TAKE YOUR GREEN THUMB INDOORS

Take your green thumbINDOORS

by Sandy Robson

I am not really a houseplant kinda gal—which is odd given how much I love to be outside in my garden—but now that it is dark and cold outside I have decided to take my pent up gardening energy and immerse myself in the world of houseplants… and man it has changed a lot since the days of hanging a fern in my university dorm room! In fact, millennials appear to be leading the charge when it comes to houseplants being in vogue… and I mean literally in vogue, as they are once again a hot design topic. Complete with hashtags like #plantparenthood and #indoorjungle, houseplant selfies are all over Instagram in a big way. One of the latest trends is pink plants; not just in the blossoms, but also in the speckled, striped, or mottled variegation of the leaves. Makes sense as “millennial pink” has spent a few seasons featured in the home décor and fashion worlds. And using pinkish plants to decorate your space will allow you to be on trend without committing to a hot pink velvet sofa. It’s November at the moment, so I have started off my new collection with a pink poinsettia, that will last me well into the new year, and I have been eyeing a Christmas cactus with its hot pink blooms that I may add to my holiday wish list. Other pink hued plants to enjoy include: the polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), Aglaonema (also known as Chinese evergreen), Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata), Calathea (Zebra plant), and the mosaic plant (Fittonia albivenis). As a general rule indoor plants require less light than outdoor plants, but it always pays to ask the advice of the experts at your local nursery. Some plants require indirect light, others full, some are heavy feeders, and a number are very persnickety in the watering department. As with any plant, soil and nutrition is key. A good potting soil stores water, provides nutrients, and allows drainage, but depending on the needs of your plant there are considerations here too. Some plants prefer a peat moss-based mixture, while other like a little more grit or sand in the mix,

so there are custom mixes for cacti and succulents, African violets and orchids.

And then there’s the fun of selecting the pot! You’ll want the right size of pot to accommodate the root ball of the plant, and the eventual size of it, too. Something to grow into a bit, so you’re not repotting it every few months, but not too big so as to stress the roots. Again, the staff at your local nursery will become your best friend in this department! But when it comes to the style, colour, shape, and texture of the pot, the sky