New to gardening, help please :)

[desi1115]

I just recently picked up gardening as a hobby and my grandmother brought me some already grown plants. I started growing fruit and veggie seeds but she brought me : Jade, Aloe, Tarragon, Mother In Laws Tongue, Caster bean and a pencil cactus. My question is, can any of these plants be brought inside? I love indoor plants, but usually I buy fake ones so not too sure which ones would be fine in the house.


Also, I'm looking to start growing some flowers, any suggestions on some indoor flowers I could grow? Heck even some outdoor flowers for my front door but Id love a few pots of flowers in my bathroom, if they can survive there.

[Allegre Nee]

Aloe and the cactus should be OK inside.
I had a tarragon inside until last weekk and it was looking sickly so I put it outside, but it wasn't getting much light so that could have been a factor.

[pow wow]

Hello desi,
The jade and mother in laws should do ok inside as well. Up here in Canada we keep them in the house. I only grow castor beans for outside so I'm not sure about them.
Flowers for your bathroom. How much light from outside does the room get?With the right amount of light, orchids might do well. They should thrive on the humidity.
I grow all my flowers from seed and have a greenhouse in the back yard. Every year I have 3 flower pots of wave petunias going down my front steps. Petunias can be tricky to germinate.
If you go looking for flower seeds, make sure it says annual and easy to grow, and check the number of weeks the seeds must be planted before last frost dates. If your at a garden center just ask for help with finding the right flower seeds to try.

[pow wow]

desi, I just read your introduction. You have young children so I would not bring your castor bean inside. It is a poisonous plant and it's looks could be tempting for young ones to want to handle them. I never use gloves when planting them, but I do wash my hands after.

[desi1115]

desi, I just read your introduction. You have young children so I would not bring your castor bean inside. It is a poisonous plant and it's looks could be tempting for young ones to want to handle them. I never use gloves when planting them, but I do wash my hands after.

Ok thanks so much... I know the milky substance from the pencil cactus is posionus so I keep that far away. Wasnt too sure about the castor bean, I know my nana said they arent ediable so I didnt really know what to do with them. Do they grow into nice looking plants? Any uses for them?

[desi1115]

Hello desi,
The jade and mother in laws should do ok inside as well. Up here in Canada we keep them in the house. I only grow castor beans for outside so I'm not sure about them.
Flowers for your bathroom. How much light from outside does the room get?With the right amount of light, orchids might do well. They should thrive on the humidity.
I grow all my flowers from seed and have a greenhouse in the back yard. Every year I have 3 flower pots of wave petunias going down my front steps. Petunias can be tricky to germinate.
If you go looking for flower seeds, make sure it says annual and easy to grow, and check the number of weeks the seeds must be planted before last frost dates. If your at a garden center just ask for help with finding the right flower seeds to try.

The bathroom doesnt get much light at all so maybe I'll just buy some fake ones for in there. I want to plant some flowers around my front door and house, plenty of sun there. Any suggestions on bright colored flowers that are an easy from for a new gardener?

[pow wow]

Hi desi,
I really like the castor bean plant. Up here it will grow to about 5ft over the summer. It has dark red brown leaves, has a tropical look. It will put out round red and spiny seed pods. I've been saving the pods and replanting them every year. Really does best with a least half a day of full sun. If you have a big pot or spot out front to plant them in the ground, people will always be asking you about the plant.
About it being poisonous, A friend from the Caribbean told me they grow wild there and she said as a kid they would eat the beans, they have a watermelon flavor, it didn't kill any of them but always gave them stomach aches.lol

[rainbowgardener]

RE: Any suggestions on bright colored flowers that are an easy from for a new gardener?

How much light does the area get where you want to grow the flowers (eg full sun, morning sun, afternoon sun, filtered sun, shady)?

Are you thinking about perennials, which will start small and some won't even bloom the first year, but will come back and grow and multiply each year or annuals which you can plant now and will grow and bloom all season but have to be replanted each year?