Winter has an effect not only pot plants outdoors, but also indoors. Find out what are the key factors that affect your plants in winter and what you can do to help them stay healthy at this time of the year.

1. LIGHT is the very first element to consider. In winter, when the light is not so strong, you can place your plants closer to the windows, and rotate them regularly so all the leaves receive enough light.

Choose the most appropriate location taking into account the following window orientations:

-North: it doesn’t receive direct sunlight, but it is a good source of light for your plants. Most convenient in summer.

-South: it receives the most sunlight. Very convenient in winter.

-East: it allows early sunlight, which is very important for an excellent growing of your plants.

-West: it receives much sunlight, but its convenience depends on the amount of light the plant can receive.

2. TEMPERATURE is another key factor to consider because in winter we increase the temperature of the room via heaters, fireplaces and other heating devices. Plants suffer many times because of this, and we do not realize.

When the temperature of the room increases, the water of your plants evaporates quickly, and so it may be necessary to increase the amount of water they receive. As always, the exact amount of water will depend on the type of plant you have.

A solution to this is to place containers with water close to the plants. The leaves will absorb the water by transpiration, in a natural way.

And a quick reminder: although plants show beautifully when displayed on mantelpieces, remember to remove them before starting a fire, as the excess of heat could kill them.

3. WATERING your plants in winter is important for the reason told above. To water your plants properly, do so with abundant water fewer times, rather than with less water and very often.

The reason for this is because the water needs to reach all the roots of the plant, including the deepest ones. When you use abundant water, the plant does not need more water for a while, so you can space the watering.

If not watered properly, the plant may die, even though the surface of the soil may appear wet.

4. VENTILATION is a key factor since some indoor plants need air moving around them occasionally, so their stems and leaves can gain in strength.

Although they do not need a continuous flow of air, the truth is that they get exactly what they need under friendly weather conditions, that is early autumn, spring or summer, when we naturally open doors and windows and allow breeze to flow.

But in winter we keep windows closed for longer periods of time, therefore preventing air flows. Again you should ensure that your specific plant is receptive to air flows (not all indoor plants are).

5. Some plants may undergo a period of HIBERNATION during winter. Hibernation is just a natural mechanism of the plants to protect themselves of adverse weather conditions.

During this sleeping period the plant may stop growing or even appear weak and loose their leaves. Consequently, the owner believes (wrongly) that the plant is dying or dead and ends up throwing it away.

The thing is, while plants hibernate, they don’t need so much water nor fertilizer. If you doubt whether your plant is hibernating or actually dead, just leave it where it is and water it occasionally, and you might just see it alive again in spring.

Cristina Diaz Garcia is the Author and Founder of the Beautiful Gardens Email Club. Visit her page for an useful Pot Gardening free report at http://www.soapystuff.com/free-garden-reports.html

Outdoor lighting is very critical to the function of your outdoor area when the sun goes down. There are a variety of lights available for use outdoors from simple wall mounts to intricate pathway lighting.

Wall mounts are great for patios and porches. When placed near doors that enter your home they serve as security as well, keeping the dark shadow areas to a minimum. Wall mounts are available in a wide variety of styles, from detailed and decorative wall lanterns to bright and functional flood lights. Wall mounts are great for lighting your outdoor patio or porch since they can be wired from within your house and do not require additional underground work.

Deck post lights and lanterns are another great way to bring light to your porch. This style of lighting attaches to your porch railing, as the name implies. Post lanterns bring light to the outer parts of your porch where wall mounts may not reach.

Path lights or walkway lights are perfect for lighting a sidewalk that leads to a sitting area that is not attached to your home, such as a gazebo or water garden. Solar pathway lights have become very popular since they do not require any underground electrical work. An area away from your house requires a lot of additional lighting for outdoor use since it does not have the capability of having a bright wall mount fixture as the primary source. This additional lighting can be achieved by a variety of landscape lighting techniques including accent lights, spotlights, and garden lanterns.

Without the right lighting, your outdoor time is over when night falls. But if you carefully consider your lighting choices for your outdoor areas, you can have many hours of enjoyment and entertaining outdoors even after the sun has gone down.