Indoor gardening has been growing in popularity in recent years. Not only do houseplants make our homes look great, but they also have health benefits, including helping to lift our moods during the darker nights of winter and improving the air we breathe.
As this week is UK Houseplant Week created by celebrity horticulturalist David Domoney we asked Newlands gardener Adam Wearing to choose his favourite indoor plants.
Orchid (Orchidaceae)
These stunning plants have a plethora of stunning colours and floral bouquets to suit all tastes. They thrive in warm and sunny, well lit rooms. Orchids can be found in most countries around the world apart from the Arctic and Antarctic and come in many shapes and sizes.
The majority of indoor Orchids originate from warmer climates which makes them ideal to be kept as indoor plants. The root systems reflect this and as so are usually large and fairly shallow rooting so as to maximise moisture absorption. With these roots in mind, Orchids are best kept in 'Clear' pots with a special Orchid compost that doesn't over soak the roots and lets them spread as they would in their natural environment. With watering, it's best to lightly spray with a mist sprayer once a week and apply small amounts of liquid orchid feed found in most garden centres once a month. The Orchid is an ideal plant for any home due to the warm environment. The bright colours and fragrance are also aesthetically pleasing for residents and staff and often a good conversation starter at Newlands.
Bromeliads (Bromeliaceae)
These colourful house plants are a common staple of indoor house plants in garden centres and make a great addition to any bright naturally lit warm room with their stunning upright central blooms of bright colour, ranging from yellows, oranges, reds and pinks. Bromeliads are very low maintenance as they originate from tropical climes across South and Central Americas and require light watering on a once weekly rota. Unfortunately they only have 1 bloom during their lifespan although the bloom generally lasts between 3-6 months. Given their origins and bright colours, these plants are ideal for a warm home environment and can cheer up any room.
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)
The Christmas Cactus is part of the Cactus family and is non prickly which makes it a friendly house plant. The blooms are bright and come in pinks, reds, oranges and white. They have an abundance of blooms that flower from multiple points across its spread foliage. The Christmas Cactus is ideal in a pot on a window ledge or sideboard or kept in a suspended pot from the ceiling. They originate from Brazil and require minimal watering, only once every 2-3 weeks or if the top 2 inches of soil are dry. Being a tropical plant, they make a great focal point in any room.
