8 Houseplants To Suit Your personality
From traditional to tropical, here are the best indoor plants to suit all levels of plant nurturers and homestyles.
Whether you are a traditionalist, prefer minimalist styles or want a riot of colour in your house, houseplants will add elegance and glamour to your home. There are so many to choose from – and here’s your chance to leaf through 8 of the best, to inspire your houseplant choices…
1. For clean air addicts… Anthurium (Flamingo lily)
These elegant plants with deep green shiny leaves and striking red, white or pink flowers should be given pride of place in any household. They’re also effective at removing formaldehyde and ammonia from the air, according to a NASA clean air study.
They like warmth (but don’t put them next to a radiator), plenty of indirect light and high humidity, so a steamy bathroom might be the place for them. Alternatively, mist them regularly.
2. For houseplant killers… Kalanchoe
These pretty plants with succulent leaves and clusters of long-lasting flowers are ideal for the houseplant enthusiast who can’t seem to keep anything alive. They’re available everywhere, from supermarkets to garden centres, can be added easily to plant displays to fill gaps and add colour, and hardly need any looking after.
Give them plenty of good light in normal room temperatures which don’t drop much below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), and allow the compost to partly dry out between watering. In winter, water them sparingly from the bottom.
Make sure you buy them when the flowers are in bloom, as those which just present buds may not bloom.
3. For scent lovers… Madagascar jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda)
Unlike the more compact star jasmine, with its small leaves and fragile stems, the Madagascar variety is a more striking plant, with its deep green glossy leaves and large droopy white buds, opening to reveal beautifully scented flowers.
In the wild it’s a flowering vine, so you can trail it wherever, but if you want it uniform, trail it around a large wire circle and weave a few warm white fairy lights around it for a dramatic effect.
It likes a light position, but not where it’s draughty. When it’s flowering, keep the soil damp – but not saturated – and don’t let the roots sit in water.
4. For modernists… Paperwhite narcissi
These fragrant narcissi bring height and structure to plant displays, pairing well with sprigs of wood such as silver birch and lower-growing greenery, or moss to line the pot.
They’re ideal candidates for those who yearn for spring and for cool, minimalist customers who want structure and a subtle white palette.
For a smaller display, half fill a glass vase with pebbles, stones or gravel, and you can plant the flowering paperwhites in it. Each flower spike has up to 15 flower heads.
5. For minimalists… Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis)
They have become much more common in the last decade, but the white moth orchid still spells elegance when positioned in a stylish pot.
Water them thoroughly about once a week, and let the water drain out of the pot on a draining board before putting them back into their containers.
James Folger, founder of online garden retailer ¬Th e Stem, says: “¬They crave high humidity and bright indirect light, so an east or west facing bathroom or kitchen is perfect.”
6. For low-maintenance fans… Succulent mix
Succulents are ideal for people with little time or space, but who still want some plant colour over the winter – carrying on beyond through to spring. Rich, red houseleeks (sempervivums) can be grown inside or out, while other succulents including mini agaves, aloes and echeverias offer a palette of colours from lush deep greens to ruby reds, ideal for terrariums or mixed pots. ¬ They need plenty of light, a really gritty compost – such as a cactus mix potting soil – and very little water over the winter.
7. For exotic enthusiasts… Bromeliad guzmania ‘Hope’
These striking houseplants, with their eye-catching scarlet flowerheads and white-tipped petals, sport a more tropical look than other conventional plants. They offer longevity, as the glossy green leaves will provide interest throughout the year.
They’re easy to look after, too, as long as you keep them warm, with minimum temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) – let the soil dry out between watering and don’t overwater.
8. For statement makers… Pineapple plant (Ananas comosus)
Wow your dinner guests by placing these exotic beauties in an area where their small fruits are going to be admired, along with their tropical-looking leaves.
These types produce fruits that are not for eating – they are extremely bitter – so just grow them for their novelty value. This striking houseplant is happiest on a sunny windowsill and needs little care, with year-round foliage meaning it’ll look fantastic well past the winter. Style it in a gold pot to add glamour and style to your living room.
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