Fabulous Color and Flowers
The bold leaves of Rex Begonia add interest indoors
Green leaves on houseplants add a relaxed ambiance to a room, while bold red, orange or yellow colors provide a dramatic statement. And a single colorful plant among a group of green plants makes the whole grouping stand out. Plants with colorful leaves and flowering plants usually require brighter light to put on a good show, so a location near an east or west window is ideal.
Among the easiest of the colorful houseplants to grow are the bromeliads. They are a highly varied group, but most are striking, with colorful rosettes of foliage and interesting blooms that last four to six weeks or more. They don’t require much water.
I love the colorful leaves of Rex Begonias (Begonia rex). The color is in both the leaves and blooms. Mine migrated indoors this fall from my screened patio. They don’t like much water, so only water when you absolutely need to.
What could be more colorful than this Croton?
Crotons (Croton sp.) are another group of plants that have bold foliage. Keep them moderately moist, in bright light with high humidity.
A bit fussier, Calathea species requires bright light and even moisture. With leaves like these, it is worth the effort!
Gorgeous foliage of Calathea . . .
Kalanchoe 'Lucky Bells' is a new flower form for this genus
Flowering plants add a dash of color. I saw this Kalanchoe ‘Lucky Bells’ at Delhi Flower & Garden this week. Very interesting and different!
Orchids seem exotic, but certain orchids can be easy and rewarding to grow. For example, Phalaenopsis sp., the butterfly orchids, and Paphiopedilum sp., known as lady’s slipper orchids, are native to the rainforest, where they grow under the tree canopy or in leaf litter. Both will do well in an east or west window.
The most challenging plants for indoor gardeners are those that normally grow outdoors, but can’t tolerate our frozen winters – the plants that spend part of the year on the porch or patio before being moved in for the winter. Bird of paradise, gardenia, camellia and hibiscus are just a few.
My Jasmine plant add wonderful fragrance to the room . . .
As a group, these plants do best in bright light and cooler temperatures, and are less adaptable to low humidity. These plants go through a dormant stage in winter and may drop some leaves or turn yellow, but that’s o.k. Cutting them back gives fullness and bushiness to your plants in the next season.
Bold banana trees (Musa sp.) are an exotic choice, as are edible figs and dwarf citrus, like the Calamondin orange with its extremely tart, miniature fruits. Purchase them at greenhouses now.
Rosemary, lavender, and jasmine are very popular because of their terrific fragrance. These plants often come trained into topiary and wreath shapes that work well in both traditional and contemporary settings.
With proper plant selection and placement in the home, we can beat the winter blues and enhance our living space by gardening indoors.
Happy Gardening!
Excellent post for anyone living in an apartment…like myself. I killed my oriental ficus a few months ago, so I’m looking for something new. Are there any good fruit producing plants to grow indoors? I rent, so I am unable to create a garden, or any structures outside.
Sorry about your fig tree – they are notoriously picky! Many of the dwarf citrus are a good choice for indoor container gardens. One of my favorite fruits to grow indoors year ’round is the calamondin orange (× Citrofortunella microcarpa). This little plant – mine is almost 3 feet tall after 6 or more years – bears fragrant flowers, green fruits and ripe orange fruit all at the same time, all of the time! It does well in a east – southeast exposure, very close to the window for maximum light. (We built a screened porch last summer off of the window I always used for this plant, and it is not as happy this winter in the reduced light.) I move a bay laurel tree (Laurus nobilis) onto the porch in the summer, then indoors for the winter. The leaves are good for seasoning stews and such.
I have actually been thinking about purchasing a dwarf citrus tree recently and given the success story, I think I may give it a try! Do you have any greenhouses that you would recommend?
I saw a few at Delhi Flower and Garden Center. For other local sources, you might Google Cincinnati and greenhouse, then give them a call to ask if they carry any citrus. Online, I’ve ordered from Four Winds Citrus, but they might not ship when the weather here is so cold. You can order Calamondin orange trees from White Flower Farm, too.