Green Up Your Home With Hero Houseplants

When it comes to indoor growing, the options are endless, and care is easier than you may 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 outdoors to in? Brightly 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, 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 – bear in mind a few general rules, and you’ll find your plants will thrive.

Under-watering or over-watering 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