Pistils Blog

Summer Plant Care: 8 Tips to Survive a Heat Wave

Summer Plant Care: 8 Tips to Survive a Heat Wave

The heat of summer is finally here! With temperatures set to soar into the high 90s and low 100s in the Pacific Northwest this weekend, the time is now to...
Late Summer Color: Five Flowers to Keep your Garden Glowing

Late Summer Color: Five Flowers to Keep your Garden Glowing

Though it’s been quite cool in the Pacific Northwest, summer has officially switched into high gear with beginning of August. The sun is scorching, the ground is dry, and things...
Pistils Rx: Troubleshooting Succulents and Cacti

Pistils Rx: Troubleshooting Succulents and Cacti

“I love succulents. They’re the only plants I keep alive.” We hear it every day. But then again, we also hear, “I hate succulents. I always kill them.” This may...
Peony Perfection: a Mother’s Day Garden Gift that Flowers Year After Year

Peony Perfection: a Mother’s Day Garden Gift that Flowers Year After Year

Peonies are a springtime favorite. They emerge early, with beautiful mint green foliage and bright green-to-pink shoots that quickly set buds. The star of the show, of course, is the...
How To Press Flowers and Preserve the Magic of Spring

How To Press Flowers and Preserve the Magic of Spring

Spring is a special time of year. It seems that each day a new bit of color pops up in the neighborhood, whether it’s the bright green of the tulip...
How To Make A Kokedama: DIY 'String Garden' Tutorial

How To Make A Kokedama: DIY 'String Garden' Tutorial

Ever wondered how to make a kokedama? It's easy! Kokedama, sometimes called string gardens or Japanese moss balls, are a form of bonsai that dates back to the Edo era...
Pistils Rx: 5 Reasons your Houseplant’s Leaves are Turning Brown

Pistils Rx: 5 Reasons your Houseplant’s Leaves are Turning Brown

When we launched Pistils Rx a few weeks back, we got an outpouring of emails and comments from our readers asking plant questions. Thank you all for your photos and...
Spring Indoor Plant Care: 5 Steps to Happier Houseplants

Spring Indoor Plant Care: 5 Steps to Happier Houseplants

Here in the Maritime Northwest, spring has a habit of coming early. Some call it the “February Fake-out,” with sunny days, temperatures in the high 60’s and the Camellia trees...
Pistils Rx: Small New Growth on Indoor Plants

Pistils Rx: Small New Growth on Indoor Plants

It’s happened to all of us. Suddenly, your big, beautiful tropical plant is only putting out small new growth; tiny little leaves that look puny and immature compared to the...
10 Inspiring Instagram Accounts You Need to Follow If You Love Plants

10 Inspiring Instagram Accounts You Need to Follow If You Love Plants

We find inspiration all over the place, from the homes of our friends and co-workers, to print publications and books, to shops and galleries around Portland and around the world....
5 Tips to Revitalize Houseplants (and Keep Them Alive in Winter)

5 Tips to Revitalize Houseplants (and Keep Them Alive in Winter)

It happens every year like clockwork: just before Thanksgiving, your houseplants look a bit droopy. Leaves start turning yellow, and they just look generally unhappy. This is a hard time...
Monster Greenery: Create an Indoor Jungle with these Large Indoor Plants

Monster Greenery: Create an Indoor Jungle with these Large Indoor Plants

The indoor jungle: lush, breathing, cozy and alive. Plants in every corner, in every nook, on every windowsill. It’s what we aspire to in our homes, and what makes us...