The holidays are here with family visits, long weekends, Christmas trips, New Year getaways. But if you’re a gardener, your very first thought is usually: “But… what about my plants?” Don’t worry, with a little prep, your indoor and outdoor container plants can thrive while you’re away. Whether you’re gone for two days or ten, here’s how to make sure you come home to healthy, happy greenery instead of crispy leaves or soggy soil. Let’s get those plants vacation-ready! 🌱 𝟏. 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 (𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡!) Most plant mishaps happen because gardeners water too heavily right before they leave. The goal: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 not swampy soil. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬: * Water well the day before you leave * Allow extra water to drain completely * Empty all saucers so roots don’t sit in water 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠): * Water earlier in the day to avoid overnight freeze * Skip watering if temps will drop below 32°F in the next 24 hours * Frozen wet soil = cracked pots + rotted roots If you have a friend checking in, leave simple instructions only: “𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝟐–𝟑 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧.” 🌤️ 𝟐. 𝐀𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 Plants won’t grow much while you’re gone and that’s good! Less growth = less water needs. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬: * Pull them a bit farther from bright windows (reduces light stress + water loss) * If using grow lights, set them on timers for 6–8 hours * Grouping plants together helps maintain humidity levels 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐩: Move them away from areas that get 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐧 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 during low winter angles. This can scorch or dry indoor plants quickly. 🌡️ 𝟑. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 & 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐬 Plants do 𝑛𝑜𝑡 tolerate sudden temperature swings, especially in winter. Before you leave: ✔ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐬 Move plants away from: * doorways * old windows * fireplace zones * heat vents ✔𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟔𝟎–𝟕𝟎°𝐅 * Anything lower than 55°F can stress tropicals. * Anything higher than 75°F dries them out. If you’re letting your thermostat drop while you’re gone, move plants closer together and away from cold glass.

It’s the most creative time of the year! If you’ve ever strolled through the Dollar Tree or dollar aisle in December, you already know it’s FULL of little treasures just begging to be turned into adorable plant décor. For just a few dollars, you can turn everyday holiday items into festive plant picks, giving your indoor and outdoor containers the perfect seasonal sparkle. Whether you’re decorating your poinsettias, your kitchen herb pots, your succulents, or your winter porch planters… these DIY picks are fun, easy, and budget-friendly. Let’s get crafty! 🎁 𝟏. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐎𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 → 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 Those tiny ornament packs (usually 8–12 pieces for $1.25) are PERFECT for plant picks. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦: 1. Grab a pack of mini ornaments. 2. Remove the hanging string. 3. Hot glue or twist-tie them onto: * bamboo skewers * chopsticks * wooden craft sticks * floral wire 4. Tuck into your holiday plants for instant charm. 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫: * Poinsettias * Christmas cactus * Indoor herbs * Porch pots Choose red, white, silver, gold or mix textures for extra sparkle. 🍬 𝟐. 𝐅𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬 → 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛 𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 Dollar stores sell tons of plastic candy canes. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: * Glue a candy cane to a skewer * Add a bow * Insert into a pot for instant holiday cheer 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟: * Rosemary * Basil * Succulent arrangements * Small houseplants Bonus: Pets can’t eat the plastic ones (yay). ⭐ 𝟑. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 → 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 Dollar stores often have tiny wooden signs or tags that say things like: * “Joy” * “Believe” * “Merry & Bright” * “Peace” * “Jingle All the Way” 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐲: * Gluing them onto a dowel or stick * Adding ribbon or greenery * Poking into a holiday arrangement Perfect for gift plants, too! 🌲 𝟒. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 & 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞-𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 → 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐝-𝐎𝐧𝐬 Those adorable tiny trees? Yep — they make AMAZING plant picks. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦: * Glue onto a skewer * Add to succulent bowls * Use in fairy garden-style pots

Loving how these turned out💕

New planting of raised containers.

Every fall, container gardeners face the big question: When should I start bringing my plants indoors? Wait too long, and frost damage can sneak up overnight. Move them too early, and your house becomes a jungle before it needs to. Timing and observation are everything. 🌡️ 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟏: 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 Keep an eye on your local forecast. * Tropical and houseplants (like ferns, philodendrons, and spider plants) should come inside when night temps drop below 50°F (10°C). * Tender annuals (like begonias, impatiens, and coleus) can get nipped by frost even at 40°F (4°C). * Hardier herbs and veggies (like rosemary, parsley, and kale) can tolerate cooler nights, but it’s still smart to protect them when frost warnings appear. A simple rule of thumb: if you’re grabbing a jacket at night, your plants might need one too! 🕵️ 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟐: 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 It’s not just about a single cold evening, it’s the trend. If temperatures are consistently dropping and daylight is getting shorter, that’s your cue to prepare your indoor transition plan. 🧴 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟑: 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 Before bringing plants indoors: * 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 — Look under leaves and around the soil for hitchhikers like aphids, spider mites, or fungus gnats. * 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐟𝐟 — A gentle shower with the garden hose removes dust and bugs. * 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞s — It encourages new growth and keeps things tidy. 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥: Give them a few days in a shaded, sheltered spot (like a porch) before moving inside — this “acclimation” helps them adjust to lower light and humidity. 🌞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟒: 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲 Once inside, plants still need: * 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: South- or west-facing windows are prime real estate. * 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐲: Group plants together or use a humidifier to combat dry indoor air. * 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞: Protect surfaces with saucers or trays to catch overflow. Avoid placing plants near heat vents or cold drafts — the temperature swings can stress them out. 🌿 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟓: 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠