Lets face it, the cooler days bring us all to closing up our home and office more. One way we can help keep our spaces beautiful as well as healthy with wonderful clean oxygen is to GO GREEN!…  Greenery is lush and will add all the same “wow” that flowers do during spring and summer, whilst being good for your well being at the same time.

Don’t forget also there are the lovely potted spring flowers bursting into bloom now also, whist they won’t flower for long, they will bring a delightful welcoming fragrance to your space, and after they finish blooming you can pop them into the garden, and they will bloom again next year!

Best care for your indoor plants…

It’s really not that hard but in a nutshell there are a few tips for beautiful lush greenery.

1. Give your plant the light it needs. The average light a plant receives inside your home or office is almost always the single reason it won’t grow. For obvious reasons on the north side near a window will be best.  If you don’t have much natural light choose a plant that will thrive in low light, and rotate the pot each week (so it keeps its shape and doesn’t grow awkwardly in one direction!)

2. Watering. Plants needs water just like every living organism. Different plants have different watering schedules, it is imperative to follow growers guidelines, once you know the characteristics of the plants you have it will be easy to look after them.  Most plants believe it or not die from over watering- not under-watering (that said you can’t completely ignore them!)

3. Fertiliser. Your plant is actually growing so at some stage it will need fertiliser, the good news is it shouldn’t need any during winter. However as the weather warms there will be new growth and your Garden Centre is the best place to seek advice as to which type (slow or fast releasing) your plant needs.

4. Potting/repotting. As we said your plant is growing so will need repotting at some stage. Give it a gentle shake, if the roots are knocking against the pot it’s time for a bigger one. Choose a pot that is slightly larger than the root ball, don’t go for something that is twice as big as plants don’t like this. ( except Snake plant )

5. Air supply. Plants need air, they take in CO2 and spit back out oxygen so need a good supply of both. Air flow will also help reduce disease.

I often get asked what are the best indoor plants, my answer is they are all great but some are easier to keep alive than others.

Here is a selection of some of the easier ones to manage

Snake plant or Mother in Law’s tongue

This is a  hardy succulent. It is particularly hard to kill, and “thrives on being ignored”.  These plants love to be pot bound, leave to completely dry out between watering – great for offices with busy people!

When choosing one to buy, go for a plant with deep green leaves. Pale leaves mean that the plant isn’t in great shape.

Cyclamen

Add a beautiful colour in the winter months.  it is important that the plants are not placed near a window or where the temperature will drop dramatically at night – water from the dance, once the corm( bulb) is wet they tend to die. After flowering place under a tree outside i the garden, then next year believe it or not – they will flower again!

Peace Lily

These lovely plants not only brighten up a living space, but are also excellent at cleaning the air of the room they are in.
One of the most common mistakes in the care of peace lilies is overwatering. Peace lilies are far more tolerant of underwatering than overwatering, which is one of the most common reasons for a peace lily to die. Because of this, you should never water peace lily plants on a schedule. 

Orchid plants

And then of course there is the beautiful Orchid plants, always a stunner!You will get approximately three to four months of life from an Orchid, you can also preserve the look, see my “how to” video on Facebook or click here to watch on You Tube

When the plants have finished flowering after 3-4 months, we have a great trick while waiting for new blooms to shoot – We also have amazing realistic looking artificial orchid stems – no one will know the difference.

Prayer plant

At night, the leaves of the prayer plant fold up as if it’s praying. It opens up wide and shows off it’s pretty foliage again come day time.

It is tolerant of low light conditions, but does best in bright, indirect sunlight. Keep it moist, but not soggy with semi-regular watering.

Stay warm and enjoy your plants this winter!  If you need any help give us a call!