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Plants that Clean Air for Good Feng Shui

A home is your sanctuary. This is where you go to take physical and mental shelter from the outside world. Feng Shui is the art of making your home not only a sanctuary but one with good Chi. Westerners call this good positive energy. Indeed, your home should make you feel good.

Good Chi starts with the one essential that is not optional in life -- air. In order to achieve and maintain good Chi, we must all improve the quality of the air that we breathe inside our homes. In the practical sense, good air equals good health equals good mental and physical energy.

Unfortunately, indoor pollution is a very real threat to the quality of air that we breathe at home. Pollution comes from smoke, outdoor pollution, poorly recycled air, and other forms of contamination...more on this later. A natural way to combat the indoor air pollution is to use plants that clean air.

Luckily, there a list of inside plants that purify the air in your home to generate good Chi. These plants fight contaminants called volatile organic chemicals (VOC). VOCs are released from carpeting, plastic products, products made from synthetic materials, and even some types of plywood.

So without further delay, here is the list of the top 5 plants that clean air for good Feng Shui. In addition, these plants also look nice for Feng Shui decorating:

1. Boston Fern. If you have formaldehyde in the air in your home, this lush green plant will do the trick. The boston fern is lovely, making an ordinary space extraordinary. Just be aware that they require a bit of maintenance. Treat them well daily and they will thrive.
2. Peace Lilly. You wee this plant a lot during the Spring or Easter Season. They look calming with their white flowers. The unseen benefit is that the peace lilly will remove pollutants like acetone, benzene, and formaldehyde. And they are easy to care for. Nice.
3. Rubber Plant. If you want a hardy plant that can withstand little sunshine and chilly temperature, consider putting this plant in your house. This plant is favored by people who want a tough plant that can remove indoor pollutants like formaldehyde.
4. Bamboo Palm. Such a nice plant to look at, the bamboo plant also serves as a purifier taking out benzene and formaldehyde from the air.
5. English Ivy. If you want simple, this plant is for you. It cleans the air by taking out formaldehyde. This ivy prefers cooler conditions.

Now that we know what to plant indoors, let's consider where not to place these plants. You see, Feng Shui is about the placement of things in order to balance the flow of energy. The one place where you don't want too much energy is in the bedroom. You want to rest and sleep in the bedroom. Too much energy makes it hard to sleep. So place these plants to clean the air in your home, but don't place them in the bedrooms.

About the Author

For more practical Feng Shui tips, visit Christine Tran's free resource site on how to practice Feng Shui with ease. www.fengshuimirror.com.

What are some common, hardy plants, that can survive continuous strong sunlight (Houston, TX)?

Here's some sun loving plants to grow in Texas:
Gaillardia, Daylily, Coreopsis, Autumn Sage (Salvia greggi), Lantana, Firebush, Mexican Oregano, Mexican Sage, Echinacea, Cacti

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/publications/statelist/perennial.html

Cherry Sage (Labiatae Salvia greggii):

http://www.nativesoftexas.com/csage.html

Firebush (Hamelia patens):http://arboretum.sfasu.edu/plants/hameliapatens/hamelia%20patens.htm
Mexican Sage, Velvet Sage (Salvia Leucantha) http://www.floridata.com/ref/S/salv_leu.cfm
Gaillardia (Blanket Flower):

http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/specials.specDetail/recID/25/index.htm

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0geu665P0VIWjEBZlJXNyoA?ei=UTF-8&p=Gaillardia%2C&y=Search&fr2=tab-web&fr=ush-ans

Decorative grasses that do well in Texas include Gulf Muhly and Lindheimer's Muhly. The native Texas Red Yucca is known for its drought-tolerance, color and low maintenance. Salvias are known for their long blooming season (spring through fall). Consider oaks and maples, including the Shantung maple.The Shantung maple thrive in direct, hot sun, drought conditions and high humidity (excepting far West Texas).

http://www.gotexan.org/gt/channel/render/items/0,1218,1670_13379_0_0,00.html

Lindheimer's Muhly:

http://www.westongardens.com/page%20content/plant%20library/lindheimers%20muhly.htm

Red Yucca:

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/aransas/redyucca.htm

List of Texas native plants for sunny areas: Incluides Black-Eyed Susan, Liatris (Blazing Star), Penstemon, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea), Rock Rose, etc.
http://www.nativesoftexas.com/plants_for_sun.htm (click onname for photo & info)

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0geu6qPKkVIKocAAQFXNyoA?ei=UTF-8&p=Liatris&fr2=tab-web&fr=ush-ans

You can search the U. of Texas Native Plant Data Baseto explore more plants such as:
Liatris (Prairie blazing star, etc.):

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LIPY

Native of Texas: Twisted Yucca (Liliaceae Yucca rupicola):

http://www.nativesoftexas.com/Cactus&Others/tyucca.html

Herbs that like full sun include Rosemary, Lavendar, Lemon Balm, Sage, Oregano, Mint:

http://www.centraltexasgardening.net/herbs.htm

If you choose native plants, they'll do well. Also don't forget to mulch plants that like mulching so they can retain moisture.

Good luck!!! Hope this is helpful.

Hardy Plants
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50 HighImpact LowCare Garden Plants By DisabatoAust, Tracy $24.7 The author of The WellTended Perennial Garden profiles fifty key plants that are perfect for a yearround garden, pest resistant, climate tolerant, cold hardy, and easy to cultivate and maintain, accompanied by useful gardening tips, advice, and hints based on the authors own gardening experience. Author: DisabatoAust, Tracy Publication Date: 2009/01/07 Number of Pages: 168 Binding Type: Paperback Language: English Depth: 0.50 Width: 7.50 Height: 9.00

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Growing Bamboo Plants In Five Easy steps!

Growing bamboo plants is not that difficult even for the worst green thumb in the world and should be a straightforward exercise.

However, there are some delicate stages bamboo will go through during it's early phase and we'll present a simple 5 step process to getting your plant into the ground, ready to face the world!

Bamboos are very hardy and will enhance the appearance of any garden. They are great for creating fence lines and for providing privacy, particularly in suburban areas.

The two varieties of bamboo, running and clumping are two different beasts in a sense. The running variety can be great for creating a quick fix to a fence line but it has caused issues in the past because of it's intrusive nature. There are ways to contain this variety within a designated space but that's for another article. We are more concerned with getting your plant in the ground and on it's way to full growth.

5 Step Planting Process

1. Digging your hole requires two very important considerations. Firstly, the hole should be at least the depth of the pot the plant is sitting in and secondly, you want to give it plenty of space. A general guide for width is about twice the width of the pot. Some go even a little wider.

2. Once the hole is dug, add a generous amount of compost mix into the soil. The compost and soil will surround the plant.

3. When the bamboo is positioned in the hole, the clump of soil around the plant when extracted from it's pot should be level with the soil line.

4. Watering is extremely important during the plant's early growth. Be careful not to let the soil around the plant dry out. Some experts consider the first 12-18 months as vital and watering consistently during this period is a prime objective.

5. Fertilizing can be tricky. The plant should receive at least three applications during the first 6-12 months. Presuming you are planting in Spring, fertilize then apply follow up applications in summer and the fall. A nitrogen-based fertilizer is highly desirable when growing bamboo plants.

Right Time To Plant

Spring is usually regarded as the best time for growing bamboo. Planting at this time means the plant is heading into the warmer months however, provided areas don't drop below 40-45 degrees faranheit or 5-7 degrees celcius in temperature then it may not matter when you plant.

The important thing to remember is to get the plant established during the first six months and although it is a hardy plant, it still needs plenty of nurturing during the vital root growth stage.

Growing bamboo plants in sub tropical and tropical areas is very successful but they can struggle in very cold climates. If you live in a cold climate then consider growing them inside.

About the Author

Want to grow the best bamboo plants in your neighborhood? Enhance your garden's appearance with the latestgrowing bamboo tips plus news and reviews.

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Hirt's Super Dwarf Patio Banana Plant - Musa - Great House Plant $3.79 MUSA ACUMINATA SUPER DWARF CAVENDISH BANANA: Forget about huge banana plants that need a lot of room. This unique super dwarf allows for growing inside the home, on the porch, or close confines of a patio. Has a very symmetrical and compact appearance: 2'-4' in height. Can produce tasty fruit inside or out. Has been used as ground cover around base of palms which provide strong vertical elements. ...

Hardy Plants