indoor gardens Archives - soonafternoon

The Weeping Fig

With the cheerless winter lingering on, we’ve been enjoying the company of our leafy friends at home and so the choice for this week’s houseplant post was as much inspired by it’s personality as by its name.

The Weeping Fig is a handsome character; it’s downward drooping branches and glossy pointed leaves giving it a moody charm. And with the whole of Berlin still gloomy and grey, the weeping fig is both a splash of happy greenery as well as a reminder of the melancholy of winter.

The Benjamina (as it’s scientifically called) is part of the ficus genus and a popular choice for a houseplant, due to its relative ease in care. The reason I call it moody is because this beautiful tree can be quite temperamental. The weeping fig is rather intolerable of disturbances, and will quickly shed all of its leaves if you dare to move it. A protesting tree can look rather bare and dull, as if winter has found its way indoors.

Weeping figs enjoy bright areas with a bit of sun and shade, so a spot near a west or east facing window should provide a good setting. Once in it’s place, let the ficus settle, and only move it if you have to. Benjamina’s are sensitive to colds and drafts so best not place it in areas with fluctuating temperatures. Make sure your pot drains quickly and well. The ficus dislikes soggy soil so be sure to water it less often during the colder months.

Benjamina’s are great company as long as you don’t expect them to move around very often. They will silently grow without any bother, and will look great doing so throughout the year.

Names: Weeping Fig, Benjamin Fig or Ficus tree

Family: Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia

Water: Moderate watering in Summer, less during Winter

Leaves dropping from over-watering: Fallen leaves fold easy

Leaves dropping from under watering: Fallen leaves are crispy

Soil: Fast draining soil mix

Prune: After Summer and before Spring

Toxicity: Mildly toxic to cats & dogs

Propagation: During Summer months by placing branch-cuttings into soil

Text & Photography © Barbara Cilliers

Golden Pothos | Epipremnum Aureus

Pothos sounds rather more like a character by Dumas than a long leafy vine. And perhaps in direct opposition to its actual mythological greek counterpart, this easy growing houseplant doesn’t symbolise yearning or longing but can and often does, grow really really long.

This ever growing characteristic of Pothos explains one of it’s more dubious names. Also known as the Devils Ivy, Golden Pothos belongs to the Araceae family and have been naturalised in many parts of the world due to it’s resilience. Their enthusiasm for growing means Epipremnum Aureus make truly fantastic houseplants. They just have a knack for staying alive. I have one in a bathroom with zero windows. It happily lives on. Perhaps it doesn’t grow as quickly as it’s window-sill-bound buddies, but it lives, and it looks pretty happy too.

Common names: golden pothos, hunter’s robe, ivy arum, money plant, silver vine, Solomon Islands ivy, taro vine and devil’s vine.

Identification: An evergreen vine with smooth and shiny heart shaped leaves that are bottle greens and spectacled in mustardy yellows and white hues. The sturdy stems can climb by attaching their aerial roots to surfaces. This trailing quality mean they work very well as hanging plants too.

Caring for your Golden Pothos

Soil: Pothos grow well in any good draining potting soil.

Location: They can survive in varied lighting conditions, from low light to bright light, but preferably not in direct sun. Plant’s that live in low light conditions won’t grow as quickly and abundantly as others but they’ll stay green and pretty.

Water: Golden Pothos can thrive with sporadic watering. Once a week to two weeks in moderate temperature and during winter months even less. As you get to know your plants you’ll learn how frequent or infrequent to water them. Always test the soil with your finger, and only water once the soil is dry. I usually give mine a good shower of water in the bath every 10 days or so, but I recently came across this neat drip-free trick for watering hanging plants. Drop a couple of ice cubes into your pot and let the water slowly melt away into the soil.

Propagation: Pothos are extremely easy to propagate. Simply cut a stem just above a leaf node (where a leaf attaches to the stem). Remove a couple of leaves closest to your cutting, and place the stem in water. You should see roots shooting out in a couple of days. You can also just remove the leaves and stick them directly into wet soil. eHow has a great video explaining exactly how to do this here.

indoor gardens

The Weeping Fig

With the cheerless winter lingering on, we’ve been enjoying the company of our leafy friends at home and so the choice for this week’s houseplant post was as much inspired by it’s personality as by its name.

Text & Photography © Barbara Cilliers

Wild about plants?

Golden Pothos | Epipremnum Aureus

Pothos sounds rather more like a character by Dumas than a long leafy vine. And perhaps in direct opposition to its actual mythological greek counterpart, this easy growing houseplant doesn’t symbolise yearning or longing but can and often does, grow really really long.

Caring for your Golden Pothos

Text & Photography © Barbara Cilliers

Wild about plants?