Bring the colours of spring inside this month with some easy to grow varieties of indoor plants. Lasting longer than a bunch of flowers living plants will add colour for many weeks (sometimes months) before the flowers fade.
Position in a well-lit room or next to a north facing window for the best results. Avoid overwatering indoors, the easiest way to check is put your finger in the soil, if it feels damp it doesn’t need watering. Fertilise regularly for the longest flowering season and remove spent flowers to encourage new ones to form.
Best plants for indoor colour –
Anthuriums can tolerate low levels of light for a short period of time and still produce some flowers. The brighter the conditions the more flowers appear. These hardy indoors will continue to perform for years and produce some of the longest lasting flowers. Well known for bright red flowers, there are many different varieties, guaranteed to impress. 3 or 4 varieties multi planted in a large pot makes a stunning table feature.
Phalaenopsis orchids, otherwise known as the Moth Orchid, are one of the most readily available varieties across the country. They are also one of the easiest orchid varieties to grow, even after the last of the blooms fall the dark strong foliage is a stunning feature. Keep damp, but not soggy, in a well-lit area. After the flowering has finished it is the drop in temperature that triggers the next flowering spike, so placing outside under a patio or in an alfresco area in the cooler months will encourage the next flush of flowers.
African Violets are so versatile, producing flushes of flowers for many months of the year. They are ideally suited to small well-lit spaces as they are slow growing. Watering from the bottom is the easiest way to ensure continual flowers and healthy foliage. A wick through the bottom of the pot to a reservoir outer pot takes the guess work out of watering. Applying a specially formulated African Violet fertiliser regularly ensures all the nutrients required for flowering are delivered at once.
Poinsettias are thought of as the Christmas plant and are usually overlooked at this time of the year. For brilliant colour they can’t be ignored. If the thought of the red ones reminds you too much of Christmas look for the pink, salmon, or white varieties. The bright coloured bracts will last for months and once the last of them has dropped they also perform brilliantly as a garden plant. The varieties grown for indoor culture will grow successfully as a garden plant.
Bromeliads are affectionately referred to as ‘Broms’ and are widely available from Garden Centres. Growing as an indoor plant is easy and the bright hard coloured bracts will hold colour for months. The brighter the position inside the better the colour on the plants. There are many different colours and leaf forms, almost a colour to suit every deco style. Often replicated as a plastic plant, nothing beats the real thing. Water is applied down the centre of the plant, filling the cup or vase shape. Allow to dry out before watering again.
