indoor plants

zenzen

hi, maybe someone can help a clueless gardener?! i haven't a clue about indoor plants, the gardening i do is vegetables etc. so can anyone reccomend some nice plants that are easy to keep for indoors? i am living in a dull apartment and want to cheer it up a bit. thanks!

zenzen

artieanna

There are different types of Geraniums they are pretty and easy to keep,
spider plants, asparagus (fern), there are lots and most are grand if they are placed in their preferred position ie, sun or shade and get required watering..

Make sure to read the instructions before you buy and this will help you figure out which ones you can manage.

have a look here
http://www.gardenersnet.com/hplants/hp1.htm

A good book to invest in or loan from the library is Dr D.G hessayons The house plant expert.

The Sweeper

Standard household plants - good for first time growers too because they're fairly hardy and they do introduce some nice green-ness to your interior - include yucca, dracaena (a genus that includes over 40 species, but I'm talking specifically about dracaena marginata, green leaves with a red edging to them), spider plant, peace lily, christmas cactus and the Christmas favourite, the poinsettia (green leaves on bottom, red leaves on top, you'll see a lot of them in supermarkets around Christmas time).

There are a number of prehistoric-looking vine type plants, like the monstera deliciosa or swiss cheese plant (though it can be harmful if chewed by pets or small children), rubber plant, umbrella plant (again can refer to a number of different plants).

With most indoor plants, you're looking for something that can deal with low light levels (hence vines and ferns), but will thrive if moved to a window position, and something that likes warmer conditions.

Your local garden centre will have a section for indoor plants. Pick what you like and read the labels on caring for them. My own houseplant tips would include pot them in a plastic pot and leave THAT pot inside a fancy ceramic one. Always water them from the top (don't just top up the water tray that sits under the plant pot) and pour off any standing water after 15 minutes. Completely change the potting soil once every two years (it'll be devoid of nutrients). Feed as appropriate to the plant's own care guidelines.

Finally, I'd buy a bag of shiny river pebbles or glass beads and 'mulch' the soil of the pot plant with them - just scatter them over the top so they completely cover the potting soil. You can leave a space around the stalk of your plant. I find this helps keep pests like blackfly away because they can't access the potting soil to lay eggs.

Then again, I used to put my tropical houseplants in the bath and give them a shower with tepid water once a week.

Beruthiel

I have killed house plants in the past due to neglect.
The ones that have survived and I have for years now are the christmas cactus, mother in laws tongue, jade tree and aloe vera

zenzen

thanks a mil for the tips!! thats brilliant now, i will make a trip to the garden centre this weekend hopefully. i'm living in town at the moment in a generic apartment so am dying to bring a bit of nature in to spruce it up a bit. thanks again! zenzen

Ellechim

Hiya - this might sound a bit mad but what about orchids if you like flowers? Shops like Dunnes, tesco and marks and spencer do the most common types. The easiest one I find, and the one which will flower for up to three months at a time is phalarnopsis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalaenopsis

Buy one in flower, with lots of buds. Keep it in a sunny spot, but not necessarily in direct sunlight. You will get one for under 20euro - the flowers will last for about 12 weeks. water once a week, run it under the tap and let the water drain off before you put it back onto the saucer or into the ceramic pot (in the wild these grow on trees - they have aeriel roots and hate soggy bottoms.

Despite how delicate they look they are really hard to kill and if you cut back the flowering spike to the next bud once the flowers have died very often another flower spike will grow back and reward you with more flowers.

If you want to get interested in propogation, etc, they are very interesting in flower terms - many require introduction of a fungus to germinate, etc......and the varieties are endless.

best of luck.....