Both green and flowering plants are ideal to keep indoors, but they are far more than simple decor! Plants inspire a peaceful and serene mood, remove pollutants from the air around us, and are even known to increase our productivity. At Julia’s Florist, we believe that if a green plant is capable of working so diligently to improve our lives, we should strive to return the favor. Although there are over 315,000 varieties of plants – and just as many ways to care for them – we’d like to showcase two of our favorite flowering plants. For your Wilmington home or office, you may want to consider adding these beauties to your home and office decor.

The beautiful kalanchoe plant is as tough as it is pretty. A member of the succulent family, it is a very low maintenance plant that you don’t need a green thumb to cultivate. The plant exhibits vivid flowers in shades of red, pink or yellow. They tolerate lots of sunlight well, although they only require about 2-3 hours per day to thrive. Bright sunlight is not detrimental to the plant, but do make sure that your kalanchoe plant doesn’t touch any hot windows – their leaves and flowers will scorch and burn. Like any succulent, they store water and so only need to be watered thoroughly once a week. Make sure the water drains so as to prevent root rot.

Hint: Your home’s temperature is probably just fine for the plant, but do let it outside to sunbathe on the porch periodically.

One of the most coveted and beloved flowering plants, the phalaenopsis orchid is an elegant addition to any environment. The butterfly-shaped petals are exquisite, and you might assume that these delicate flowers require meticulous care. However, keeping them happy and healthy is not hard at all. Place your orchid in a moderately bright location, and you will only need to water it when the soil begins to feel dry – usually every 7-10 days, although if your environment is very dry, you’ll need to water more often. If spotting is evident on leaves or flowers, check that roots are not saturated.

Hint: Orchids thrive in humidity. Mist the plant regularly if humidity levels are low. Distilled or rain water will help the orchid grow more effectively, as tap water can cause minerals to build up.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be celebrating both Easter and Administrative Professionals Week. Both are perfect occasions to give your favorite green or flowering plants – so give Julia’s Florist a call. We are dedicated to making Wilmington more beautiful one plant and floral arrangement at a time!