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Easy herbs to grow indoors

12/31/2025

No need to purchase expensive grocery store herbs when you can easily grow your own indoors!

Growing herbs indoors is one of the easiest and most satisfying ways to keep fresh flavor close at hand. Here’s a simple, low-stress approach that works well for beginners and busy gardeners alike.

1. Start with easy herbs (some herbs adapt to indoor conditions better than others). The most forgiving choices are:

Basil
Chives
Mint (best grown alone)
Parsley
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary (needs the brightest light)

2. Give them enough light. Light is the #1 challenge indoors.

Place herbs in a south- or west-facing window if possible.
Herbs need 6–8 hours of bright light daily.
If window light is weak or winter days are short, a simple LED grow light 6–12 inches above plants makes growing almost foolproof.

3. Use the right pots and soil

Choose pots with drainage holes (this matters more than size).
Use a lightweight potting mix, not garden soil.
Terracotta is great for herbs that prefer drier soil (thyme, oregano, rosemary).

4. Water carefully. Overwatering is the most common mistake.

Water when the top inch of soil feels dry.
Empty saucers after watering. Herbs prefer slightly dry roots over constantly wet ones.

5. Keep them comfortable

Average indoor temperatures (65–75°F) are perfect.
Avoid cold drafts and heat vents.
Normal household humidity is fine; just don’t let leaves touch cold glass.

6. Feed lightly

Use a diluted liquid fertilizer about once a month.
Too much fertilizer causes lots of leaves but weak flavor.

7. Harvest often (this helps!)

Trim herbs regularly to keep them bushy.
Never remove more than ⅓ of the plant at one time.
Pinch basil above a leaf pair to prevent legginess.

8. Start smart

Young nursery plants are easier than seeds for beginners.
If growing from seed you'll need to be patient — most herbs grow slowly at first.

Here's an article with details for growing the herbs mentioned above.

The best way to dust plant leaves

12/31/2025

Dusting indoor plant leaves is a small task that makes a big difference in plant health. Clean leaves photosynthesize better, resist pests, and simply look happier.

Dust on plant leaves blocks light and clogs leaf pores, reducing photosynthesis and air exchange. Regular cleaning keeps plants healthier and more vibrant.

Simple, Safe Ways to Dust Leaves
1. Soft cloth method (best for most plants)

Use a clean, damp microfiber cloth or soft cotton cloth. Rinse the cloth often so you’re not redistributing dust.
Support the leaf from underneath with one hand and with the other hand gently wipe from base to tip.

2. Shower rinse (great for sturdy plants)

Place plants in the sink or shower and gently spray with lukewarm water.
Let plants drain completely before returning them to their spot.

3. Soft brush for fuzzy or delicate leaves

Plants like African violets or begonias dislike wet leaves. For these types of plants, use a dry, soft paintbrush or makeup brush to lightly sweep dust away.

What to Avoid

Cold water — it can shock tropical plants.
Use leaf shine products (commercial or homemade) with caution as they can clog pores and actually attract dust. A damp cloth is usually all that is needed.

If you want to try cleaning plant leaves with a solution, try one of these recipes on a leaf or two to gauge how well it works for that specific plant:

Mild Soap & Water: Mix a few drops of mild dish soap with water in a spray bottle, spray lightly, then wipe with a damp cloth.
Vinegar & Water: Combine 1 teaspoon of vinegar with 2 cups of water to create a shine-enhancing, pest-repelling solution.
Lemon Juice & Water: Use equal parts lemon juice and water for shine, especially good for hard water spots.
Milk & Water: A 1:1 mix of milk and water creates a gentle cleaner that leaves a soft sheen.

How Often Should You Dust?

Light dusting: every 2–4 weeks. More often if you have pets, open windows, or forced-air heating.

Bonus Tip
While dusting, inspect leaves (especially undersides) for early signs of pests like spider mites or scale. Catching issues early and resolving them is one of the best gifts you can give your plants.

Tips for fuller, healthier indoor potted plants during their natural winter dormancy period

12/31/2025

Many indoor plants have a form of dormancy, though it’s usually gentler and less obvious than for outdoor plants.

Houseplants slow their growth in fall and winter because of shorter days and lower light levels. Plants may stop putting out new leaves, grow more slowly, or seem “paused.” This is a natural rest period and not a problem.

To get a fuller, healthier indoor potted plant, focus on encouraging balanced growth above and below the soil line. A few consistent habits make a big difference:

Light Is Everything

Place plants in bright, appropriate light for their type — most indoor plants want bright, indirect light.
Rotate pots every week or two so growth stays even and doesn’t lean toward the window. If plants look leggy, they’re usually asking for more light, not more water.

Water With Intention

Water less, letting soil dry more between waterings. Roots need moisture AND oxygen to thrive.
Avoid frequent, shallow watering; deep watering encourages stronger root systems.
Always match watering to the plant’s needs (succulents vs. tropicals).

Prune and Pinch

Regularly pinch back tips or prune leggy stems just above a leaf node. This signals the plant to branch, creating a fuller shape. Healthy plants will respond with bushier growth.

Feed, But Gently

Overfeeding causes weak, floppy growth, so go easy on fertilizer during this time. Resume feeding in spring, and remember that less is more even then.

Air, Humidity & Cleanliness

Good air circulation helps prevent pests and disease.
Many houseplants enjoy higher humidity — group plants together or use a pebble tray if your home is dry.
Wipe dust from leaves so plants can photosynthesize efficiently. Learn the best way to dust, and recipes for restoring nice, shiny plant leaves here.

Bonus Tip
Combine plants of the same type in one container for an instant fuller look, or root pruned cuttings and replant them in the same pot as the host plant — gardeners’ favorite trick for lush, layered looking indoor plants.

When days lengthen in late winter or early spring, most houseplants naturally wake up and resume growth. At that point, you can increase watering, resume feeding, and prune or repot if needed.

Indoor plants do rest—it’s their way of conserving energy. Respecting that rhythm is one of the best ways to keep them healthy and lush year after year.

Holiday greetings from Black Forest Garden Club

12/19/2025

Thank you for being part of our local gardening community!

Warm holiday greetings from all of us at Black Forest Garden Club.

May this season bring you peace, joy, and moments of beauty (like a garden at rest, quietly gathering strength for spring).

Thank you allowing us into your gardening lives and sharing your love of gardening and community with us throughout the year.

We wish you a happy holiday season and a flourishing year ahead.

Tips for winter houseplant care

12/19/2025

Winter can be challenging for houseplants, but a few adjustments will keep them healthy until spring.

With a little extra attention, your houseplants will rest comfortably through winter and be ready to grow again when days lengthen.

Water less often: Most houseplants grow more slowly in winter, so let the top inch or two of soil dry out before watering to prevent root rot.
Maximize light: Short days mean less sunlight; move plants closer to bright windows and rotate them regularly for even growth.
Increase humidity: Dry indoor air can stress plants; use a humidifier, group plants together, or place pots on trays filled with pebbles and water.
Skip fertilizer: Hold off on feeding until spring, when active growth resumes.
Watch for drafts and heat: Keep plants away from cold windows, doors, and heating vents, which can cause leaf drop or browning.
Clean and inspect: Wipe dust from leaves so plants can photosynthesize efficiently, and check regularly for pests that thrive indoors during winter.
Save repotting until Spring: Plants are stressed if their roots disturbed during dormancy. If you don’t want leaves dropping, drooping or changing color, leave your plants in their current homes (even if they’re root-bound) until spring returns and growth resumes.
Minimize drafts: Keep houseplants away from exterior doors, leaky windows, fireplaces and heat registers so they don’t stress and then drop their leaves or turn yellow or brown.
Trim yellow leaves and check for pests: Tending to plant leaves all year is a good practice to keep your indoor plants healthy. Use a pair of clean, sharp pruners to remove any yellow or brown leaves, which are often signs of watering issues, temperature fluctuations, fungal infection, or pests. Don’t remove more than 20 percent of the leaves.
Treat diseased plants: most pests can be eliminated with Neem oil or insecticidal soap (DIY recipe below). Repeat as necessary). Isolate sick plants from healthy ones so the problem doesn’t spread. If you don’t know which treatment to try, ask the indoor plants experts at your local plant nursery.

DIY Insecticide Soap
Use Murphy's Oil Soap ($4 for 32 ounces at Target) to make your own DIY insecticidal soap spray.

Murphy's Oil Soap Insecticide Basic Recipe for Plants

Per Gallon: 1 Tablespoon Murphy's Oil Soap + 1 Gallon Water
Per Quart: 2-3 Tablespoons Murphy's Oil Soap + 1 Quart Water

How to Use Murphy Oil Soap Insecticide

Mix: Combine Murphy's Oil Soap and room-temperature water in a spray bottle and shake well.
Water Affected Plant First: Water the plant the day before spraying.
Apply: Spray the entire plant, ensuring you cover the tops and bottoms of leaves where pests hide.
Timing: Apply on a dry, calm day when temperatures are below 90°F and the sun isn't intense.
Test: Always test on a small area of the plant first and wait 24-48 hours to check for damage.

Tips & Variations

For Whiteflies/Mildew (Stronger): Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the gallon mixture for added effectiveness.
Avoid Detergents: Harsh dish detergents can strip protective coatings from leaves, potentially harming the plant. Murphy's Oil Soap is gentle on plants.

For spider mites and other insects affecting cactus and succulents (according to the Cactus and Succulent Society of America): 2 tablespoons of Murphy's Oil Soap to 32oz of water.

How to Winter Water - VERY important!

12/19/2025

Don’t count on Mother Nature and the hope of a big snow to get your trees and perennials through the winter this year.

Snowfall usually provides far less moisture than rain, and we don't have to tell you that we're in a particularly concerning dry spell right now, so you’ll want to supplement with some winter watering for your trees, shrubs, and perennials.

Water long enough so that the soil is thoroughly soaked without run-off. Be sure to water areas in high sun exposure which tend to suffer winter kill.

Water your sloped areas using cycle-and-soak: several shorter periods of watering to let the moisture soak in without running off. Dry winter conditions can also attract turf mites, but proper watering can deter them.

If you aren't able to hand-water your landscape this winter, hire a landscape pro to do the work for you. It's a good investment in the long-term value of your property.

Keep watering even after the system is winterized. Don’t water when a hard freeze is expected to save damage to your plants.

In dry winters, all shrubs benefit from winter watering from October through March. Apply 5 gallons two times per month for a newly planted shrub. Small established shrubs (less than 3 feet tall) should receive 5 gallons monthly. Large established shrubs (more than 6 feet) require 18 gallons on a monthly basis.

Trees: In Colorado during winter, you should water trees with about 10 gallons of water for each inch of tree trunk diameter, typically watering once or twice a month during dry spells. Apply water to the "drip line" which is the area directly under the tree's branches (not trunk) where most roots are located.

More Tips

Water when the ground isn’t frozen
Winter watering is only effective when soil temperatures are above freezing. Choose a mild day (above 40°F) so water can soak in and reach roots instead of freezing on the surface.
Trees and shrubs need it most
Established trees, shrubs, and evergreens are especially vulnerable to winter desiccation. Evergreens continue to lose moisture through their needles all winter and benefit greatly from periodic deep watering.
Water deeply but infrequently
Aim for a slow, deep soak every three weeks during dry periods with no snow cover. This encourages roots to stay hydrated without creating ice problems.
Midday is the safest time
Water late morning to early afternoon so moisture can absorb before temperatures drop again in the evening, reducing the risk of ice damage on walkways and plants.
Mulch makes winter watering more effective
A 2–4 inch layer of mulch helps soil retain moisture, moderates temperature swings, and protects roots, making each winter watering more beneficial.

Done correctly, winter watering can prevent browning, dieback, and even plant loss — making it one of the most important (and often overlooked) garden tasks in Colorado.

What happens to trees and shrubs in a very dry winter?

12/19/2025

The damage usually shows up as browned needles and leaves, dead branch tips, delayed leaf-out, or even dieback.

Anatomy of a tree during too-dry Winters
During dry spells, a tree’s anatomy works overtime to conserve water and survive stress. The roots are the first line of defense, stretching outward and downward in search of moisture; fine feeder roots absorb water, but they can die back quickly if soil stays dry, reducing the tree’s ability to hydrate itself.

Inside the trunk and branches, xylem vessels act like tiny pipelines, moving water from roots to leaves, but prolonged dryness can introduce air bubbles that interrupt this flow, a process known as cavitation.

Above ground, the leaves or needles respond by closing microscopic pores called stomata to reduce water loss, which also slows photosynthesis and growth. The bark helps limit moisture loss and protect internal tissues, but during extreme drought even this barrier can’t prevent dehydration.

Together, these systems shift the tree into survival mode, prioritizing water conservation over growth until moisture returns and normal function can resume.

When winter is too dry, a tree can suffer from desiccation, which means it loses more moisture than it can replace. Even while dormant, trees continue to lose water through their bark and, in the case of evergreens, through their needles.

In dry winter conditions — especially with wind and sun — the soil lacks moisture, leaving roots unable to take up enough water. This imbalance causes tissues to dry out, leading to stress that often isn’t visible until spring.

Evergreens are especially vulnerable, but deciduous trees can also be affected, showing weak growth, shedding or scorching of needles, or increased susceptibility to pests and disease.

Prolonged winter drought also reduces a tree’s overall vigor, making it harder to recover when the growing season begins.

Regular winter watering, mulching, and protection from wind can help prevent this type of stress.

Pro Tip: Use an anti-desiccation spray to protect plant foliage (especially evergreens) from 'winter burn' (desiccation). This spray seals water in leaves and needles when roots can't absorb moisture from the ground. Apply immediately!

Why does lettuce turn pink after being cut?

12/3/2025

Is it safe to eat the pink edges of cut lettuce?

Lettuce edges turn pink after being cut due to oxidation—a natural chemical reaction that happens when the plant’s damaged cells are exposed to air.

Inside of lettuce are compounds called phenols, and when the cut edges meet oxygen, enzymes convert those phenols into reddish-pink pigments (similar to how apples brown).

This process doesn’t mean the lettuce is unsafe to eat—it’s just a sign that the greens are no longer at their freshest.

To slow the pinking, store cut lettuce in an airtight container and keep it cold to reduce exposure to oxygen and slow enzyme activity.

For a detailed article about lettuce that has turned pink due to oxidation and how to prevent it, click here.

One of our favorite products for keep lettuce fresh for a much longer time that usual is the VejiBag cotton crisper bag. Thoroughly tested and proven to keep product fresher for longer (worth every penny and a great holiday gift!). Highly recommend!

Meet the hive architect

12/3/2025

This carpenter is working to save bees, one beautifully crafted hive at a time.

Bees are the original hive architects - master builders whose intricate hexagonal wax comb showcases both beauty and engineering brilliance.

Each cell is crafted to maximize strength and storage while using the least amount of materials—a perfect balance of efficiency and precision. Working together as a seamless team, bees create complex structures that house their young, store food, and maintain the colony’s survival.

Their architectural achievements remind us that even the smallest creatures can design with astonishing purpose and skill.

But bees are struggling (worldwide), and master carpenter Matt Somerville, a committed conservationist, is working to do something about it by building and installing homes for dwindling insect populations (800 and counting). And now he is featured in a new documentary called "The Hive Architect".

This short documentary (12 minutes long) follows Somerville as he creates his unique, conical-topped log hives, which are designed to be minimal-intervention homes.

Watch the documentary here.

Wherever I go, bees come". - Matt Somerville

Freeze resistant plants

12/3/2025

Shown in photo: the Spring blooms of a Serviceberry shrub.

If you garden at high altitude it helps to pick plants known for cold-hardiness, drought tolerance, and the ability to handle intense sun and shorter growing seasons.

Here are good freeze-resistant, high-altitude plant recommendations that do well in gardens and landscapes like ours.

Penstemon (Beardtongue) Many penstemon species are native to mountainous areas, tolerate poor, rocky soil, and thrive in full sun with well-drained conditions — ideal for high-altitude gardens.
Colorado Columbine This wildflower is native to the Rockies, tolerates cold and fluctuating weather, and adds delicate color in spring to early summer.
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) Drought-tolerant, thrives in sunny, dry sites or poor soils, and handles Colorado’s summer heat and winter cold.
Yarrow Tough, forgiving of dry soils and harsh weather, and returns reliably after winter — great for low-maintenance mountain gardens.
Alpine Aster Naturally adapted to alpine or mountainous conditions, with cold hardiness, drought resilience, and cheerful spring/autumn blooms.
Blue Flax A native perennial that copes well with sunny, dry, high-altitude sites and brings delicate blue blooms to your garden.
Sedum (Stonecrop/Succulents) Perennial succulents are excellent for well-drained, dry soils and rock gardens; low maintenance and drought resistant.
Agastache (Hummingbird Mint/Hyssop) Drought-tolerant, attractive to pollinators (bees, hummingbirds), thrives in full sun and dry soil — good for xeriscape borders.
Prairie Winecups Great groundcover for sunny, dry slopes or rock gardens; spreads slowly, tolerates dry soil. Gorgeous deep red/purple wine colored flowers.
Little Bluestem Ornamental grass provides texture and winter interest; tolerates dry soils and adds structure among perennials or native-plant landscapes.
Serviceberry Shrub/small tree/6–15 ft (depending on variety) Cold-hardy native shrub that provides spring flowers and fruit (berries) for birds; adaptable to rocky or well-drained soils.
Manzanita/Kinnikinnick Evergreen, ground-hugging shrub for rock gardens, shady slopes, or xeric slopes; very drought and cold tolerant.
Sulphur Flower Perennial groundcover excellent for rock gardens or poor soil slopes; drought-tolerant, native to Colorado mountains; bright yellow blooms attract pollinators.
Prairie Coneflower Lovely drought-tolerant native wildflower; handles heat and cold, adds cheerful summer–early fall blooms to naturalistic gardens.

What Makes These Work in High-Altitude Gardens

Cold hardiness & freeze tolerance: Many of these plants are native or adapted to mountainous climates — they survive deep winter freezes and short growing seasons.
Drought and poor-soil tolerance: Thin soils, rocky ground, and lower humidity are common at altitude; these plants thrive without rich, heavy soil.
Full-sun adaptation: With thinner atmosphere and intense sunlight, high-altitude gardens often get strong sun — these plants handle it well.
Low maintenance: Once established, most need little water or care, which is handy for areas like ours with wild temperature swings and dry periods.

Easy herbs to grow indoors

No need to purchase expensive grocery store herbs when you can easily grow your own indoors!

The best way to dust plant leaves

Dusting indoor plant leaves is a small task that makes a big difference in plant health. Clean leaves photosynthesize better, resist pests, and simply look happier.

Tips for fuller, healthier indoor potted plants during their natural winter dormancy period

Many indoor plants have a form of dormancy, though it’s usually gentler and less obvious than for outdoor plants.

Holiday greetings from Black Forest Garden Club

Thank you for being part of our local gardening community!

Tips for winter houseplant care

Winter can be challenging for houseplants, but a few adjustments will keep them healthy until spring.

How to Winter Water - VERY important!

Don’t count on Mother Nature and the hope of a big snow to get your trees and perennials through the winter this year.

What happens to trees and shrubs in a very dry winter?

The damage usually shows up as browned needles and leaves, dead branch tips, delayed leaf-out, or even dieback.

Why does lettuce turn pink after being cut?

Is it safe to eat the pink edges of cut lettuce?

Meet the hive architect

This carpenter is working to save bees, one beautifully crafted hive at a time.

Freeze resistant plants

If you garden at high altitude it helps to pick plants known for cold-hardiness, drought tolerance, and the ability to handle intense sun and shorter growing seasons.

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