Happy Indoor Garden E-Book

Miranda Janatka

• Herausgeber: Batsford
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 155

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

A happy plant makes for a happy home and a happy life; find the right plant for each room. Indoor plants have never been so important as we realise the power of their presence in making us feel calmer and more connected to nature. But dying plants around the house are negatives you could do without! This unique guide from an indoor plant expert explains what plants you should keep in each room, and whereabouts. It contains: • Easy-to-understand but horticulturally accurate information on what affects plants in each room – light, humidity and temperature. • What typically makes each room different, which plants best suit which room, and how to care for them so that you and the plant are happy.  • Working with individual microclimates within that room – for example, a plant that might work on a coffee table in the middle of a room might not work on a bookshelf next to a window. • Invaluable information on how to arrange the plants to make stunning arrangements for your home interior.  The first half of the book focuses on the five key rooms in any home, with ideas for the reader who wants to green up specific rooms, while the second half is a comprehensive directory of house plants. Each entry has information on light level requirements and tolerance, detailed information on care and colour inspiration for styling the plant. Each plant is also rated by difficulty.  This is the most practical guide to building an indoor garden, room by room, to ensure happy plants, a happy home and happy humans. 

Leseprobe

Contents

Introduction

The Fundamentals

Light

Temperature and humidity

Watering and feeding

Pots and other kit

Sustainability and safety

Rooms

Hallway and stairs

Stairway gallery wall – satin pothos (Scindapsus pictus ‘Argyraeus’)

Brighten up a hallway – peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)

Front door décor – ivy (Hedera helix)

Adorn a radiator cover – cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior)

Living room

Bay window beauty – bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

Coffee table terrarium – combination of plants

Grow lights, a bright idea – heart-leaf philodendron (Philodendron scandens)

Dressing up a bookcase – string of hearts (Ceropegia woodii)

Kitchen and kitchen extensions

Orange tree on a tabletop – calamondin orange (Citrus × macrocarpa)

Succulent windowsill display – combination of succulents

Green up a kitchen corner – peacock plant (Goeppertia orbifolia)

Spotlight on a focal point plant – fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata)

Bedroom

Fancy up a bedroom – parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

Plants for small spaces – black velvet elephant ear (Alocasia ‘Black Velvet’)

Ornamental windowsills – false shamrock (Oxalis triangularis)

Statement plant on a stand – Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa)

Bathroom

Air plants by a window – combination of air plants

Ferns for the floor – Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’)

Decorate a shadier shelf – polka dot begonia (Begonia maculata)

Embellish a mirror with trailing plants – silver inch plant (Tradescantia zebrina)

Plant Profiles

Air plant (Tillandsia stricta)

Asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus)

Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

Black velvet elephant ear (Alocasia ‘Black Velvet’)

Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’)

Bunny ears cactus (Opuntia microdasys)

Calamondin orange (Citrus × macrocarpa)

Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior)

False shamrock plant (Oxalis triangularis)

Fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata)

Heart-leaf philodendron (Philodendron scandens)

Ivy (Hedera helix)

Mexican snowball (Echeveria elegans)

Mosaic plant (Fittonia albivenis)

Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis ‘White’)

Parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)

Peacock plant (Goeppertia orbifolia)

Pelargonium ‘Best Red’

Polka dot begonia (Begonia maculata)

Satin pothos (Scindapsus pictus)

Silver inch plant (Tradescantia zebrina)

String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii)

Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa)

Watermelon peperomia (Peperomia argyreia)

10 additional plants for hallway and stairs

10 additional plants for living rooms

10 additional plants for kitchens and kitchen extensions

10 additional plants for bedrooms

10 additional plants for bathrooms

10 suggestions of unusual plants as gifts for houseplant lovers

Further reading

Suppliers

Glossary of useful terms

Index

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Thriving houseplants can do more for our homes than artwork, furniture or any other stylish and decorative items. Plants actually have a long history of being brought inside to improve surroundings, both aesthetically and for well-being. There is even evidence that the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians and many other early civilizations, enjoyed having plants in their homes as well as other indoor spaces. In recent years, a resurgence in popularity has resulted in houseplants once again being used more widely, with a broader range available than ever before to suit many individual tastes and budgets.

However, plants that are suffering have precisely the opposite effect on rooms and the people inside them. They look awful, make us miserable, and can also be a huge waste of money. Without knowing how to care for the plants you buy, as well as where to keep them, your plants won’t stay healthy and beautiful for long. This book provides information on how to care for, and where to grow, 25 of the most popular and useful houseplants, plus many more throughout the book, making indoor gardening an easy and joyful experience.

Each room in a home provides its own challenges and opportunities for growing creatively and successfully. We’ll explore the main rooms in turn, providing you with an expert eye and feel for what works. This is perfect for using alongside other interior design ideas and ensuring you choose the right plant to thrive in every space. Where a room is not specifically mentioned by name, the information included here will enable you to assess its conditions and match it closely to another one described. There are 20 specific design ideas detailed in this book, and over 150 plants suggested throughout, to set you up for success with a wide range of options.

Use the second half of the book for guidance and inspiration – find plants that you may already own and improve the way you care for them. Then use it as a catalogue and choose the new ones you want to buy, ready to ensure they’ll flourish once you have them home. The plants have been selected as some of the most beautiful, easy to source and care for.

Whether you’re redecorating your home, planning seasonal changes or just want to add some personal touches to a space you’re renting, this book will inspire and inform. It distils years of horticultural knowledge and professional experience down to the fundamental information you need to grow houseplants. When they’re happy, plants provide interest, conversation starters, organic form and sometimes even some visual ‘wow’-factor. Happy plants make for stylish, joyful homes and this book will demystify the secrets of successful growing to reveal the palette of greenery that awaits you.

The Fundamentals

Houseplants need light, heat, air, water and nutrients to grow. While different plants require different amounts of each element, they all need the right quantity of each to remain healthy. For example, providing a plant with plenty of warmth and light, but not enough (or too much) water will mean that it’ll struggle to grow well. Water is needed as part of photosynthesis, but also to help regulate temperature and move nutrients around the plant. If a plant is surrounded by more water than it can absorb for too long, its roots will rot and it will lose the ability to take up any moisture at all.

We can look to nature to best understand the needs of our plants. Those that grow on shady jungle floors will have spent thousands of years evolving to optimize growth in that particular environment. They simply cannot cope with much more or much less heat, water, certain nutrients or light than they would receive in their natural environment. The following section provides information to help understand the needs of your plants as well as the conditions of any room you plan to grow them in.

Light

Plants use certain wavelengths of light, alongside carbon dioxide, water and chlorophyll to photosynthesize, which is how they make energy to live and grow. The most useful wavelengths for this are in the blue and red range, found naturally in sunlight. Chlorophyll can be seen as the green pigment in various plant parts and enables them to absorb light. The larger the area of green (typically the leaves) and the deeper the colour, the more chlorophyll is present. Variegated plants need more light to photosynthesize than those with big, deep green leaves. For a room with less natural sunlight, choose a plant with lots of green foliage so it can better capture and make more efficient use of the available light.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the strongest light coming into your home will be through south-facing windows, with the least coming from the north. Those living in the Southern Hemisphere can reverse this, but all parts of the world can expect more light in the morning through their east-facing windows, and more in the evening through their west. Obviously, daylight hours are also longer everywhere during the summer months.

The different types of light found indoors can be referred to as low light, partial shade, indirect bright light and bright light. Most plants, except cacti and succulents, will thrive with indirect bright light. This is usually an area that is well-lit but out of danger of being scorched by strong light, such as around – but not directly in front of – a window. Bear in mind that light levels change throughout the day, year, and according to the weather outside, but you can use this as a starting point. The diagram adjacent shows where you would likely find the different types of light in a room.

Rooms with lower light levels can benefit from paler walls and mirrors to reflect light, as well as the use of supplementary lighting. While standard lights inside homes do not provide enough red and blue wavelengths for photosynthesis, specialized LED grow lights can provide a broader spectrum of light, and it is now possible to buy ones that are indistinguishable from standard home bulbs (only a warm white or yellow glow is visible). Although they are becoming more widely available, they sometimes need adapters, so check the instructions. Also, remember that plants will grow in the direction of growth-supporting light. Up-lighting from the floor may be attractive but could make for wonky plants. (See here for using LED lights.)

Areas where you would typically find different types of light in a room are 1) Bright light, 2) Indirect bright light, 3) Partial shade, 4) Low light

Temperature and humidity

Most houseplants generally enjoy a daytime temperature of around 18–24°C (64–75°F) and a night-time temperature of around 15–20°C (59–68°F). A drop in temperature between seasons will benefit many plants as they will rest in response to this, and in some cases go dormant, providing more energy for growth and new flowers the following year.

Relative humidity in most rooms of the home ranges between 30–60 per cent, depending on various factors which we will explore in the book. Two types of humidity are generally discussed: absolute humidity, which is the actual amount of water vapour present in the air; and relative humidity, which is the ratio of the amount of water vapour in the air at a given temperature. For growing houseplants, we are interested in relative humidity as it tells us how much water vapour is in the air, compared to how much there could be at the same temperature. Relative humidity of 10 per cent we know is low, whereas 90 per cent, which you might find in a bathroom after a shower, is very wet air. The warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold, which is why we consider heat and moisture at the same time. Unfortunately, hot air such as the air found next to a radiator can draw moisture out of a plant and therefore the plant will need more regular watering. Conversely, in a particularly cold room, compost in a pot can remain wet for longer, which is not great for succulents.

It is possible to buy home thermometers that can also tell you the relative humidity of a room. Alternatively, observe how your plants respond to their environment. The leaves of plants in a room with not enough humidity may turn crispy and brown at the ends or have buds that fall off before flowering. Plants in a room with too much humidity will rot, much in the same way as when they don’t have the opportunity to dry out between waterings.

Your kitchen, bathroom, utility room or anywhere else that creates heat, uses water and is enclosed, is likely to have a higher temperature and relative humidity than areas that are open to the outdoors and unheated. If humidity is too low for your plants, group them together – this enables them to support one another with moisture evaporating from their leaves. Misting and placing plant pots on top of trays of water are other ways to increase humidity, but with a limited or temporary effect. Ultimately, the best way to grow plants that enjoy high humidity in a room with low humidity is to grow them in a terrarium. See here for more information.

Small thermometers that also display relative humidity can be tucked neatly beside or behind plants.

Watering and feeding

Watering houseplants can be tricky. A plant growing in the ground or in the branches of a tree will benefit from excess moisture being able to drain away. However, by growing a plant in a pot, it’s possible for the plant to sit wet for too long. But, it can also become too dry as it relies solely on you watering it. Check the compost before and in between waterings by sticking your finger at least 1cm (1/2in) into the soil to check if it is wet. Lift the pot out of its decorative cover pot occasionally to check it isn’t sitting in a pool of water and to see if the roots are growing out of the pot and the plant requires repotting. A plant overdue repotting will generally dry out more quickly and benefits from being replanted into a larger pot. Topdressing pots with stones or moss can look attractive, but if you are finding watering difficult, avoid covering the soil until you get the hang of it.

How much light and warmth the plant gets, alongside how thirsty the plant is, will all affect how often it needs watering. This will vary as the seasons change, so be sure to keep a regular eye on it. Plants placed high up can be easy to forget about, so make checking on your plants part of a morning routine, or keep them somewhere easy to notice when they are getting thirsty. It’s also better to water thoroughly, either by soaking the pot in a sink or watering through until water runs out of the bottom. This prevents parts of the soil from getting too dry and hydrophobic, meaning it will repel water rather than absorb it in the future.

Growing your plant in the correct compost mix will also help. Often plants are sold in less-than-ideal mixes, so repot at the earliest opportunity. Look out for (peat-free) houseplant mixes (including ones specifically for orchids and succulents), since these will be more free-draining than multi-purpose compost.

Houseplant feeds will support growth and flowers. You can either mix slow-release fertilizer into your compost when you repot the plant, or you can add feed to your watering can roughly every other time you water during the summer months. Make sure the plant is watered well when feeding to avoid scorching the roots with the chemicals in the feed. Liquid seaweed is a popular choice for a high nitrogen feed that can be found as organic and vegan-friendly. Certain plants, such as orchids, will have their own feeds available. For orchids, just use the feeds labelled ‘bloom’ rather than ‘grow’ throughout the year to help them flower more frequently.

Drop liquid houseplant feed into watering cans filled with water, following the instructions provided on the packaging to boost plant growth.

Pots and other kit

Enjoy using a watering can that is attractive and it won’t matter if it gets left out on the side. Watering cans for houseplants are generally sold in 500ml–1 litre sizes (1–2 pints) and with long, thin spouts rather than with a rose head that you might use outdoors. The long spout allows you to get to the soil more easily and avoid getting water on the leaves or even worse, inside the base of the plant. Any moisture that sits inside it for long can lead to rot. Snips are a good idea for cutting back stems; use secateurs on anything thick or woody. While most people probably don’t think about wearing gloves while handling plants, these are a good idea, especially if you have sensitive skin. The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has an online database of potentially harmful household plants (see here).

Misters come in all shapes and sizes and can double up as a handsome ornament. If you’re growing plants inside a terrarium, there is a wide range of kit available. Browse tropical fish and aquarium shops for long scissors and tweezers, as well as tools made especially for terrariums. See the suppliers list at the end of the book for recommendations.

Pots can themselves be a joy, and it is possible to buy lovely and unusual handmade pieces that further add to the charm of growing plants. Compact plants such as cacti and succulents work the best for pots you want to be able to see well. When you buy a houseplant, make sure to keep it in the pot it comes in (known as the nursery pot), this will go inside a decorative cover pot. When it comes to potting up, you will need to replace both for a size up, but the old pots can be reused for smaller plants.

The nursery pot needs to have holes in the bottom and be slightly smaller than your decorative cover pot, so it isn’t visible. A slightly oversized cover pot will also work fine but do use something to weigh it down inside to support and stabilize the nursery pot. For cover pots with holes, drip trays should be used underneath to prevent water damage.

When you repot, make sure roots are buried well (except for most orchids) but that the plant isn’t any deeper in compost than it was before. Firm the plant in gently but well, as it is the contact between the roots and the soil that enables the roots to absorb water. Leave enough room between the compost and the top of the pot for watering. This is usually the depth of the nursery pot rim, which is intentionally the correct size for watering, relative to the size of each pot.

Whatever you are into, there is likely to be a pot designed to suit your taste and personal style.

Sustainability and safety

As with everything we do, it’s best to operate as sustainably and environmentally friendly as possible. Houseplants connect us with nature, and this shouldn’t come at a cost to the planet itself. Ensure you are buying peat-free when buying any type of compost.

It is also possible to minimize water waste when growing houseplants. Water by soaking multiple pots in the same water at the same time, or one after the other. If and when possible, use rainwater to water your plants – not only is it naturally high in nitrogen, which your plants will love, it will also reduce your mains water usage. As recommended earlier, seaweed fertilizer is available as organic, as well as a range of other natural feeds.