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A lucky bamboo plant is symbolic of good fortune. This living treasure is the perfect present for someone who wants to wish another person well on a new endeavor. The lucky bamboo plant is ideal for nearly every situation. Following are a few ideas for occasions that are perfect for the gift of good fortune.

No time in a person’s life represents such significant change than a new marriage. This occasion is commonly filled with symbolic icons of health, wealth and happiness. Choosing a lucky bamboo plant as a gesture of good will is a wonderful idea for a newly wed couple. There are a few ways that these fortune wishes can be shared. You can use a lucky bamboo plant as a wedding favor centerpiece. This conveys that you wish good fortune on the entire wedding party, as well as the guests. The look of the lucky bamboo plant as a centerpiece is unusual so you have to consider the overall appearance of the event before jumping into a decision.

I chose to use this good fortune foliage as favors for a bridal shower I put together for my best friend. A lucky bamboo plant comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. I found small versions of the luck plant and arranged them around the tables for the guests to take home. The overall theme of the bridal shower party was an Oriental tea party. The lucky bamboo plant was the perfect icon for wishing the couple well on their new adventure, but there are other occasions that are just as appropriate for the gift of good fortune. Another occasion that is ideal for a present like this is a new home or apartment. The lucky bamboo plant makes the best home warming gift imaginable because it is such a strong symbol for happiness and fortune.

Our neighbors moved away, but before they left, we sent over a sizeable lucky bamboo plant to wish them well at their new home. When the new neighbors moved in, we sent another lucky bamboo plant to welcome them to the neighborhood. We go through many changes in our lives. Sometimes the changes are personal like getting married or moving to a new home. Other times we make significant career changes. A luck bamboo plant is a great way to welcome a new employee to your place of employment. This gift can also be used to wish an exiting employee well at her new job.

The lucky bamboo plant is appropriate for a number of occasions. Just think of any time that you want to wish good fortune for another person. You know that the gift is perfect for those occasions.

Although landscape designers often neglect hanging baskets when planning your garden design, these cheerful, low maintenance baskets are beloved by the home gardener. Drive around your neighborhood to see what I mean. The most elaborate garden setting, with extensive flower beds, ground covers and rose gardens, still have hanging baskets on the porch or on the deck. Gardeners are generally obsessive when it comes to filling space with beautiful plants. You’ll see apartment balconies and duplex entries adorned with hanging baskets of flowers, ferns and trailing plants to add charm and warmth in a limited space.

Hanging baskets are also popular decorations inside the home. These lovely baskets draw the eye upward, adding dimension to a room. A large fern or a cascading trailing plant are welcome additions to the kitchen or bathroom, bringing a bit of nature indoors. Likewise, outdoor porch displays make sitting outside on a cool summer’s day an inviting prospect. For a shady location, plants such as fuchsia, begonia and trailing campanula make a dramatic display.

When decorating porches and decks with hanging baskets, the best effect is achieved with baskets placed a few feet apart, running the length of the porch or deck. If you choose a hanging display of fuchsias in baskets, you can increase the color impact with pots of blue campanula, forget-me-nots or phlox, grouped in clusters below the baskets.

Hanging baskets are best suited to hanging or trailing plants, which cascade down to eye level. Plants like begonia, when young, may be hung from wall mounted hangers, bringing them within easy view. Older begonias sprout baby size trailers, similar to the so called spider plant. Begonias will die down in winter if left outdoors, but will continue to thrive if wintered over indoors.

For sunny locations, plants like trailing gazania and thunbergia are perfect candidates for hanging gardens, adding their bright, cheerful personalities to match your warm mood. Add some potted mums or marigolds grouped beneath your baskets for a perfect match. When planning your hanging basket garden, remember that the containers tend to dry out quickly. Wire baskets, lined with an inch or two of spaghnum moss and filled with a mixture of potting soil and vermiculite, provide a moisture retentive environment for your hanging plants. This keeps your plants in good health with less maintenance on your part.

It’s a good idea to have a spray bottle for spritzing your friends daily, as well as a watering can with a long spout or metal extension for watering chores. Choose plants appropriate to the exposure, follow these care tips and watch your hanging gardens become the envy of your neighborhood.