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This is the time to enjoy your indoor plants
From left: The African violet can be one of the most satisfying flowering houseplants, Birds of Paradise are native to South Africa and bloom from September through May, and Asparagus densiflorus is an evergreen herb that is commonly used as a groundcover or in container plantings. Photo/File
Posted Thursday, July 26 2012 at 17:37
Indoor plants give anyone who loves gardening the chance to grow plants that are not hardy outdoors. There are numerous choices of plants, from evergreens to flowers, potted plants to plants for hanging baskets that can be grown indoors.
Just replicate their natural environment as closely as possible and give them a little attention and these plants will give you years of pleasure
African violets
There are thousands of different varieties of African violets. African violets do well in low light, where other indoor plants will not, but they prefer medium or bright filtered light.
Light will make them bloom more and longer. If there is very little natural light, you can use fluorescent grow-lights placed 8 to 10 inches above the plants for 14 to 16 hours a day.
The leaves are soft and fuzzy and the flowers can be purple, pink, white, rose or lavender. The petals can be either single or double, ruffled or trimmed with a different colour.
The soil needs to be kept moist; but do not get water on the leaves, it will cause them to develop brown spots. African violets will grow to a height of 2 to 8 inches and a width of 3 to 16 inches.
The fastest way to kill African Violets is to overwater them. For this reason, watering them on a fixed schedule, such as every Saturday, is a bad idea. Instead, feel the soil around your plants, and water if the top is dry.
Avoid getting the leaves wet when you water as this will cause unsightly blemishes. The best way to water is from the bottom.
Just fill the saucers beneath your African Violet pots. Once the plant has absorbed the water, refill the saucer. Be sure to use tepid water rather than cold as the plants don’t like water that is too hot or too cold.
Bird of Paradise
Bird of Paradise is a tropical plant that produces orange and white flowers. It needs plenty of sun, at least 5 to 6 hours a day, and well drained soil.
If it does not get enough light, the leaves will curl and it will not bloom as frequently as it should. The plant can be taken outside during the hot months.
The bird of paradise needs to be re-potted in a larger container every 2 or 3 years to prevent it from becoming root bound. It can grow to a height of 30 feet and a width of 15 feet, depending on the specific variety.
Asparagus fern
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