Care Guides
Care guides by Rupert Foxton-Smythe
426 guides
Cultivating Exotic Plants
Raising colorful and exotic house plants is an exciting introduction to exotic species, and recreating their natural habitat offers a challenge of its own.
How to Plant a Pip
If you enjoy growing house plants from seed, and like saving money, then next time you eat exotic fruit, plant the pips or stones.
Growing Plants at an East-Facing Window
A position at a window provides plants with strong indoor light, whichever way the window faces.
Stapelia Varieties
Stapelia Gigantea Stapelias are South African plants with short, succulent stems that often branch to form a carpet.
Cultivating Orchids
Cultivating orchids can be a most rewarding and fascinating pursuit, partly because there are so many varieties to experience and partly because of the remarkable nature and adaptability of these…
Creating a Miniature Water Garden
Even if your garden is quite small, you can probably manage a miniature water garden.
Looking After Epiphytic Plants
An Epiphyte is a plant that grows, not in soil or water, but on another plant. An Epiphyte is not the same as a Parasite, such as Mistletoe, which feeds on, and may even kill, its host.
Repotting Large Plants
Repotting a large house plant can be as easy as repotting a small one, if you take it a step at a time. Here we tell you how to tackle the job successfully.
How to Grow and Care for Chrysanthemums
Originating in the cooler northern regions of the Far East, the chrysanthemum responded quickly to the efforts of hybridists when the first plants were introduced to Europe in the 18th century.
Climbing Annuals
Climbing plants are useful to cover walls and sheds, mask old tree stumps and clamber over patio fences and loggias.
Evergreen or Deciduous Climbing Plants?
Do you need greenery all year round? That is another point to consider. If the wall itself is attractive, you might prefer to have a change of plant with the seasons, and plant a deciduous shrub or…
How to Grow Climbing Plants
Use the natural behavior of climbing plants to create luxuriant displays in your home. Climbing plants are tough and usually undemanding to grow, and can be easily trained as you wish.