Tag: Wellington

Hope Springs

Hope Springs

Posted on by living.gifts.by.lola

Hope Springs Anew with Growing

Spring, a new season that denotes hope.  Some would say, from the dreary cold of winter to something that reflects clearer skies, fresher air and the stirring of new life. 

An anonymous author got it right with, 

“Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.”

Picture change in the form of hibernation to springing up.  From catatonic to a burst of activity.  That is what spring is like.  A myriad of rousings and outpourings.

Embrace change with a touch of care and wisdom.

Though the pandemic is still a dark cloud looming over us, we need to embrace change with a touch of care and wisdom.  Spring has come, continue to hold on because it will only get warmer and better for us.

The pleasure of giving and the joy and liberty of choosing.

Living Gifts by Lola also embraced, not so much change as adding up on some new sub-categories under Gift Ideas for all Occasions.  We are offering choices with “A Buddy for a Gift“, “Gift Vouchers” and “Starter Kit Gift Set“.  Catering not only for the givers but also for the giftees.  And we’ve also added some uncommon to rare plants to spice things up.

Hope is free.  

It does not take anything from us but does plenty of good for us.  Optimism for something good gives us a sense of lightness to the burdens of life.  Allowing us to look forward to the future with renewed vigor and motivation to achieve those we hope for.

“Nature and art, a united balm for my well-being.”

In one of my friend’s posts, she said: “Aloe for my health (as an air purifier) and paper poppy for my soul.  Nature and art, a united balm for my well-being.”  My thoughts exactly. That is how I see Living Gifts by Lola.  The process of taking care of these living gifts allows me benefits derived from nature.  At the same time it also allows me the creativity my nature yearns for.  

Do something and allow the hope within us to spring us into action.

Hope is free but we need to follow that up with action.  We need to “do”.  Do something and allow the hope within us to spring us into action.  Nature is telling us that after the cold there is warmth.  After growing your gifts there is life and after that, living continues with giving. 

The Beauty in Growing

The Beauty in Growing

Posted on by living.gifts.by.lola

Most often than not, the things that we see affect our moods and perspectives.  When our surroundings are pleasantly in order there is a sense of calmness but if it is in disarray there’s a feeling of confusion and agitation.  Although, admittedly, each of us has different viewpoints of the words, pleasant, order and disarray, still the concept applies.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness;“

John Keats

My opinion of his idea is, no matter what happens, no matter what darkness or gloomy days we encounter, if we behold our perception of beauty then it will give us joy.  Having experienced that joy in the midst of the reality of, say a pandemic, like we are experiencing right now, increases the value of that loveliness we encounter.  It will always hold something of value for us and will never fade into nothingness.

Good medicine

So what does it matter if we are surrounded with something that gives us joy?  There is a saying that goes: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Surrounding ourselves with something that gives us joy will likely keep us healthy, may the source be physical or a chemical reaction to something good in the air, the outcome is positive and beneficial to us.

Nowadays, I find myself always surrounded by something that gives me joy.  My visually pleasing plants are some of the things of beauty that I consider a joy forever.  Tending them challenges me yet gives off a sense of calmness.  They most certainly provide a type of “good medicine” since studies say that they have great benefits for us.

Here are some of the natural air purifier plants that can filter carbon dioxide, others carbon monoxide, some even release oxygen during the night and the volatile organic pollutants that they can remove.

Being physically healthy could certainly contribute to our moods and overall well being.  One way of having it is by breathing clean air.  And during this pandemic, we know that you can never be too clean.

Now, this is only a  few of the many reasons and benefits of having healthy plants in our homes.  You probably know more and I would like to encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences on this.

Beauty, our perception of it, could give us joy and joy in turn could help us healthwise.  

Growing these beauties, our living gifts for you surely gives us joy and I hope it’s the same with you!

Winter is Coming...

Winter is Coming…

Posted on by living.gifts.by.lola

I am sure there are no “undead” coming our way.  Nevertheless, the frost may just come and take over our plants if we don’t watch out!

Cozy, snuggles and hot coffee are all part of winter for me. The fact that I’ve always been a homebody is just a cherry on top of the cake.  Now, cozying with my family gets even more comfortable surrounded by our lovely plants.

cozying with my family gets even more comfortable

They’re all vibrant and verdant, in contrast with the somewhat dreary atmosphere outside.  Enjoying their presence allows us to remember to adjust a little on our caring routine. 

Let’s check out first what’s in store for us this coming season.

While you might encounter more rain in the North Island, the South Island might be colder and drier.  In Porirua and all of Wellington, the weather could range from 7°C to 12°C, from June to August.  For the rest of New Zealand, winter temperatures usually range from 1.5°C – 15.5°C.

It is said that plants native to subtropics are in danger with temperatures below 4.44°C and could be killed at 0°C, when frost heaving occurs.  While plants native to the tropics could be damaged with temperature below 10°C and could die at 4.44°C.  Checking the origin of our plants could avoid any damages and untimely death.  

Personally, I find mulching beneficial for my outdoor plants.  It preserves moisture and also improves the quality of the soil.  When properly done, mulching could protect root vegetables against hard frost (for those areas that experience frost) and cushion roots against soil movements.  Still, don’t overdo things since it could cause rotting if plants have too much moisture in the soil.  There are different types of mulch for indoor plants as there are for outdoor plants.  Taking the time to search and learn the right type for a specific plant would be helpful. 

During the winter common problems we encounter for our indoor plants are:  too much water or moisture, not the right temperature and not enough sunlight for some plants.  

Sometimes we forget that as the weather changes our plants’ needs for the amount of water also changes.  Cacti like rhipsalis baccifera and succulents like calico kittens and burro’s tail may need watering two times less often.  Still, you need to check and be careful not to dehydrate.  

Cold drafts

Cold drafts could be a culprit during these cold months, that’s why we need to move those plants from window sills to warmer areas inside.  Or we could use blinds and thick curtains as barriers against cold drafty windows.  Others use bubble wrap as an alternative insulation for windows not double glazed.

But as much as cold drafts are damaging, so is too much heat.  Cranking up heaters, radiators and fireplaces during the winter is good.  However, plants should not be exposed directly to the heat to avoid getting burned.  Heaters also tend to dry the air inside a room.  When this happens, plants close their stomata to prevent excessive loss of moisture, making it difficult for them to capture carbon dioxide.  We know that this is not good for plants.  So we need to find the right temperature for them.  Some use humidifiers to balance out the dry air from heaters or you could use misters on some plants so they get the moisture they need without overwatering them.   

With shorter days and colder temperature, indoor plants don’t get enough ambient light.  Make sure that your windows are clear and free of dust so more light could get in.  Leaves should also be clean and dust-free to be able to absorb more nutrients and not block the light.

Winter Blues

Some people experience seasonal affective disorder or some call it “winter blues”.  We need to address this properly.  Do not brush it off as moodiness caused by the change in season and weather.  In the same way, we should care for our plants as some go through dormancy during winter.  Knowing the benefits of plants beyond the aesthetic could help in improving physical and mental health.  Helping remove indoor air toxins decreases the risk of illness.  Also, studies show that tending plants could decrease cortisol levels.  This could relieve stress and anxiety, thereby restoring a positive mood.   

Over-all, plants are just too good for us.  Taking extra care of them this coming season will benefit us more.  Each plant and variety has different needs and conditions where they thrive.  Knowing those will guide us in our daily care for them.

Sure, winter is coming and we are ready!

The Joy in Growing...

The Joy in Growing…

Posted on by living.gifts.by.lola

I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.

– David Hobson

What started as my search for some aesthetically pleasing plants for our home became a journey of discovery, fascination then passion.  Now, nothing gives me more joy about my plants than to see them thrive.  

I posted a few weeks back that I never thought damaged leaves could bring such sadness, but it does.  It is an investment of not only your time, money, mind (as we need to be creative in the arrangement and what accessories to use), but most of all, of emotions. 

A joy-giving experience

To nurture and patiently wait for them to grow is a real challenge.  There were many oops moments for me especially at the beginning, that is why I encourage those who are interested in having plants, indoor or otherwise, to take the time to read some do’s and don’ts or to ask those who know their way around plants.  Learning the basics like the proper time and amount of water to use for a specific variety of plants, proper drainage, the exposure to sunlight and proper humidity would help prevent the premature demise of our plants.  It may be too much for those who only want to see them healthy and pretty around the house but for me, the whole process is truly rewarding.  In a nutshell, it is a joy-giving experience.

Ready, Set, Grow!

That is why Living Gifts by Lola would like to share this joyous journey with you all, both young and adults with our: Ready, Set, Grow! Sprouting kit.  The kit includes instructional materials and the necessary items to start a plant project.  In my last blog I shared a couple of ideal vegetables to plant during this season and so we’ve included some of those in our variety of seeds.  A bucket-filled planting treats for your young ones.

We also have different arrays of potted plants from hanging to climbing and trailing and from small in size, medium to large, for your indoor plant-pleasure.  Still we offer garden accessories like kid’s gardening tool sets, plant misters, nursery pots and water sensors, if you already have the sprouting kit or available plants.

Living gifts that we grow…

As I said, having plants is an investment but the payoff is assured.  Looking around our place, I sometimes find myself just staring at them, they’re so visually pleasant and  vibrant yet calming, I think even our pet, Beau, feels so.  It’s good to enjoy a cup of coffee surrounded with purified air by the living gifts that we grow.

I hope some of you could share your experiences with your own plants, I’d sure be happy to join in your joy and even moments of nostalgia.

Hope to hear from you!

Let’s all get ready, set and grow!   

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn!

Posted on by living.gifts.by.lola

I slept in the summer and woke up to autumn. For those who grew up in New Zealand it’s just another day of summer then autumn comes March.  But growing up in the Philippines with generally two seasons, dry and rainy/wet, it was a new experience for me more than a decade ago. Having winter, spring, summer and autumn was a welcome change. Before I got my hands “dirty” with plants I wasn’t really concerned with weather change unless it’s about the types of clothes to put in storage or which clothes to wear or where to go for a family getaway.  Now, I think about which plants to put outside, which to put near the windows so they could get a bit of sunlight, which plants need watering or which to put away from windows to protect from draught.

The day before autumn, as the season changes, should there also be changes in our plant caring routine?

For those plant lovers who put them outside during the summer to bask and grow under the sun this is the time to start putting them inside before it starts to dip below 12 degrees Celsius at night.

Autumn’s temperature generally ranges from  7 – 21 degrees Celsius (45 – 70F) but Wellington didn’t get the memo yet since the average temperature today until March 1 is still 23 degrees Celsius.  We’ll mostly experience a bit of summer in autumn as the weather hasn’t transitioned yet, but it usually does around the end of March then April.  

Some may be anticipating the actual change in weather temperature and want to start a gardening project, Tui Garden says that autumn is an ideal time to plant broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beetroot, spinach and Chinese cabbages, just saying 🙂

Here in Porirua, locals are known as early birds.  Saturday markets actually start at 4am and since we’re nearing the time of the year when days are shorter, then we can take advantage of our routine by checking and grouping out plants that need more sunlight and those that need less watering.

Succulents, cacti, ponytail palms, jade plants and aloes are some of the plants that need continuous daily sunlight but with cooler temperatures we need to put these plants indoors. Group them on the windowsill and try to rotate them once a week so all sides get the same amount of sunlight. If your place doesn’t get enough sunlight then you can use fluorescent tubes as an alternative.

We can always share these plant activities with our children, seeing as it’s their school holiday in April.  It’s never too early to show them the joys of gardening.  You could give them a starter box with a little bit of everything for planting  or you may check out our cactus in adorable animal pots for practice since cacti are virtually unkillable plants .  Try to  coax your loved ones to join in the fun of growing or simply sprucing things up using plant accessories.  You could repot plants that grew during the summer, put up more shelves and hang potted plants using cool macrames which happens to be one of our handmade gift products– macrame hangers and macrame hangers with pots.  And so, whatever the activity may be, it is always gratifying to do things with family and loved ones. Remember, those who plant together get to see their living gifts grow together!

Happy Autumn planting!