Alexander the Great popularized the medicinal properties of aloe when he heard how the sap from it’s leaves could help heal battle wounds.

“Aloe” creates a protective barrier on the skin that keeps it moist and promotes healing.  It also stimulates the Langerhans cells, which can reduce inflammation.

Now is a good time to think about growing your own indoor potted aloe plant.  It’s so easy, they are just beautiful and a very healthy plant to have around the house.

Select a small size clay flowerpot and saucer.  Make sure you place them in a sunny location or window.  The potted aloe plant loves indirect sunlight but too much direct sunlight can brown it’s leaves.  It’s best to rotate the pot once or twice a week so that all sides receive equal light.  Don’t overwater but keep the moisture moist.

To use for burns or cuts:  Slit open a stalk, squeeze out some gel like substance and dab on the skin.  Keep the remaining stalk in the refrigerator for up to 60 days.

Read More: How to grow a pineapple bush.

Keeping Potted Herbs Happy

As the world becomes more health-conscious, people are looking to become more pro-active when it comes to cooking at home and growing their own potted herbs.  By using fresh grown herbs in your food preparation you will use less oil, fat, butter and cream.

Potted grown herbs have a powerful taste and delicious smells that add so much to food.  Don’t forget you can use any home-grown potted herbs in all kinds of things from soap to candle making.  Fresh or dried they are simply wonderful and if you haven’t tried to grow your own you are wasting your money.  Grocery store herbs are very expensive and unnecessary.

Get some of our small terracotta clay flowerpots and saucers.  Decide on the size dependent on where you will grow them.  A kitchen window, a center island, back porch or patio area are all good places if you have easy access to them.  Clay flowerpots are good because terracotta is considered low fired and breathable which is super healthy for your herbs root systems.  Just make sure you have easy access or we all know what will happen.  You won’t use them!!!

Treat your fresh herb just like fresh flowers.  When you trim your potted plants, place them in a glass of water and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.  Try drying some for adding to soups and casseroles by placing them on a paper towel and microwave for 30 sec intervals.  Turn as needed till brittle.

Winter Whites

We are always searching for plants & flowers that do well indoors during these long winter months.  If you have never heard of “Moth” orchids then listen up.

Potted Moth Orchids are a year-round flower that does well indoors.  With their paper-thin petals and tall erect stems, they can bring elegance, fragrance, and beauty to your indoor décor.  During winter's dark cold days, these potted beauties are perfect to brighten your days.

A decorative container or simple elegant white vase filled with moth orchids are even easy for a beginner gardener.  Most folks can be easily intimated by their sophicated look but they shouldn’t be.  A potted moth orchid requires little attention and maintenance. 

As new variations in color, size and blooms arrive, even green thumb gardeners are giving these easily potted indoor flowers a second look.

Remove the orchid from the nursery pot.  If the rootball is tight, gently work it free.  Clip off any dead roots or stems.  Spread the roots with your hands gently on a clean surface.  Now all you need to do is select a stunning flower container to repot the orchid in.  Try to make it larger than the existing pot but not to oversize.

Water regularly, but reduce the amount during winter months.  Keep the foliage dry, so don’t splash the flowers and leaves with watering.  Don’t let the roots of the potted moth orchid dry out.  Since you don’t want the orchid sitting in water, make sure your garden container has sufficient drainage.

That’s pretty much it!  These types of potted flowers are impressive and ornate so enjoy all winter long.

How to dry fresh basil.

You may ask why we are bringing up drying basil in the dead of winter?  Well, we think you should be planning now what herbs, flowers, and plants you want to grow in garden containers this coming spring.  So maybe if we tell you how to dry potted basil (popular herb) and why you want to dry it, you will include it in your coming garden décor.

Dried basil in flowerpots can be used in so many cooking recipes.  Sauces, pesto, chicken and pasta dishes.  It really is one of the most used and desired herbs you can pot and grow at home.  And, have you ever priced basil at the grocery store?  argh.

If you don’t want to grow your own basil in flowerpots you can always dry any fresh basil that you purchase at the grocery store.

After harvesting the basil grown in clay planters, make sure it’s gently washed.  Lay the basil bunches in a dish strainer or on a kitchen towel where they can dry completely.  Remove as much stem as possible because they don’t dry so well.

Preheat your oven to the lowest setting.  Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread leaves out so they aren’t touching. Place in the oven for around 1 to 2 hrs. checking every 15 mins or so.  You don’t want the leaves to burn but just feel dry to the touch.  Remove and cool completely.  Now you can crumble it up removing any stems.  Bottle the crumbles and store in a cabinet out of sunlight.

See how simple this is!  You can easily grow and dry your own basil in almost any size and kind of flowerpot.  By using a clay planter instead of planting directly into your yard or garden, you can container the roots from spreading.  We like to grow all herbs in terracotta clay instead of other types of garden pottery because the clay will breathe and that is good for creating healthy roots.  So, if you have clay flowerpots or any clay planters laying around use those first.  Just make sure they are large enough to hold the number of herbs you want to grow.

[Read More] Better Berries Potted

Bring Potted Succulents indoors for Winter

Winters cold is not the easiest condition for potted succulents, plants, bushes, and trees to stand up to. Especially if they are planted in clay flowerpots or clay containers.  Most succulents are hard enough to keep healthy under normal weather conditions but winter brings a whole new set of issues.

It at all possible it is a best practice to bring your clay containers of succulents indoors or at least into a garage or garden shed.  This isn’t a necessity but a helpful step to assure the potted succulents have the best chance of surviving the cold.  If it’s not possible you can take added steps to mulch the potting mix, wrap the whole planter in bubble wrap or burlap or just let them tough out Winter and re-evaluate next Spring.

If you can bring all clay flowerpot succulents indoors give them one good watering before you do. That way they will be nice and moist and you won’t have to start with the watering process right away. This means you need garden saucers for each clay planter or you will have to move the clay flowerpots to the sink to water them.  Like most houseplants, succulents need well, draining flowerpots or garden bowls.

Now check the potting mix in each terracotta flowerpot.  If it’s compact and hard it’s best to replace it or at the very least work it to soften it up.  All root systems like the loose potting mix to grow and expand in.  Clean up the planters so that you don’t bring any bugs indoors.  Remove old leaves, twigs and other debris that may be on, in or around the pot.

Lastly, trim the succulent up if necessary.  Any old spent leaves or climbing string of pears can be clipped off and cut shorter.  Since succulents don’t grow fast you don’t need to go overboard here.  The idea is to just give it a manicured look not so much a hair cut and a shave look!  LOL

Place your garden pots in a sunny window, don’t overwater, make sure it’s not too warm in the house and your outdoor potted succulents will give you a steady stream of beauty all thru the cold winter months until you move them outside again come Spring.