It’s been snowy and drab for too long now. These months without a garden can be hard to bear. Dreaming about the garden and perusing nursery catalogs helps to sustain us through the dark days, but I seek a more practical outlet. Filling the house with green and flowering plants of all descriptions, varying the mix from year to year, satisfies my need for “green”.

Plants enhance almost any interior by adding natural forms, colors and fragrances

Plants complement a decorating scheme. A large, dramatic plant acts as a focal point, while a smaller grouping of plants contrasts shapes, colors and textures. A single flowering plant on an end table brightens an entire room.

In limited space, indoor gardeners can use hanging baskets. Trailing plants can be trained around pieces of furniture or part of the structure of the room – a pillar or curtain rod, for example.

True plantoholics will group plants and should consider layering plants in the fore- middle- and background, with shorter plants growing at the base of taller plants as they would in nature. You don’t need to make it a huge project, though. Even one small potted plant makes a difference.

Containers help integrate plants into the overall decorating scheme. Stick to a particular look or material when selecting containers to be grouped in a room to avoid looking fussy. I like natural materials like stoneware or terra-cotta, or glazed ceramic containers to match my room décor.

There’s nothing like a visit to a greenhouse to add cheer to a winter day. Over the next few days, I’ll visit a couple of greenhouses and write about some of my favorite houseplants.

Happy Gardening!