Larry Smith and the Riverside Gardens team talk all things pots, plants and pruning in their weekly gardening column.
I know some of you were lucky enough to have a sneaky four-day weekend last week, but now it is back to normal and back to the topic of indoor plants that I started the week before that.
Indoor plants not only beautify a room but can also help set the mood and feel of an indoor space. If you have the right plant for the right position, they are easy to grow and care for. The amount of light in the area, warmth, humidity and airflow influence your choice.
Most plants that we grow inside will need to be able to take a much-reduced amount of light than they would get outside. A good rule of thumb is that if you could comfortably read a book in the light available, you should be able to find a plant that you could grow there.
For slightly darker spaces, try using larger leafed plants like Spathiphyllum sensation (a giant peace lily), Spathiphyllum blue moon or some of the philodendrons. You could also use smaller leafed plants such as the sansevieria snake plant, Zanzibar gem or Devil’s ivy. You will have to be mindful of the watering with these, as most of them like it on the drier side. Of the palms for darker spaces, I would recommend a kentia palm, Howea forsteriana. It is often considered one of the most decorative palms and adapts well to low-light indoor conditions.
For beginner indoor gardeners, it would be hard to go past the smaller Spathiphyllum wallisii peace lily. These are one of the most forgiving, easy-to-grow indoor plants. They can be left unwatered until they start to wilt, neglected from underfeeding and overgrown in the pot, and yet they still bounce up and flower with clear white lily flowers. These plants look great on a benchtop and will let you know when they need a little bit of love.
Other forgiving plants, such as Aspidistra elatior, the cast iron plant, which is making a real resurgence in popularity for such a tough old common plant, and Chamaedorea elegans, the parlour palm, would also make good choices for beginners.
Big statement plants that demand your attention in a room can be a bit trickier to grow, but with a little care, plants like Ficus lyrata, the fiddle leaf fig; Strelitzia nicolai, the giant bird of paradise; Dracaena Janet Craig; Dracaena massangeana, the Happy Plant; and Dypsis lutescens, the golden cane palm, will all give you the effect you are looking for.
Some ferns also make great indoor plants, and many of them take on humid conditions like those found in bathrooms and kitchens. Maidenhair fern Adiantum is an old-proven example of this, but in recent years, ferns such as Microsorum diversifolium kangaroo paw fern and Phlebodium aureum blue star fern have both become trendy choices and are effortless to grow.
Once you have mastered your skills on some of the above plants, you can test yourself with the beautiful but known to be trickier plants to grow: Aphelandra zebra plant, Alocasia black velvet, Calathea peacock, Anthurium flamingo flower or Tacca chantrieri, the black bat flower. All these make stunning indoor plants but be warned, they will need a bit more care and attention, but it is well worth the effort.
Another type of indoor gardening that can be quite rewarding is the art of growing a garden in a jar. Terrariums, done well, can be a great conversation piece on a benchtop or coffee table. These are not overly hard to do, and you can let your imagination go and create mini landscapes in an enclosed environment.
If you are not sure where to start with indoor plants or if you have questions about your existing plants, call the garden centre. We love to share our knowledge.