bloom where you're planted

Winter finally head in full force this past week:  snow, freezing rain, ice and frigid wind chill. It's sure to send you dreaming about warmer climates (and if my Facebook feed is any indication it's sending a lot of you to travel agents and airline seat sales.)   A mid-winter trip south is not in the cards for me this year but I did escape the cold at our local nursery on Saturday morning.  Outside the sun was out, the city was blanketed in snow and the temperature had dropped well below freezing.  But inside the greenhouse it was warm and bright and humid and full of tropical plants and flowers.  It's probably the warmest I'll be until June!

More than just a pleasure to look at, houseplant can improve the air quality in your home which is especially valuable when you're cooped up indoors in the winter months. I once had a friend describe my decorating style as "funky grandma" so it shouldn't be surprising that I left the nursery on Saturday with a few 'old-fashioned' plants in hand.  It's not quite a trip south but they do brighten up the winter months!