a) Selecting a suitable indoors plant.

There are several types of plants that are suited to indoor life and they can really brighten up an otherwise unattractive room. These are very popular, but are ideally suited to those who have no yard and cannot have an outdoor garden. They are also perfect for the elderly and infirm. When deciding on your indoor plants, go for a vigorous looking plant with strong stems and good, even coverage of healthy leaves. If selecting a flowering plant, choose one with lots of flower buds and avoid tightly closed green buds, as they might fail to open indoors. An example would be the Impatiens Accent Cerise and the Heptapleurum Arboricola.

All house plants, or indoor plants require some care, some more than others. For beginners and for those with not much time to care for their plants, try to find plants that will not require too much attention.

b) Here is a list of some of the hardier indoor plants.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata “Bostoniensis”)

Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra Elatior) - will tolerate poor light, some dryness and differing temperatures. Re-pot only if roots fill pot completely. Topdress older plants

Chinese Jade (Crassula Arborescens)

Cineraria (Senecio Cruentus Hybrids)

Grape Ivy (Cissus Rhombifolia)

Italian Bellflower (Campanula Isophylla) - delicate blue, or white flower. Blooms abundantly throughout summer. Mist spray leaves every so often

Mind Your Own business (Soleirolia Soleirolii) - strange name but attractive

Painted Nettle (Coleus Blumei)

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum Vittatum)

Tom Thumb (Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana Hybrids)

Veitch Screw Pine (Pandanus Veitchii)

Wandering Jew (Zebrina Pendula) - trailing plant with colourful leaves

c) Growing bulbs indoors.

You can of course grow your own bulbs indoors. Most of the popular spring bulbs can be grown indoors, in pots of Bulb Fibre. This is available from most nurseries and gardening shops.

Good examples of these bulbs are the Scilla, Crocus, Chionodoxa, Dwarf Daffodil, Puschkinia, Hyacinth and the Waterlily Tulip. Buy these bulbs in autumn, or early winter and check that they are firm and free of disease. Plant the bulbs in moist Bulb Fibre and leave them in a cool, dark place. Check on them and water if necessary. During this essential wintering period, the bulb’s root systems will be established. Once the shoots start emerging, gradually bring the bulbs into the light.

After flowering, cut off the flower heads and let the leaves die back. At this stage you can either repeat the cycle, or plant them outdoors. If you want quick flowering varieties, you can buy specially prepared bulbs, that take a shorter time of wintering, before the shoots appear.

I have divided this article into 2 parts. Be sure to see part 2 of Indoor Plants tomorrow.

A very informative book if you are interested in indoor plants is The Gardener’s Handbook. Find out more about this book here http://dersalsites.com/ghand/ 

Sally Robson is an up and coming, South African internet marketer, with a vision of empowering all fellow South Africans and non U.S folk, to have equal opportunity and success on the internet. She and her husband Derek, have started a string of sites, resources, courses and articles, as part of Dersalsites. She also has a passion for gardening.

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For more articles and advice on gardening topics, visit Sally’s website at http://www.dersalsites.com/gardening/  and her blog at http://dersalsites.com/sallysgardeningtips

For more on internet marketing, South African business, law of attraction and rugby, visit Derek’s blog at: http://dersalsites.com/southafricanbusiness/

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