Quick Fix: Flowers

Flowers make everything cheerier, but sometimes keeping them alive is a challenge. Especially plants that must be watered from the bottom like African Violets. They do sell special pots for this, but I have an easy, cheap fix that I used to use when I worked as a florist during grad school.

You will need a plant, a pot and a freezer bag roughly the size of the pot. (Florists use large sheets of cellophane, but freezer bags work just fine.)

Place the bag in the pot.

Cut off the excess that sticks over the rim.

Fill the bag about half way with water.

Pinch off the dead flowers and leaves, pop in your plant, plastic pot and all, and you are done! African Violets need indirect light, moist (not wet) soil and warm temperatures. They also should be watered from the bottom like I mentioned, to keep water from sitting on the leaves or the crown of the plant.

I put mine in the kitchen window facing the porch. Lots of filtered light, and humidity from the sink, not to mention a easy place to water them. When you water them, let their toes soak for a few hours until the top of the soil is moist, then drain off the excess water. The plastic will keep your pot from leaking and help maintain moisture in the terra-cotta pot during the dry heat of a winter indoors.

These are a great size for gifting, especially for someone in the hospital or a nursing home with limited space.

The Math:

Plants $.97 each on sale

Pots $0, (I had them laying around, otherwise less than $2 each)

Bags eh, doesn't everyone have these in their cupboard?

Total: $1.94

-Jen

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