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What to bring, when you’re told not to bring a thing…well chocolates are a bit overdone, alcohol has its vices, but a plant really brings smiles without any calories or complications!

So, what can you buy for the same price as one of the ‘gesture’ gifts? At Eden we’re doing 2 for $40 bespoke kokedama balls – the perfect quirky hostess gift. They last and last too, growing well in most well-lit spots providing they’re submerged once a week, so you’ll be able to see them next year!  For something a little different, you might want to book into your own DIY workshop and come along and make one yourself at our parent store Eden in Macquarie Park.

We also have a range of novelty pots and plants guaranteed to make you smile.  There’s Buster Bear, Gulliver, Tilley, Andy Cat and many more, all from $9.98.  If that’s not going to tick some boxes at work or for the teacher, then nothing will.

For a miraculous gift, why not give a plant that CAN live off thin air.  Air plants, or tillandsias are more than a novelty, they are actually a type of bromeliad… like an insey winsey tiny pineapple. There are a number of different varieties, but the most popular is probably Spanish Moss, which grows really well in trees and looks like living tinsel, but can also grow indoors if regularly ‘spritzed’.

In Victorian days people use to hide secret messages in their gifts, coded in plants.  You could take a leaf out of their book...for example, orchids were given as a sign of luxury, and the more beautiful the orchid the deeper your love!  Perhaps the modern take on this could be giving a Peace lily to someone you want to make amends with this Christmas, or a Cactus for that colleague you’ve never quite gelled with!  Maybe there’s more complexity to this garden gifting after all!

By: Meredith Kirton

Hoyas are plants to LOVE.  Who can resist their amazing scented flowers, their foliage cascading from hanging baskets gracefully or climbing creatively around your balcony?  They are just about the most forgiving climber for shade too, bouncing back after you’ve forgotten to give it the attention it deserves. 

Hoyas have very little about them that can go wrong too, except they don’t like to be pruned, or at least, you run the risk of losing next season’s flowers if you do.   Talking of flowers…wow!!  They are scented, oh so Instagramable, and look like clusters of shooting stars.  Some of their leaves even look like hearts – how adorable, and some have lovely variegations or twisted rope-like formations.  There are so many you can start your own collection.

Hoyas are native to the tropics and love a little warmth and misting to make them feel at home at your place, but being epiphytic, are pretty tough too. Fall in love with Hoyas and check out our range of plants perfect for pots indoors or out.

By: Meredith Kirton

Travelling to a tropical island may be off the holiday list now, but why not create your own touch of paradise at home with some gorgeous palms and their alies.  All palms are not created equal though, so come with us through our palm grove and discover the right plant selection for your position to create the perfect touch of lush for inside and out.

Kentia palms (Howea forsteriana) are popular the world round due to their hardiness and adaptability. Their dark green, elegant foliage and graceful, arching fronds made it perfect for interiors.  They live happily in pots for many, many years, and are great for providing a canopy in shady gardens.  Indoors, it is the best pick of palms to cope with low light positions, though will do best if spelled outside in the shade to recover.  Lord Howe Island’s greatest export to the world is the Kentia Palm, which is called thatch palm there as it is used for thatching.

Australian Fan Palm (Licuala ramsayi) are simply one of the most beautiful and stylish palms around, and we can claim it too as its native to tropical Queensland rainforests.  The completely round leaves split into segments, giving it a pinwheel effect, which can be up to 2m in diameter as it matures.  Perfect for turning your friends green with envy, great in shaded frost-free courtyards and stylish in well-lit interiors.  This ‘must have’ palm won’t last long, so get in while stocks last!

Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) is a beautiful cycad palm that is popular in garden design.  Its rounded whorls of dark green fronds give it a sensational silhouette that looks stylish in pots, great planted as a specimen in gardens and even used inside in bright positions.  Native to Japan, it is one of the palms used to produce sago, which was popular in puddings last century and is making a bit of a comeback in kitchens.

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifritzii) is a tall, narrow clumping palm that is useful for screening as it grows thick to the base and reaches about 3m tall. Outside, bamboo palms prefer a semi shaded position with well-draining, organically enriched soil.  Inside, they like a light filled room.  Bamboo palms are wonderful to include not only as an air purifying plant, but also because they look great.  Team them with a cane basket for a relaxed look, or pot them into a glazed pot for a more formal take on a jardinière.

Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea) is a stunning cycad that looks great in pots inside or as a specimen in the garden.  Each frond is olive green, thick and leathery, giving it the cardboard nickname.   They radiate out from a central crown creating a beautiful shape.  Cardboard palms like a shaded position outside, or full sun spot indoors, and will grow to about 1m in diameter and develop a small cylindrical trunk if they get the right position.

Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) is not really a palm, but is does have palm like fan fronds.  Perfect for instant height to your interiors, or used in containers outdoors as a terrific screening plant.  The great thing about this plant is how much bang for your buck you get; they add value and lushness. When mature, the giant bird of paradise produces a giant ice-blue and white flower.

Golden Cane Palms (Dypsis lutescens) are prized for their golden stems and bright green fronds.  They will grow happily in any frost-free position, and when planted outdoors can grow to 6m.  One of the charming characteristics of this palm is its suckering habit, which means that as it grows taller it also gets thicker and bushier.  Just remember to have enough room for it if you’re planting it outside, and don’t put it too close to any structures.  Indoors and pots are perfect partners for golden cane palms.

Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)What’s not to LOVE about this lady?  She is elegant, sophisticated, looks good for a lifetime and works with Asian interiors perfectly or mixes with the best tropical styling.  Lady palm has dark green divided fronds and a multi-stemmed habit, putting up new stems as it grows taller so your plant always looks thick and lush, unlike some palms that get tall and skinny, this is your ‘fully figured’ palm.  Lady palms will cope with air-conditioned environments, provided they are given regular spritzes with an atomiser, and are watered regularly. 

Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) is perfect for indoors due to its low light tolerance, slow growth and diminutive habit.  It’s been used for decades successfully and is the quintessential potted palm.  It also works well as a kokedama.

Looking After Your Palms

Keep the palm fronds clean and wipe down any dust.  Allow them to dry out slightly over winter, then up the water and fertilise regularly as the temperatures increase.  Sometimes mealy bugs, scale and red spider (two spotted mites) can cause problems indoors, but a non-toxic Eco oil spray used occasionally can help rid you of problems, as well as a good hose down outside.Use a liquid fertiliser every few weeks.

When you need to repot your palm, we recommend using Eden Garden’s Premium Mix.

We know that everyone gets such joy from the arrival of Spring.  It’s a real time to reset, re-organise and renew in all areas of our lives.

There’s so much inspiration and information around on how to embrace the season outdoors, but what does Spring look like for our indoor plant friends.

Each spring is an opportunity to include flowering indoor plants in your interiors.  Your lush green jungle can get some spring colour through beauties like flowering moth orchids and vibrant flowering cyclamen.  Both will flower for about 6 weeks.  Cyclamen can be planted outside under deciduous trees when they have finished flowering.  Moth orchids need to be kept somewhere warm and bright indoors but will re-flower again in the right position.

It’s not just about flowers, it’s also about foliage.  Think fresh palm fronds as they push out new growth, ferns unfurling fresh green fiddleheads and the stunning multi-coloured foliage of plants like peperomias, devil’s ivy and calatheas.

Spring is also a great time to do some spring-cleaning.  Not just by wiping down some of your indoor plants with a damp cloth to freshen them up, but also by adding indoor plants that will clean your air.  Try adding 5 indoor plants to you living rooms for 75% cleaner air…or go for maximum impact and health benefits with 10 plants.

Spring is also a great time to start repotting your indoor plants – especially important if your indoor plants are pot bound or not taking up water properly.  Repotting your plants into a larger container obviously gives them more room to grow, and the weather at this time of year is triggering your plants to do just that.  Make sure you water the plant thoroughly first, then gently remove it from the pot so you don’t damage it.  This may mean levering it out gently with a spatula down the inside of the pot first. Cleanly cut off any tightly matted roots from the base of the plant, which sounds drastic but, as long as you water them carefully afterwards, should lead them to healthy new growth.  Pot them up into a pot about 5-10cm larger than the existing one, and apply some Seasol.

Come instore for any Spring plant guidance you need.  We are here to help you Gro.