Green Wall Idea

We are just crazy for our new Woollypocket product. A new container product for indoors or out ... literally a pocket that hangs easily on a wall or railing for an immediate lush planting effect. Made in the USA with 100% recycled materials, Woollypockets are great for planting in unconventional spaces, just about anywhere. They are modular pockets, with built-in moisture barriers to protect your wall or railing, with a woolly fabric design that wicks moisture to the right places, and they can be hung however you design. They can create simple rows of lush plants, complete green walls, or modern designs and columns of tropical plantings. Great for today's modern home and office environments or more traditional spaces near pools or balcony railing. Come in soon to Exotic Plants for a hands on look at this new and terrific pocket for plants!

The Fiddle Leaf Fig

Our beautiful fiddle leaf fig trees seem to be a popular plant for home and office this fall. They are a lush, green, interior plant with large, waxy leaves that are available in small table top sizes to large 6' and taller trees that add beautiful, live color to larger spaces. And best of all they are easy to care for when they are kept warm and in good light. These plants prefer medium to high light, but not direct sun. Since these are tropical plants, they thrive and enjoy being warm. They are less likely to drop leaves or develop brown spots if kept warm and consistently watered, but not over watered. A good drink once a week is all they need. If you find the soil still damp or it is sitting in water, wait till next week to water. Over watering is sure to create root rot and dropping leaves. If you find your fiddle leaf fig loosing color over time make sure it is being fertilized mildly a few times a year and not in direct sun for too long, these are common causes of their bleaching out. With proper care of these easy and sturdy plants, you can expect them to thrive in your home or office for many years. Stop in soon to check out these easy beauties or call Exotic Plants to deliver 916-922-4769! Also makes a great house warming gift! You haven't gone green until the plants arrive!

ZZ Plants

The ZZ Plant

Zamioculcas Zamiifolia - its botanical name.

We seemed to get asked everyday about this interesting interior plant. Slightly difficult to find around town, but Exotic Plants has a great connection with a grower on the coast that keeps us in good supply. These easy to care for plants are great for today’s more modern homes and offices; but also hold their own in a Tuscan container, oriental pot, or country basket.

ZZ Plants have long leafy stalks that keep their shine naturally. They vary in height from around a foot to about 3 feet tall. As far as care goes … they are easy. They like a little bit of water weekly, but like to be kept on the dry side, some people recommend watering every other week. And they handle low light conditions well; they can flourish in good light, but seem to burn in super direct sunlight. A great plant for those who forget they own houseplants or travel a lot. They are slow growers but growth speeds up when in brighter light conditions and their waxy leaves are nicely resistant to pest or insects. Interestingly enough, this plant’s origins are from East Africa, but can easily be found in Sacramento at Exotic Plants Ltd. We carry many sizes from an inexpensive 4” potted ZZ to a lush 14” potted ZZ plant. Visit us soon for your special ZZ Plant, 1833 Howe Avenue, Sacramento in The Cost Plus Shopping Center at Alta Arden. Hope to see you soon!

Summer is slowly coming to a close as families return from vacation and children return to school. A great way to keep that vacation feeling in your home or office, is the addition of a tropical bromeliad. If you can't be there, Exotic Plants can bring a little touch of the tropics to you with brightly colored tropical Bromeliad plants. These long lasting plants with vibrant blooms are grown in many colors and are easy to care for.

They need bright light and warm indoor temperatures. Add water to the cups of the leaves once a week, and just a touch to the soil, not too much or it will cause the roots to rot. In one week, most of the water should be absorbed by the plant. If not, wait a week before watering again.

In a few months the colorful bloom will begin to die. When you're unhappy with its look, simply remove at the base of the stem with clean scissors. By this time you may already have a "pup" or new shoot growing from the mother plant. The secret to getting a new flower with color is Ethylen gas. In the wild, animals and insects live in the bromeliad cups, and their dead remains, along with decaying leaf matter, create Methane gas. In the home, we can provide this by cutting up an apple and putting a couple of pieces into the cups. Then placing a clear plastic bag over the plant to intensify the effect ... encouraging a colorful bloom. Hope that provides some insight into Bromeliads, be sure to visit Exotic Plants to see our large selection of these tropical beauties. And don't forget ... We deliver in the greater Sacramento Area!

Summer Snakes

Summer is a great time to introduce you to the Snake Plant or Sansevieria traifasciate. Exotic Plants has a wide variety of these modern beauties this month. Snake plants are known to be one of the easiest house plants to care for. A great plant for horticultural beginners or to give as a gift. They are very forgiving and can withstand many weeks without water. Great for people who enjoy plants but travel a lot or forget to water a lot. They also enjoy good light and warm temptures. Just make sure to under water, this plant likes to be ignored, over watering will surely kill one. August is a great month to add a Snake Plant to your home. Come in soon and enjoy our special of $10 Off Any $25 Purchase, valid through August 31st, 2010.

Keeping and growing Bonsai in Sacramento is not as hard as you may think. Often considered living art, “bonsai” means ‘tree in a tray’, and the Japanese have specialized in the art for hundreds of years. They are no more difficult to look after than most houseplants, needing food, consistent watering and light to survive. However most bonsai are not houseplants. In Sacramento's summer heat they need watering daily and in winter are subject to frosts, but bringing them indoors over winter, is a mistake and sure way to kill them. Bonsai are trees, very special, small ones, but most often need to be treated as the plant that they are. Trees live outside, unless known as a tropical. Exotic Plants has a large selection of small and simple, to very aged and exotic bonsai tree species right now. Please take a moment to enjoy the art of bonsai at our store some time soon. Summer is often a good time to take on a new plant growing experience or challenge. An adventure into bonsai might be what your home or garden needs right now, and can bring added serenity to your life as you care for these enchanting small trees.As always, if you have questions or need to know more, give us a call at 916-922-4769, visit us online at www.exoticplantsltd.com or stop by our urban jungle at 1833 Howe Avenue at Howe & Alta Arden in Sacramento.

Summer Heat

Just a quick reminder from Exotic Plants that summer heat is here! Make sure you keep your interior plants happy by checking them and watering them at least once a week. Especially an issue for homeowners who keep their air conditioning to minimum while they are at work during the day, or do not have air conditioning. If you know your home is warm, you might want to check your plants mid-week to see if a splash is needed until your next watering day. Most plants should have damp soil, never drowning in water and never desert dry. By checking regularly you can save the life of the your beautiful, green companion. Have questions or need advice? you can always send us an email or stop by our shop, we are always glad to help! exoticplants@att.net

Amusing Venus Fly Traps have arrived, along with other carnivorous plants.  They prey on flies and insects to add to their diet. They evolved into carnivorous plants in need of more nutrients in their soil ... they feed themselves. Venus Fly Traps need bright sunlight for a majority of the day. Keep the soil moist with water and if possible keep in high humidity. And if they don't encounter insects naturally, make sure the soil is kept balanced with nutrients. Come on in and take a look at our selection of interesting and carnivorous plants!

Exotic Plants would like to remind you of the air cleaning benefits of interior plants. Two to three plants in pots approximately 8 -10" wide can significantly remove toxins from the air of your home. If healthy living is a concern of yours, make sure interior plants and their care are included in your plan.

Certain plants have an affinity for removing toxins from the air more easily than others. Most of the plants effective in removing indoor air pollutants are not exotic and are readily available. They include English ivy, aloe vera, ficus benjamina, areca palm, bamboo palm, sansevieria, philodendrons, pothos, all of the draceneas but especially the Janet Craig, chrysanthemums, bromeliads and orchids. The draceana is pictured here. All have been proven to remove benzene, trichloroethylene, carbon monoxide, and even formaldehyde.

Let Exotic Plants help you find the plant that would benefit your living space and thrive. Remember ... "You haven't gone green until the plants arrive"!

Marvelous May

Our Marvelous May Special at Exotic Plants this Month is:

We are offering $15 Off Any $65 Purchase or More now through the month of May. Exotic Plants is full of an amazing selection of orchids right now, and many interesting succulents, cactus, bonsai, air plants, and palms. Take a minute out of your week to find a living work of art for your home or office. And remember you haven't gone "green" until the plants arrive!

It's Time To Shur Crop!

It's Spring time!

Seems like we are all busy planting vegetable gardens, updating flower beds, and caring for patio plants and house plants. Exotic Plants would like to remind you of our All Natural and Organic Plant Fertilizer - SHUR CROP. We've been raving about and selling this terrific plant food for many years. Now is a great time to stop in replenish your supply.

SHUR-CROP is made from fermented Sea Kelp. It contains many natural minerals and active enzymes to immediately promote plant nutrition and vibrant growth. Benefits all farm, orchard, lawn, garden, green house, hydroponic, or indoor plants. And is completely non-toxic. Available in three very concentrated sizes and affordably priced from $5.99 and up.

Let Exotic Plants - SHUR CROP help your plants thrive this SPRING!

The California State Flower & Garden Show

Exotic Plants will be at The California State Flower & Garden Show. Please join us for a fun and informative weekend at Cal Expo, April 8th,9th, 10th & 11th!

Tropical Color

It's Spring Time! And you're probably wishing you were on vacation, enjoying the beautiful weather of some place tropical. If you can't get there this spring, we can always bring a little of the tropics to you. Brightly colored tropical Bromeliad plants bring Spring to you at Exotic Plants. These long lasting plants with vibrant blooms are grown in many colors and are easy to care for.

They need bright light and warm indoor temperatures. Add water to the cups of the leaves once a week, and just a touch to the soil, not too much or it will cause the roots to rot. In one week, most of the water should be absorbed by the plant. If not, wait a week before watering again.

In a few months the colorful bloom will begin to die. When you're unhappy with its look, simply remove at the base of the stem with clean scissors. By this time you may already have a "pup" or new shoot growing from the mother plant. The secret to getting a new flower with color is Methane gas. In the wild, animals and insects live in the bromeliad cups, and their dead remains, along with decaying leaf matter, create Methane gas. In the home, we can provide this by cutting up an apple and putting a couple of pieces into the cups. Then placing a clear plastic bag over the plant to intensify the effect ... encouraging a colorful bloom. Hope that provides some insight into Bromeliads, be sure to visit Exotic Plants to see our large selection of these tropical beauties.

The Living Art of Bonsai

Exotic Plants of Sacramento is celebrating the living art of local Bonsai Master, Timm Johnson this week. Enjoy 20% Off All Bonsai this week as we encourage you to explore the beauty of bonsai. Timm will host our Free Bonsai Workshop this Saturday, March 13th at 11 am. If you'd like join us to learn more about bonsai care, selection, repotting, and trimming; please RSVP by calling us at 916-922-4769.

Spring Has Sprung !!!

Exotic Plants of Sacramento is offering $20 Off Your Purchase Of $75 Or More through the month of March! We have a huge shipment of new tropical plants, orchids and succulents to choose from. Come in and enjoy this wide variety of interior plants that can add life and oxygen to your home or office space. Remember ... you haven't "Gone Green" until the plants arrive.

Our friendly staff can help you select a new plant for spring and help you with the size and lightly requirements of your space. And all of our plants come with a specialty care sheet to help you with water and care requirements once they're in your home or office. Hope to see you soon!

Last Week Of The Great Sale!

Exotic Plants of Sacramento would like to remind you of the last week to take advantage of our GREAT SALE going on now through the last day February!

We're offering $10 off your purchase of $25 or more. Come in this week to enjoy this great discount and to check out our new shipment of orchids!

And if Bonsai is your passion, we are offering a FREE Bonsai Workshop. Saturday, March 13th 11 am at out Howe Avenue Store, taught by local Bonsai Expert & Master Gardener, Timm Johnson. Should be an enjoyable morning of quality information, easy care tips, with trimming and watering advice to make your Bonsai a success this year! Just be sure to RSVP by calling us at 922-GROW or 922-4769.

LOVE IS IN BLOOM!

LOVE IS IN BLOOM AT EXOTIC PLANTS - Valentine's Day is coming this weekend! We have beautiful blooming arrangements for your special someone this Valentine's Day. And a great February Special - $10 Off all Purchases of $25 or more! We are open all week - Monday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Or call us at 916-922-GROW to arrange for local delivery of a special orchid arrangement. Hope to see you! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Winter Plant Care Tips

The cold, rain and even snows of winter are here for a while. Your indoor, tropical, house plants may begin to struggle. Exotic Plants would like to remind you of a few easy tips to keep your green friends happy. We recommend setting aside a certain day of the week to care for and water your plants. Like Sunday afternoons ... always check in with your plants, most plants require water weekly but some may need an incredibly small amount or no water at all, in the darkness of winter. So ... keep the soil damp, make sure they are getting good light, hold off on feeding or repotting, and keep them away from drafts coming from windows, doors or heating vents. These can all cause dramatic changes in a plant. And remember, they ARE living things, so the dropping of a few extra leaves in winter will give them the energy they need to make it through a rough winter.

Miltonia "Pansy Orchids" Are In Bloom ....

Look at this happy orchid !!! We have many of these beautiful "Pansy" Orchids available for you at Exotic Plants this week. Miltonia or "Pansy" Orchids are deliciously colored orchids with many blooms, that have a large face, similar to a pansy. They like warm household temperatures and will have blooms that you can enjoy for more than a month because of all their bud stages. They enjoy bright but filtered light and like to be kept moist. And of course, if you decide to take one home with you, all of our orchids come with a care sheet for your special orchid. Happy New Year from Exotic Plants !!!