Hello there! Have you been enjoying this warm weather?! It just doesn’t seem like Thanksgiving should be here next week when we’ve only had a couple of light frosts so far this Fall! The weather is supposed to turn cooler this weekend though, and as it starts to cool off, we will be spending more time indoors. Which is where today’s topic comes into play- have you ever had indoor plants? Let me tell you if you haven’t, they make a home or office space feel instantly cozier! And who doesn’t want cozier home or office spaces?? Come along and learn more!
So, let me first start off talking about my story with coming to love indoor plants, because up until about a year ago, I had not ventured into “indoor plant world” too much. While I loved outdoor plants, I seemed to kill every indoor plant I had except a Philodendron I have had since college (and for you indoor plant enthusiasts, you know you can practically set fire to Philodendron and still not kill it). I have a degree in Interior Design, however, and love making indoor spaces look and feel like home. So last year I tossed all my faux greenery and flowers (albeit, they looked really good to be fake), and decided to give real indoor plants another try. And I am so, so glad I did. I started with a Mother-in-law tongue (that is the common name, and it is a funny name when you see how the plant looks) which is very easy to maintain. And had success! So then I began trying other plants that are easy to care for like Ficus, Croton, and Christmas cactuses. And now I have a home full of love and indoor house plants. All thriving.
(shown above: indoor houseplant Medinilla in bloom; available at our nursery)
So why can indoor plants seem intimidating? For me, I over-watered. And overwatering an indoor plant is the fastest way to kill it. We will talk about how much to water in just a few. Also, I think some indoor plants are just a lot easier to take care of than others. Then there is sunlight and air vents and pots with no drainage holes. All those contribute to the success of indoor plants.
Watering: Indoor plants do not need as much water as we think they do. You only need to water when you feel down in the soil and it is dry. That equals around once every week or week and a half. Too much water will rot their delicate root system.
The Container Pot You Choose: Has a lot to do with how well your plant does. Pick the cute pot that has drainage holes and pick up a cute saucer to go under it. If the cute pot doesn’t have drainage holes and you still really want to use that one (understood ), just be careful not to over-water.
Air Vents: Generally speaking, plants do not like to be placed right next to or right under an air vent. They don’t want the warm air or cold air blowing right on them. But many indoor plants love some humidity. That makes bathrooms a great place for them to be!
Sunlight: Some indoor plants need more sun than others, but not too many like being directly in full, direct sun all day. Bright, indirect sun works best for many (like Succulents, for example), while many like the Mother-in-law tongue can take shadier spots (perfect for a north facing room). Honestly, at this stage of my life with young kids, I love to choose plants that do not require a lot of fuss and one thing I look for in determining a non-fussy plant is what kind of light it prefers. If the tag says it can take many different levels of light or it likes low light, to me it is an indicator that this plant is easy-to-maintain.
(photo is an example of some of the Succulents we offer- such pretty colors and interesting textures!)
At Riverbend, we have a great selection of indoor plants, such as small Ferns, Croton, Ficus trees, Elephant Ears, Succulents, Windmill Palms, Pencil Cactus, Aloe, Medinilla, and more. We would be happy to help you select some for your indoor space; for example, often we will have someone looking for a plant for an office cubicle that gets little to no sun- there are plants that would work well for there!
(Pencil Cactus is the plant to the left and you can see part of a ‘Blue Elf’ Aloe plant behind the Harvest Moon sign- both are such cool indoor plants, although I would not recommend Pencil Cactus for homes with young children or animals).
(We currently have some gorgeous custom-potted indoor plants that Ms. Carolyn has put together! Very reasonably priced and will put such a smile on someone’s face! Great gift idea!)
I would love to hear about your experience with indoor plants! And if you have never given them a try, why not start this Winter?
We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving from our nursery family to yours!
