Experts on Lucky Bamboo, feng shui, all kinds of houseplants, the art of bonsai, care to make plants thrive, and information about diseases and enemies or pests.
As you explore the pages, you'll learn about the rewards and satisfaction in growing Lucky Bamboo, its relationship to feng shui, and the symbolism of some Oriental cultures. We also have general information about house plants, common diseases and enemies or pests, water gardening, a little bit about exotic house plants.
NEW SECTION - RECENTLY ADDED ARTICLES:
January 2012: Orchids! All about orchids including Cattleya and more to be added! We are constantly improving our website and providing information that YOU want!
January 2012: All about African Violets! Spring is around the corner ... the Pacific Northwest is cold and frosty; other places throughout North America are suffering snow and blizzard conditions; some are enjoying balmy conditions and using gallons of sun tan lotion. Whatever it is, African violets are always in season!
Check out our new pages: About African Violets, Care of African Violets and Propagating African Violets. They are just too much fun to miss out on!
December 2011: Before you buy your Christmas Poinsettia, check this article: Poinsettia, the Christmas Star. You just might save yourself some disappointment! Then follow up with Poinsettia, Advanced Care & Propagating. These timely articles on Poinsettias have been added to our Exotic Plants pages, along with Crown of Thorns and Crotons! Find interesting information and care of these lovely plants!
Soon to be added - Plants that bite back - carnivores of the plant kingdom, deadly beauties! You keep checking and we keep adding! If you have questions, please contact us and don't forget to look on our FAQs and FACTS page.
Take the worry about the treats and goodies your kids eat during the Holidays! Here are a couple of FREE old-fashioned and delicious recipes that really are treats: oven-baked caramel corn and "Free & Easy, Cheesy Shrimp Dip" all made from scratch. Grandma's Caramel Crispy Corn Crunch is to die for and contains no artificial ingredients. Since it's made of pop corn, it's gluten free and high in fiber. Our recipe calls for nuts but they may be omitted and our Crispy Corn Crunch will taste just as good.
NEW! WE'VE GOT GIFTS - Books, DVDS, Electronics, Bird Houses, Fountains, More! Let's face it ... everybody needs a little help now and then in choosing the right gift for someone who has everything, has nothing, wants everything or wants nothing. With a little help from our friends, Esprit has a lot of suggestions to please to most discriminating taste at reasonable prices - that translates to a nice gift for someone you care about at prices you can afford! Check out Gifts ala Esprit. You can even throw in a little something for yourself without feeling guilty!
If you're a pet lover, chances are you have noticed one of your prize house plants become a little tattered and torn looking for some unknown reason. I kept noticing wadded up leaves under a Christmas cactus, rips and tears in the leaves on the stems. The grandkids sometimes pick off a leaf or two but these appeared "chewed" ... Simon! Yep, I caught the cat in the act. How do you keep your house pets from devouring your house plants? I found the answer! No need to be green with envy .... Simon shares this simple, effective, nutritious and GREEN remedy on his own page - Simply Simon!
You can find information here for plants that are not good for pets to eat.
DON'T BUG ME!!
Do you know that ants enslave aphids and put them to work manufacturing food for ants? They do! Did you know that a bug's worst enemy is often another bug? Get expert advice on how to combat plant pests by going to House Plant Enemies.
Children of all ages can get involved in simple water gardening. Growing Lucky Bamboo is just a beginning. We show you how to grow plants from fruits you buy at the grocery store - have you not yet tried growing an avocado tree?
GROW YOUR OWN
We have a great section on growing plants from seed; you'll be amazed at how many opportunities there are! The neat thing is that you can plant these seeds at any time of the year. After the Christmas season is over and kids become restless by being house-bound, it's a good time to pick up some potting soil and plant a few grape seeds in a paper cup. They sprout rather quickly and little ones are often awed when they see the tiny little green leaves popping out of the dirt. If your grow climate permits, you can even transplant the grape vines outside and let them go-grow wild!
Children also get a bang out of planting apple seeds, orange and lemon seeds. Those seedling trees can be trained into successful Bonsai arrangements. Be sure to visit Growing Plants From Seed for more great ideas.
THE SCIENCE OF FENG SHUI
If you've heard of feng shui before but don't know a whole lot about the concept - join the club! Devotees are quick to point out that feng shui is not a philosophy, a religion nor an interesting Eastern superstition. It might be described as a mathematical art form; it is often explained as an ancient art and science developed by the Chinese at least 6,000 years ago. Certainly, feng shui is a way of blending certain components into a friendly, healthy and inviting environment, finding harmony between yourself and nature, and channeling your energy into a positive direction that benefits you and those around you.
LUCKY BAMBOO AND YOU!
Lucky bamboo is a unique and beautiful plant that is easy to grow and represents the five elements of feng shui. Experts advise that arrangements should contain water (representing water), a clay pot with gravel, sand or rock (representing earth), the color red or shades thereof (for fire), a coin or metallic silver/gold/copper charm (for metal) and the plant itself (representing wood).
Lucky bamboo pots are works of art by themselves. Esprit will soon have a page devoted to typical and appropriate pots for your lucky bamboo for purchase. As experts, you may rely on Esprit de Isle to offer nothing but the best!!
