2013 gardening trends

Easy-care tropicals
Last year, the medinilla magnifica was the star of spring as far as houseplants go. You saw it on TV, it was at Canada Blooms, it got a lot of press. This beauty, nicknamed the Cadillac of houseplants, looks a little intimidating at first with its bulbous pink-wrapped blooms. But I have found it very easy to care for. Magic Bells were another star. Its blooms look like upside-down green grapes until they bloom into these beautiful red-tipped flowers.

Other easy-care stars include succulents and air plants. The popularity of terrariums has made them more readily available. Retailers that don’t usually deal with plant material have been bringing them in to stores to complement the interesting glass vessels they are offering to create mini glass gardens.

image courtesy of Medinilla Magnifica and Balfour Greenhouses (Magic Bells).

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