestations can be controlled within 2-3 weeks.

3.Roll bottle gently to mix mites and carrier. Sprinkle the predatory mites onto plant leaves where they can quickly find their prey.

4. Repeat releases every 7-14 days until control is achieved.

5. Predatory mites thrive in humid environments, whereas pest mites enjoy dry surroundings. Increase humidity by moistening soil or use a cool-mist vaporizer around plants in enclosed areas. Mites are shipped as adults. Release immediately or refrigerate( 45-50° F) for 2-3 days only.

6. Preferred Food: Two-spotted spider mites and many others.

7. Shipment, biology and release: These beneficial mites consume 5-10 pest adults or up to 20 pest eggs/day. Low infestations can be controlled within 2-3 weeks. They require a relative humidity greater than 60% in order to survive, especially in the egg stage and thrive best in temperatures between 60° and 80° F.

Plantscape Designs Inc currently applies these predators to all our phyllostachys bamboo plants in Cambridge and Boston, Ma interior offices.

Why use Aspidistra Elatior "cast iron plant" in your indoor offices?

1. The Aspidistra Elatior is native to the Eastern Himalayas, Taiwan, China, and Japan commonly known as the “cast-iron plant” or “iron plant”. It is one of the few plants that we can say helped inspire or carry the lead in a novel.

2. In 1936, George Orwell wrote his novel “Keep the Aspidistra Flying”. It is an old-fashioned, tough-leathery foliage house plant. In fact, Aspidistra along with the Kentia palm long before we heard about a peace lily or Aglaonema was a favorite indoor plant during the Victorian era when houses were anything but bright and airy. Today, in the Southern United States you will find Aspidistra usually growing completely carefree as a groundcover in dense, dark shade.

3. Patience is the prime requirement needed by owners of small plants; it takes considerable time to grow an Aspidistra to specimen size. Ironically, like many “folk” plants, it is not always available in nurseries. This is partly because of its slow growth and not properly appreciated.

Cast-iron is usually grown in 6″, 8″; and 10″; azalea pots. As a bushy potted plant, 12 to 24 inches tall and wide, the Aspidistra simply has no equal and is a perfect plant for indoors. Aspidistra is an ideal plant for that cooler area of your house to bring the tropics indoors.

Aspidistra will also:

Tolerate dust as well as heat, cold, wet soil, drought, neglect and dimly lighted places.

Tolerate temperatures as low as 28 degrees without injury to the foliage.

Tolerate light levels as low as 10 foot candles

Make a great addition to cut flower arrangements; the foliage often lasts for weeks.

Generally Pest Free

4. Aspidistra elatior has cornlike, shiny, dark green leaves that grow to 24 inches long; it occasionally produces purple-brown small flowers near the base of the plant. It also has a variegated form. The white markings help to light up a dark corner rather like sun filtering through a shade tree.

5. A dwarf form called A. minor or Aspidistra “Milky Way” has white spotted black-green leaves. Try to acquire all 3, then display them in attractive pottery containers. Aspidistra is such a slow grower and is expensive to produce and purchase. But with all of its positive attributes it is well be worth the price, offering long-term enjoyment and beauty.

6. It gets its name Cast Iron from its ability to tolerate poor conditions both inside or out…Indoors Aglaonemas are possibly the only plants can handle these conditions indoors. Low light, drafts and general neglect in watering and dust accumulation. It is much more attractive with proper care and will tolerate a wide range of temperatures. It prefers temperatures between 50-55 degrees at night and 70-75 degrees during the day with light levels between 50 and 500-foot candles.

7. Evenly moist but not constantly wet is the ideal way to water this plant, although it will survive forgotten waterings. Outside, plant the Aspidistra in a good quality garden soil with decayed manure and up to 1/3 part peat or humus added. Indoors a good quality potting soil like those made for African Violets will work well. And last but not least, fertilize if required every three to four months in low light conditions with a half strength house plant fertilizer, and monthly at high light levels.

At Plantscape Designs Inc. we use these botanicals in our NE plantscape offices Boston, MA