Green up your home with Hero houseplants

When it comes to growing indoor plants, the options are endless and care is easier than you think. Sally Jenner suggests surefire survivors and more adventurous picks

- Sally Jenner

AS there is less to do in the garden in winter, why not switch your focus from the outdoors to indoors? Brightly A coloured indoor plants - the likes of amaryllis, orchids, and poinsettias make great festive gifts for friends and family. And greening up your own home with gorgeous houseplants and flowering bulbs will not only satisfy your urge to grow things, but it will also fend off any winter gloom that might threaten to descend once the excitement of the Christmas countdown is over.

Even if it feels like you're more of an expert at killing houseplants than someone with the knack of keeping them healthy, it's well worth giving them a go. And if you bear in mind a few general rules, your plants will thrive.

Underwatering or overwatering are the usual reasons for houseplants not doing well. It's best to wait for the top of the compost to dry out in between waterings, as a permanently moist surface will encourage fungus gnats and potentially rot off the central stems. You can feel whether your plants need watering by pushing a finger into the top of the compost (some plants tolerate moist soil, others prefer soil that's on the dryish side, so check individual labels first). Where possible, it's a good idea to check the moisture at the bottom of the pots, too. Water plants thoroughly.

Love those leaves

When buying houseplants, you first need to consider whether you like a particular plant's foliage - after all, that's what you'll see 365 days of the year, whereas most flowers are fleeting. That said, there are a couple of excellent longflowering varieties that will bloom intermittently throughout the year anthuriums and tender geraniums, for instance. There are also plenty of easycare troopers that won't keel over at the slightest neglect, as well as more interesting and unusual types if you feel ready to step up your 'indoor gardening' to the next level.