Patio doors were originally created to replace French doors, offering an uninterrupted view of the natural daylight coming into the house, and providing easy access to the outdoors. As a result, patio doors are still hugely popular and due to demand, have become somewhat more elaborate over the years. However, they were not completely able to replace French doors; whereas the style and design of a French door is still seen as a classic and timeless look. However, the two are able co-exist on the market, benefiting the home-owner who has a choice of door options to consider.

At one point, a patio door was not a very secure entryway and easily accessible from the outside. Over time improvements have been made so now this is not as great an issue as it previously had been. There is also another issue of safety because the door, being a solid sheet of glass, is often seen as being open when it is actually not. To help remedy possible injuries, safety glass is now used to prevent people, especially children, from running headlong into the closed doors and getting severe lacerations.

When it comes to being energy efficient, patio doors perform very well. They are made with a series of brushes and seals which adhere to very stringent building code regulations. Producing the vinyl for door and window frames requires three times less energy to produce than manufacturing aluminum, thus making this product not only more cost effective, but also environmentally /energy friendly. To put this in perspective, it saves enough energy to heat almost 20, 000 single swelling family homes a year.

Most patio doors are made from vinyl or metal frames. The vinyl frames are made with up to 80% vinyl resin and then the remaining 20 % can be made up from various additives such as stabilizers to help prevent cracking and peeling. Pigments are also added to add the desired color as well to help create UV protection. Other additives help in preventing damage done during the shipping process.

Once the vinyl compound has been made, the chemical additives are locked in. Then, the resulting material is softened and forced through a die creating the unique shape that will eventually become the frame. These extruded pieces are shipped on pallets to the window / door fabricator where they are cut to the specified lengths and dimensions required to make the patio door.

After machines have cut the components to be assembled, the frames are often fusion welded together to form air tight and water tight seals at the corners. The installation of locks, keepers, balances, weather stripping, and finally the glass, are completed and the process is sent to quality control where the work is checked for air tightness, water tightness, and for any possible damages done to the frame or glass during assembly.

The use of vinyl frames for patio doors and windows helps your glass door maintain an even temperature so that there are limited condensation and humidity differences in the home. The quality of the air in the household is also greatly improved because glass doors mean less electricity is needed to heat and light the house. Lastly, an additional environmental bonus is the elimination of paint, stains, strippers, thinners which are not needed to maintain the patio doors appearance and function; saving the environment from harmful odors, chemical disposal, as well as leaving the home owner with free time to enjoy the view.

Patio doors are a great addition to any home and they can even increase the value of the home.

How Patio Doors Are Built is a post from: The Grow Garden

Another pest that ruins the appearance of affected plants. Easy to detect but very difficult to kill off completely once they have made a home in the tangled branches of such climbing plants as stephanotis and hoya. One is often invited to visit the greenhouse of an enthusiastic amateur and see the wonderful range of plants being cultivated under one roof.

Many of these plant collections are managed extremely well but often enough an incredible infestation of mealy bug will be shrugged off with the comment, ‘Of course, there is a bit of bug about.’ The sad part of it all is that a thorough drenching spray regularly repeated would lead to considerable improvement.

Mealy bug is another pest that may be encountered. Not very particular about which part of the plant he inhabits, he does have a penchant for finding his way between twisting stems and overlapping leaves where he can he particularly inaccessible to any pest control that may be used. One consolation is that mealy bugs are not difficult to see, as they wrap their young in a cotton wool-like substance. Adult bugs are very similar to small wood lice and powdery white in colour.

The important thing with these pests, as with all others, is to keep on top of them, as they are much more of a problem once they have become established. The good grower practises a policy of prevention rather than cure – possibly a simpler task on the nursery than in the living room or kitchen. But it does, nevertheless, pay to keep a watchful eye for unwanted visitors on one’s plants.

A fortune must be spent annually by growers of all sorts of plants in their efforts to keep red spider mite under control, so there is no lack of material when choosing an insecticide with which to treat them. It would be foolish to list the insecticides that are available as they are changing and, we are told, being improved upon all the time. The helpful plant retailer will be the best person to consult in order to obtain advice on the current popular product. Thereafter, follow the manufacturer’s directions, and be sure to thoroughly saturate the undersides of plant leaves. In order to discourage attack from red spider a moist environment should be maintained around the plants and dry atmosphere and arid conditions should be avoided.

They can be seen with a small magnifying glass mostly on the undersides of leaves, and pin-prick holes in the leaf are an indication that red spider mites are present. Red spider seem particularly partial to some plants, of which Iledera canariensis is one. When spider is well established small criss-crossing webs can be seen on the undersides of leaves, and as they drain the sap- from the plant the leaves become light brown at the edges and the plant takes on a generally dry and hard appearance. Where the growing conditions are very hot and dry the risk of red spider becoming a nuisance is very much increased. Finally, a pest that attacks the roots of plants is root mealy bug. It is not often encountered but is sometimes seen on plants which remain in the same pots for long periods, bromeliads being good examples. Araha elegantissima is another.

Houseplant Insect Pests is a post from: The Grow Garden

Abide by the fertiliser manufacturer’s instructions and better results will be a little larger, and procure a properly balanced potting compost. It is seldom, if ever, that one sees good-quality plants growing in what is often referred to as garden dirt. Composts should contain peat, sand, fertiliser and all sorts of other ingredients if potted plants are to do well.

There are many varieties of adiantum to choose from, all of them delicately beautiful, reasonably easy to care for and supremely adaptable. Plant them in dish or bowl gardens, as individuals to stand on top of a pedestal, Or in hanging baskets. To see them at their best the latter method cannot be bettered.

Like fertilisers, all insecticides should be used as instructed, as that seemingly harmless little extra may well cause leaf scorch and other damage. Pests should be treated as soon as they are seen, as any delay will make their control just that much more difficult.

A shaded position is preferred. Water freely other than during the winter months when permanently wet compost can be harmful. Propagate by division. A sharp knife will be required to cut through the matted roots of older clumps. When split, the smaller clumps should be potted up individually and watered in. Less congested clumps can be teased apart into smaller, or even individual, pieces if a large number of new plants are required.

Abutilon are shrubby plants that are best suited to the cool, lightly shaded garden room, rather than indoor conditions. Keep well watered during the active growing period in spring and summer, and on the dry side at other times. It is mostly hybrid forms which are offered for sale. Producing maple-like leaves and pendulous bell- shaped flowers, abutilons may be used as centre pieces in outdoor bedding schemes during the summer months. If pruned in September – October they will require less winter storage space. Stems can be shortened by half their length to keep plants in shape.

There are also hardy and more tender species available, but those offered for home decoration are, generally speaking, a middle-of-the-road selection which will do better indoors.

Adiantum is a post from: The Grow Garden

A number of indoor plants may be propagated by this method, and it is also an excellent way of reducing the height of rubber plants which are getting out of hand. Plants are air-layered simply by removing a section of the outer bark and wrapping a handful of wet sphagnum moss around the exposed area, or by making an upward cut through the main stem and wrapping wet sphagnum moss round the incision.

Relax; it is not nearly so dreadful as the foregoing may suggest. In actual fact the house plant grower is not too much troubled by pests, and if you follow my earlier suggestion about purchasing plants from a reliable source then the chance of introducing pests to your collection of plants is further reduced.

Fortunately, the majority of really poisonous insecticides are not available to the general public, but even those that are considered safe should be handled carefully. Certainly, when handling insecticides rubber gloves should be worn as general practice, and any plants that need treatment, particularly with a liquid solution that is sprayed on, should be treated out of doors.

Plants will vary in the time they take to produce new roots into the moss, but when a good supply of healthy white roots can be seen through the polythene the stem can he cleanly severed a little below the moss ball. Let the cut end dry, remove the polythene and, leaving the moss ball intact, pot the new plant into a pot of its own, using a peaty compost. Water in, then keep on the dry side during the first few weeks to encourage root development.

Inspection of the growing tips of hederas, for example, will often show colonies of greenfly feasting there. Greenfly should he looked for on buds and flowers of flowering plants – the hibiscus is a good example of a flowering plant which is vulnerable to greenfly attack. They may also he found under the leaves as well as on new growth, where they are very easily detected.

A further precaution is to ensure that the insecticide manufacturer’s instructions for. preparation and use of his product are followed to the letter. Often enough only a small amount of the solution is required, but it is better to mix the minimum amount stipulated by the manufacturer and dispose of any surplus rather than experiment with hit-and-miss smaller quantities in the belief that one is being economical. In almost every aspect of plant growing excess can be dangerous, and this is never more so than in the use of pest controls. Mixing insecticides to excessive strength may indeed put paid to the pest, but there is no benefit if the plant should succumb. in the process.

The Few Plant Troubles is a post from: The Grow Garden

On most varieties stems will, quite naturally, become leafless and woody in time. When this happens and the plant is no longer attractive the stems should be cut to within a few inches from their base. Keep the potful of stumps as they usually grow again from the base. The stems can then be cut up into sections some 2 to 3 in. in length.

After dusting the ends with rooting powder the cuttings should be pressed horizontally into a seed box filled with moist peat until the pieces of stem are almost covered. Any growth buds (small swellings on the stem) that can be seen should be uppermost. As soon as the first two leaves have opened, pot into 31-in. size pots. Many dracaenas (D. Redcdge in particular), and philodendrons with larger leaves can also he propagated in exactly the same way.

Dracaena massangeana is one of the more impressive foliage plants though space demanding, but good value if the room can be afforded. When freely planted in beds of compost or when growing in their natural habitat they become quite substantial plants.

Any house plant grower who can acquire an old stem of one of these more mature plants can intrigue his friends by propagating stout stems several inches in diameter on the window-sill with few problems.

To produce acceptable plants from such a parent the cutting should be removed with about 5 in. of hare stem attached. With a sharp knife make notches along the stem in five or six places that will be below soil level when the cutting is inserted, and treat the notches and severed end of the stem with a rooting powder. Prepare a potful of J.1.P.2 compost pressed down fairly firmly and make a reasonably large hole with a dibber into which moist sphagnum peat should be gently pressed in with the dibher.

The cutting is then inserted in the peat far enough for the leaves to come into contact with the surface of the compost. Cover the pot with a polythene bag. You may be quite surprised at the good results and the amount of root that develops, not only from the severed end, but all the way along the section of stem that is below soil level at the points where notches were made.

Tips on Propagating Houseplants Through Cuttings is a post from: The Grow Garden

Aglaonema is widely distributed in South East Asia. 16 to 2eC. (6o to 70F.). The suitable temperature for Aglaonema is less than 16C. (60F.); for a short period this may do little harm, but it is essential to provide adequate warmth if these plants are to do well.

A. rhodocyanea is one of the most exotic and unusual of all potted plants. Large, strap-like overlapping leaves form a perfectly watertight urn (hence the common name). When purchasing, look for plants with lighter grey colouring as the darker ones are less attractive. To prevent damage to the natural grey bloom on the leaves it is important to ensure that they are not cleaned or rubbed in any way.

When buying plants in flower it is best to select those that arc more backward in order to get the longest life possible from them. The ideal stage is when the pink bract is a little above the water level in the urn. Plants that have developed to the stage where the blue flowers in the otherwise pink bract are fully open should be avoided.

Though expensive, if purchased at the proper stage of development, A. rhodocyanea will give anything from eight to ten months of pleasure before the bract eventually deteriorates. The high cost merely reflects the time taken by the nurseryman to bring the plant to maturity, at least five years from seed under normal conditions.

Aechmeas belong to the bromeliad family, and an essential part of their culture is to ensure that the water reservoir formed by the leaves is kept permanently topped up with water. This may take on an unpleasant odour in time, and it is therefore advisable to change the water completely every six weeks or so. Only a little water requires to be given to the actual compost, so that it is just moist and never saturated.

The time can be reduced by adding carefully controlled amounts of chemical to the water in the reservoir, but it is not the sort of treatment that can be recommended to the householder owning just one or two plants.

Aechmea is a post from: The Grow Garden

The larger leaved ivies are better where a bolder effect is sought, but all these are vulnerable to red spider mite in hot, dry conditions, so a watch should he kept for their presence.

As the name suggests, II. Mini Green has smaller, more congested leaves that are crinkled at the edges. Of the variegated plants for outdoor use, and as durable indoor plants, the best small-leaved ivies are those with basically grey colouring.

Ivies may he used for almost every purpose, as trailing plants, upright plants on stakes, climbing plants against the wall or, very effectively, as hanging basket plants. In this respect they may he used in conjunction with other plants, or as individual specimens filling the basket.

The rate of growth can be quite phenomenal; less than ten years ago we used H. Glacier to edge a bed of geraniums outside a store shed and, in spite of constant removal of cuttings for propagation, the building has almost disappeared. The best of the grey-foliaged ones are H. .Adam and H. Little Diamond, both of which are very popular and, because of the demand, seem to he forever in short supply. The latter has, as the name suggests, leaves that are vaguely diamond- shaped in appearance, while H. Adam has very small grey and white leaves which are as beautiful in their way as that of any foliage plant. These plants vary considerably and plants with quite large leaves are often sold as being H. Adam, but the discerning purchaser should examine them carefully and make a point of selecting the miniature form.

The majority of ivies will branch out quite naturally when the leading growth is pinched out, and, indeed, it is advisable to do this to all that are required to have a full appearance. However H. Jubilee is one of the exceptions. When pinched it invariably produces one new stem immediately below the point of severance. And for this simple reason the plant is seldom popular for indoor decoration, since a pleasing shape is just as important as the colouring in many respects.

One of the very best as a climbing plant is Hedera Jubilee (Golden Heart), which makes a rather thin and scraggy pot plant, but when the golden foliage is seen against a wall in the sunlight the effect can be most appealing.

Hedera (Ivy) is a post from: The Grow Garden

Surprisingly enough anthuriums are, on the whole, not too difficult to raise from seed provided it is fresh and sown in a temperature approaching 27C. (80F.). When large enough to handle the seedlings should be potted not into soil, but into a mixture of coarse pear and rough sphagnum moss; to help things along try soaking-the moss in liquid fertiliser at standard strength for 24 hours before using.

It is also helpful if plant pots are plunged to their rims in peat or moss beds, below which there should be permanently warm pipes, or soil-warming cables can be run through the bed. In common with most members of the aroid family this anthurium will develop aerial roots on the main steirk as it extends in, length. If these are left unattended to dry out in the atmosphere then the plant will suffer.

Ant huriunz czysta Ilinztin is grown purely for its truly superb leaves. This is a plant when the beginner would do well to ignore until he has acquired some degree of skill with simpler subjects. In the greenhouse collections of many enthusiasts some surprisingly fine plants are grown, but it is seldom, if ever, that reasonable specimens of A. crystalli num are seen. Frequently the reason for this is that the grower tends to care for these plants by potting them very conventionally in standard pots, when it is infinitely better to grow them on a moss-covered raft.

This is simply made from a slatted wood base, covered with a layer of good sphagnum moss; the plant is then placed in the centre of the moss and. more moss is built up around the roots to the neck of the plant. Stiff wire bent in the fitshion of hairpins will hold the moss in position. As roots appear through the moss the procedure is to add fresh moss as required, so there is no need for conventional potting. It will help if the moss is soaked in fertiliser solution over Aphelandra raft it is a simple business to construct a larger base on to which the existing raft is placed with a layer of moss in between the two. Grown in this way in a humid greenhouse you’ll have your friends believing that you have acquired some super new variety.

Commercially, almost all of this variety is raised from seed which will germinate if temperatures in the seventies are available. It is important to keep the heat constant for small plants to maintain growth in the early stages. A really open, spongy compost is essential when potting on this plant, something akin to a fifty-fifty mixture of J.I.P.Z or 3 and peat, and it will he all the better if the peat is nice and coarse. Pot the plant gently and at all costs avoid packing the compost too tightly around the roots.

From a small collection of these plants one may expect flowers almost throughout the year, though the blooms may be few and far between in winter. To get the best from the flowers it is usually necessary to employ some form of support to keep the flower stalk erect. This can be a slender cane to which the flower stalk is tied immediately under the spathe, or a piece of stiff wire with an open loop at the top in which the flower may rest. Cut the cane or wire to the correct length before inserting it in the compost, as the spathe may be damaged if the support is longer than the stalk itself.

Tips on Growing Ananas is a post from: The Grow Garden

As in the case of Azalea indica, the most important requirement of hydrangeas when grown as pot plants is water. They must be kept moist all the time and this usually means a good watering every day, but it is important that the water drains away freely ; they should not be allowed actually to stand in water. Purchased in the spring of the year hydrangeas are very little trouble if kept in a light, cool room and watered and fed regularly.

In good growing conditions plants can be very invasive, so will need hard pruning any time after flowering. Mealy bugs can be troublesome pests should they find their way in between the twining stems of the plant, so a careful watch must be kept in order to eradicate them before they have a chance to get established.

The simplest way to increase plants is to peg shoots into small pots in the form of a layer, cutting them away from the parent plant when they become established.

By planting in very acid, peaty soil the blued varieties will retain their blue colouring; in ordinary soil they will revert to pink. Alternatively, the soil can be treated with alum as required.

Propagate from cuttings taken from blind shoots in March – April and inserted in John Innes cutting compost, or similar, at a temperature in the region of 16 Celsius. Pot on into 5-in. pots as the plants become established and grow on in reasonable warmth until mid-May when they can be placed out of doors for the summer months.

Bring indoors, or place in a frost-proof cold frame until the end of the year, when plants can be given extra heat and watered to start them into growth for the new season. While the plants are dormant compost should be kept dry.

Hibiscus is a post from: The Grow Garden

All over the world there must be millions of liens grown annually for indoor decoration, ranging from the tiny creeping fig, Ficus pumila, to majestic trees of F. benjamina and F. benghalensis. None of them flower when grown in pots, so the attraction is entirely in the foliage. Ficus elastica robusta is the now greatly improved ordinary rubber plant which is produced in vast quantities annually.

All three will require a moist, warm, shaded environment in which to grow, and even then will not be easy to manage. Indoors they would be best suited to the atmosphere created in a bottle garden; or enclosed glass case. (In Victorian times these were referred to as Ward ian Cases, named after Nathaniel Ward who invented them in effect they were miniature indoor greenhouses where one could grow plants of a delicate nature).

In the garden room it would he essential to provide a warm bed of moist peat in which to plunge the plant=pots. Provided the surroundings are shaded the` maximum tem- perature is unimportant. Propagate from stem cuttings with two to three leaves attached.

When plants arc sick – and this advice is pretty well general for them all – they should be kept on the dry side, should not be fed until they show signs of recovery, and on no account should any attempt be made to pot them on into larger pots. Disturbance of the already damaged roots by repotting can be absolutely fatal.

Chlorotic (yellowing) condition of the leaves, due to an alkaline compost, causes much of the trouble, so it is important to use a suitable mixture at the beginning and when potting plants on into larger pots. The condition can usually be rectified by applying sequestered iron according to the manufacturer’s directions. Most good garden shops will be able to supply sequestered iron.

The wedge would then be placed in the V-cut, tied in position, and a stake inserted to support the plant. Next day my curiosity got the better of me and an old rubber plant with no leaves on the lower section duly had its middle removed and the shortening procedure was executed. The plant did not so much as flag ; the top and lower sections married perfectly and the only indication that something odd had taken place was a slight swelling at the point of union and a few curious aerial roots which had pushed out of the main stem of the top section. It was probably wondering what was going on, as well it might! Anyway, for what it is worth, that is one sure-fire way of reducing the height of a leggy rubber plant.

Fittonia is a post from: The Grow Garden