Ordinary sedums can create a stunning arrangement in a shallow bowl. The sedums shown in this photograph are readily available at garden centers and could be kept indoors for several weeks and then taken outside. Notice what the addition of some low growing and blooming cyclamen can do to draw the eye to this arrangement. Place the bowl in an area with plenty of light but not direct sun. Use Black Gold Cactus Mix for your potting soil and be certain the bowl has drainage.
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en times when we think of house plants, we neglect to think of the many outdoor plants that might make enjoyable and unusual house plants, if given the right conditions. Or if we cannot duplicate the right conditions, many will at least last for several weeks or longer and then taken back outdoors. But during this interval, we have been able to enjoy them indoors.
There are many factors involved with growing plants indoors and proper light is probably the most important. As I looked at plants in my garden this past summer, I discovered there were many that could be brought indoors during the winter months and then placed back outside in the spring.
One of my favorite outdoor plants that can be grown inside is Cordyline ‘Festival Grass’. ‘Festival Grass’ can easily be grown as a house plant during the winter in a sunny window. This New Zealand native forms a fountain-like clump and has brilliant narrow burgundy colored leaves. The plant in the photo was taken in my garden in August and this pot was planted with three plants the previous spring as I wanted to make certain it was a very full pot since it would be at the entryway to our house. So, imagine if you had one of these in a sunny window during the winter and the bright color it could bring to what might be a drab space. In the spring, take the plant outdoors and place in a sunny location.
When I lifted the three individual plants of Cordyline from this large pot, I separated and planted them in individual pots using Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil. At the time of re-planting I also added some all-purpose fertilizer, which was sufficient to provide enough nourishment to keep the plants healthy during the winter. Once the weather warms, I will take these individual plants outside and plant them all together in another large container.
SucculentsSucculents are a huge group of plants and many will thrive indoors in a sunny window. This photo was taken at a local garden center last summer and it shows some of the leaves and colors there are to choose from. You will find foliage colors of green, gray, yellow, shades of red, and some that are almost blue. The way succulents grow is as variable as their colors and there are upright varieties and other varieties that will trail over the side of a container. Succulents want as much light as possible so a sunny window is usually ideal. Succulents also need excellent drainage and I have found that Black Gold Cactus Mix is ideal. Be sure to select a container with a hole in the bottom so water can drain out. Succulents usually do better with less water than many other house plants and I have found that letting the soil get dry to the touch and then giving them a thorough watering works well.
For a splash of bright yellow, try Sedum ‘Ogon’. Like many plants with yellow foliage, this one does best if not in full sun, and while it needs light, keep it away from a bright sunny window. If plants tend to get a bit leggy stretching for light, it is easy to pinch the tops and you will create new growth and a more dense plant. Sedum ‘Ogon’ is ideal to plant around the base of other house plants and the bright yellow makes a nice contrast to the dark green of many common house plants. Be sure to use Black Gold Cactus Mix as your potting soil of choice.
Another excellent indoor/outdoor plant is Crassula ovata, commonly called Jade Plant. It is easy to grow outdoors in our Pacific Northwest summers but in a container can sometimes not survive a winter if temperatures drop too much. I think it is better to be safe and bring it indoors in the winter. It is well adapted to growing indoors and can look stunning in a container such as the red one shown in the photograph. Jade plants will often bloom and have clusters of pink star-shaped flowers.
Sometimes one of the most difficult rooms to grow house plants in is the bathroom. For an unusual house plant that will often thrive in a bathroom, try Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish Moss). Other names for this plant are graybeard or old man’s beard and once you see this growing, you will understand how it got the name. Spanish moss is in a group of plants called epiphytes and it absorbs nutrients and water from the air and rainfall. It is common to see it growing on trees in parts of the southern United States such as Louisiana where there is high humidity. Spanish moss needs this high humidity and thus in many homes, the bathroom is ideal because of the humidity created by showers. Mist it with a fine water spray on a regular basis to help keep the humidity high and the plant moist. Find an attractive piece of wood and let Spanish moss cascade down. It will be a conversation piece.
Check out your local garden center as many of them carry a bigger assortment of house plants during the winter months than in the spring or summer. Try something new and mix your plants to make interesting color combinations and leaf textures.
Get ready for spring and enjoy the new seed catalogs whether on paper or on the internet. They make ideal reading on a winter evening and can get your mind thinking about what new plants you can add to your garden.
With the various growth characteristics, foliage colors and textures of sedums, it is always interesting to see how people use them. Sedum morganianum, often called ‘Donkey Tail’ is a sedum that has long trailing stems. In the Pacific Northwest, it would need to be brought indoors as a house plant in the winter but can easily be grown outdoors during the summer months. Donkey Tail needs fast-draining soil and with the addition of pumice. Black Gold Cactus Mix is ideal for this use. I thought this photo of Donkey Tail growing in a barbeque was a novel idea.
While there are always many things we can be doing in our garden during the winter months, it is also a time to give some thought to different house plant ideas. Here in the Pacific Northwest, I have been doing quite a bit of transplanting in my outdoor garden, and as I am probably like many gardeners, I have plants in the wrong places. Short plants are behind tall plants and vice versa.
Also, as the garden changes, so does the gardener. Often we want to add new plants and that may require removing some old ones. This is a good time of year to do some ‘editing’ of your garden. And while you are ‘editing’, if it involves removing plants, consider offering your discarded plants to others.
I think many of us overlook the value of having house plants and this is a good time of year to think about them. I must admit there are very few in my house but I do enjoy seeing them in other homes. There is a wide range of choices of many tropical and semi-tropical plants that would not survive outside, but do quite well indoors. Just like outdoor plants, some can be temperamental but many are easy to grow and enjoy indoors. I often remind myself that all house plants are living outside in some locale and it is our task to consider where the plant is from and adjust our environment as much as possible. The following are some house plants that I have selected as being relatively easy to grow.
CrotonsIt would be difficult to find a group of plants that provide more splash of leaf color than the Crotons. These fantastic foliage plants are easy to grow and are available in a wide assortment of leaf colors ranging from yellow, purple, red, pink, green or almost any combination of these colors. Crotons can grow tall but if trimmed, they will branch out and remain quite bushy. In order to keep the leaf colors vibrant, place plants in a location with plenty of light. Often times I have seen several different plants all planted in the same container and this creates an extremely colorful effect. Purchase several different plants, with different leaf patterns and colors, and plant them all in the same container using Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil. With the addition of perlite and pumice into this potting soil, this greatly helps with drainage which is essential for most house plants to survive.
BromeliadsIf the colored leaves of Crotons are not quite your style, consider Bromeliads. With their sword-like leaves, the new growth can offer some very intensely bold colors. The lower leaves act as a reservoirs and it is best to keep clean water in these spaces. If you live in an area with heavy chlorination in your tap water, it would be wise to use distilled water. Bromeliads provide long lasting color in the upper leaves and while this main stalk will eventually die, the plant will usually produce a new shoot or shoots near the base and this can be cut and planted. Keep plants away from direct sunlight. Some leaves can be quite sharp so beware of this especially if there are young children around.
Lucky BambooFor a house plant that I would consider ‘fun’ and one that children would enjoy, consider Dracaena sanderana, often referred to as ‘Lucky Bamboo’ or ‘Curly Bamboo’. This Dracaena is usually sold as stems that are to be placed in water to root and then planted. It is an ideal learning tool for children because often the stem is purchased with no roots and within several weeks, roots will appear and children can watch as the roots develop. There will be buds along the stem and these will begin to swell and grow into new leaves. For a novelty, try ‘Curly Bamboo’, once you see it, you will know how it got this name. ‘Curly Bamboo’ is especially popular with children. Be sure to change the water in the vase on a regular basis and keep it clean. Once a mass of roots has developed, the stem can be placed in a pot with Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil and the plant will continue to grow.
Rex BegoniasAnother group of plants that make ideal house plants and are easy to grow are the Rex Begonias. One of my favorites is called ‘Escargot’ and when you see the leaf, you will understand why! Rex Begonias will grow fairly well in the low light conditions that many houses have and they tend to prefer to be a little on the dry side. They will bloom with small white or light pink flowers and are long lived. Many Rex Begonias will do well outdoors in a shady location during the summer and makes a nice patio plant.
Just because we are in the middle of winter does not mean there is not gardening to be done; it just changes from outdoors to indoors. Check out your local garden center and you will probably be surprised at the offerings of indoor plants that are now available.
Special thanks to photographer Rich Baer, who took all the images that accompany this article.
There are many fun things to do with succulents and a recent trend is to use them as pockets in a wall or planted in a wooden ‘picture’ frame and used either vertical or horizontal. In this particular photo, the wooden frame of succulents is part of a fence and notice the variety of colors and leaf shapes that have been used. This same succulent square could be used as a centerpiece on an outdoor table. For projects like this, or any succulent planting, be sure to use Black Gold Cactus Mix.
Gardening should be fun and I love visiting a garden and seeing the unexpected. I especially like it when it makes be smile. These might be considered as odd looking breadseed poppy (Papaver somniferum) seed heads, and they certainly are. The owner of this garden painted them purple to compliment some purple flowers in the background. I have seen people stop and ponder these seeds heads and then ask the owner what variety they are!
Surprise your guests with an Abutilon in bloom as a house plant. As long as these Abutilons have a good light source, they perform well indoors and then can be planted outside in the spring. This particular Abutilon is called ‘Red Tiger’ and the flowers look like fine cut glass. It is an outstanding plant in a pot, either in a house or on a deck, and when people visit my garden and see this in bloom, they are amazed at the colors and pattern. Be sure to plant Abutilons in Black Gold® All Purpose Potting Soil with Controlled Release Fertilizer.
Many of us are familiar with the houseplant Schefflera as it is fairly common and easy to grow. Several years ago I was given Schefflera delavayi and was told it was an outdoor plant that would grow in my Pacific Northwest garden. I was skeptical but planted it outside. Now, after several very cold winters, my plant is thriving with no winter damage, shiny green leaves, and growth to about six feet. It gets morning sun but is protected from hot afternoon sun.
When buying a cut tree at a lot, keep in mind that the tree has probably been cut for several weeks and it could even be several months. When the tree is cut, it is a natural response for it to seal off the cut in order to conserve moisture. Since the butt end is sealed, it can only absorb a small amount of water, if any.
This is the reason it is so important to make a fresh cut of about an inch from the butt of the tree just before the tree is going to be taken indoors. Once this cut has been made, the tree should be placed in a bucket of fresh water or placed in the tree stand with fresh water. You may be amazed at how much water the tree will absorb especially during the first few days. Research that I have seen indicates that there is no need to add a preservative, fresh water works just fine. Check the water reservoir in the tree stand several times a day and refill as necessary. If the water level goes below the butt end of the tree, it will begin to seal itself up and this will prevent uptake of water. It is also a good idea to place your tree where it will not be getting warm air from a heater vent.
The term ‘living’ tree refers to a tree that is alive and growing and in a nursery container. This is in contrast to a ‘cut’ tree. Check out your local garden center for the varieties of living trees available. Growing in a container with soil, a living tree will be heavy to move around and since they will need to be watered, be sure to have a waterproof saucer under the container.
There are some wonderful wreaths being offered for sale, many with fresh material from local growers. If you have a supply of greenery, wreaths can be fun to make and give as gifts especially when the materials are from your garden. Fir, pine and holly are traditional, but consider adding something new.Paperwhite narcissus bulbs are very easy to force into bloom indoors. They will often bloom within 3-4 weeks of planting. All that is needed are healthy bulbs and some kind of dish or pot with no drainage. A traditional method is to put in a layer of gravel (many types available at garden centers especially for this purpose), place bulbs on top and bring water level just beneath the bulb. Place container by a window and keep water level constant.
One of the major drawbacks with forcing paperwhites is that they get tall and flop over. Some research from Cornell University indicates that by adding some ethyl alcohol will stunt the growth but you will still get the flowers. About a 5% (no stronger or it may burn plants) solution of ethyl alcohol is required, and so from a 40% distilled spirit such as gin, vodka, rum, etc, you would 1 part of the spirit and 7 parts of water. For this to work, add plain water as normal for the first week and then begin using the alcohol/water solution. Continue using this solution until the plants begin to bloom.
If you do not want to use ethyl alcohol you have for drinking, rubbing alcohol also works. It is about 70% alcohol so 1 part rubbing alcohol to 10-11 parts water would be appropriate. Do not use beer or wine as the sugars in them can cause some problems with plants. I tried this last year and it worked!
Enjoy the season!
Some of the easiest house plants to take care of are those special plants in the genus Tillandsia, which are commonly referred to as ‘air plants’. They naturally grow in trees in tropical and subtropical regions, so they grow with no soil. In the home they can be placed almost anywhere. Many indoor air plant growers favor growing them in bathrooms where winter air remains moist.
Air plants tend to thrive as long as they are given indirect light (no direct sunlight) and a weekly spray of water. Warm, humid air will also keep them surviving at their best. With this simple regime, they will live for many years.
Try placing them in a vase, as in the photo. There are many wonderful species and varieties of air plants to choose from. These bromeliads can have silvery or green leaves of varying shapes and widths. Colorful, bracted spikes of flowers may appear in plants that are growing happily. Bloom times vary.
