Houseplants are just that – plants meant for growing in the house. They’re not plants you find growing in nature. But at one point, most of the plants we call houseplants today were wild plants growing somewhere in nature – whether in rain forests, woodlands or prairies. Over the years, they have been acclimated to different climates and conditions in order to be kept indoors. Their root systems and growing habits have adapted to these changes. And just as outdoor plants have specific needs, so do indoor plants. So, it follows that we should know something about the specific needs of our houseplants in order to grow them and keep them healthy in our indoor environments, home or office. Room temperature, humidity, light, water and feeding needs are all important factors to consider when choosing houseplants.
Although you may find that one specimen plant is all a room needs to make it complete, there are times and places where you’ll want to create more of a garden feel in a room. This requires a little more thought, as you must consider the light needs of the grouping when deciding its placement. Watering needs, too, should be considered; but you don’t have to water everything at the same time, so it’s not such a significant consideration. Whether you have natural light, filtered or direct, or artificial grow lights, plan to group plants that have similar lighting needs. Stagger heights by adding hanging plants at different levels, and different sized pots and plants on shelves, window sills, or at floor level.
Other things to consider for your indoor garden are color and texture. An all green grouping is beautiful, but if you add a few plants with colorful foliage, you can make your grouping pop. And texture can be exciting – fuzzy leaves, crinkled leaves, shiny or dull, can all add interest to your indoor garden. And don’t forget to add seasonal flowering plants to get additional pop! These are grown to be at their peak of color for specific holidays and their flowers can last for weeks before becoming either permanent houseplants or garden bound plants. Flowering plants may need more watering than your other houseplants and should usually be kept out of direct sunlight. For additional interest, add a piece of pottery, statue, or candles in pretty holders that are in proportion to the grouping, to create a complete look.
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