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FeedMinimize winter woes with fun flora
Fending off winter’s chill means woolen socks, thermal jackets and…houseplants.
Photos by John Knouff
Tropical plants won’t keep your tootsies toasty, but they will freshen the look— and air—of winter-weary rooms. And many, such as trendy succulents, are maintenance minimalists.
Succulents are a huge trend that started a couple of years ago, says Jared Hughes, retail manager at Foertmeyer & Sons Greenhouse Co. in Powell. Besides being fairly easy to grow, “they’re so fun and strange.”
Think plants from some exotic climate or a Dr. Seuss book. Colors, shapes and textures vary widely. Among familiar types are the jade plant, grown for generations, and kalanchoe, known for its flowers.
“I have been seeing more and more of them,” says Amanda Bettin, horticulture designer for Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. “They are really interesting to look at.”
Succulents are the latest in a decades-long movement toward low-maintenance flora for bank lobbies, shopping malls and other commercial interior gardens.
“The trend has been less watering and pruning, that’s where the industry is currently,” says Pasquale (Pat) Merullo, of Stanford Interior Gardens in Hilliard and a certified interior landscaper of Associated Landscape Contractors of America. The company helped pioneer professional care in the ’70s, when houseplant popularity exploded.
“People have a tendency to neglect plants,” Merullo says. That’s one reason why commercial sites opt for less maintenance. Fortunately, such flora adapt well to the domestic scene.
But if Dr. Seuss succulents aren’t for you, consider tropical troupers such as: Chinese evergreen, Aglaonema commutatum, with several different leaf patterns; peace lily, Spathiphyllum wallisii, that sometimes has white flowers; palm-like corn plant, Dracaena fragrans; sago palm, Cycas revoluta, often seen in Florida landscapes; and frilly bamboo palm, Chamaedorea seifrizii. These plants also help remove some formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide from indoor air, according to NASA studies.
Foliage is all very nice but nothing enlivens the winter scene like flowers. Reasonably easy-to-grow bloomers include a hibiscus relative, abutilon or parlor maple and members of the family of moth orchids (Phalaenopis).
Despite her designer title, Bettin doesn’t attempt to grow plants where they won’t succeed—no matter how stunning the visual effect might be.
For instance, you might like a succulent in the bathroom, but it probably won’t grow well in the high humidity, she says. That moist environment, however, might suit orchids to a tee.
Give plants what’s needed in terms of light, water, temperature and soil conditions, say professionals. Ignore any part of the equation and they can flounder or die.
If a plant fails, don’t be deterred. Even experienced gardeners lose plants, providing them an opportunity to try something else. “It’s a learning curve,” Hughes says.
Another caveat: Houseplants can be habit forming. You can’t say that about woolen socks.
Michael Leach is a freelance writer, garden coach and consultant.
