The Do’s and Dont's of Decorating
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Indoor plants provide a touch of nature to any home or office, while also helping to purify air and bring warmth to decoration schemes. Houseplants range from green vines to colorful blooms. You can find indoor plants to match your skill level, whether you’re a beginner or advanced gardener.
Some of the easiest plants to grow indoors include aloe vera, cactus, spider plants and bamboo. Aloe vera grows from several inches to a foot and can grow alone or be part of a combination pot. Likewise, you can plant cactus separately or as a group. Cacti like cool, dry conditions and some varieties -- such as the Christmas cactus -- have blooms part of the year.
The spider plant may be the easiest plant to grow and quickly develops shoots that hang from the surface upon which you set a pot. Bamboo offers low maintenance, easy growth with little attention in any amount of light. Bonsai are harder to grow is the bonsai, with the careful trimming, pruning and shaping required.
Several indoor plants offer beautiful, colorful blooms in season. The amaryllis is easy to grow and blooms in red, pink or yellow. Plants grow up to 2 feet and you must trim blooms after they die. The begonia is popular indoors in part because it tolerates shade well. With waxy green leaves, the plant grows 6 to 9 inches. The begonia blooms in yellow, red, white or pink.
Impatiens are easy-to-grow shade lovers that come in a variety of colors – including some varieties with dual colors within one basket. African violets are slightly harder to grow, requiring a special type of pot and specific soil mix to thrive. The violet features green, velvety leaves and purple blooms.
Larger plants, frequently placed in pots on the floor, give height to a room. The parlor palm and ponytail palm each grow to approximately 3 feet tall. They grow slowly and require little maintenance. The parlor can tolerate some shade; the ponytail needs direct light. The larger chamaedorea palm grows up to six feet in indirect light and requires regular watering and spritzing to stay green. Rubber plants also grow to several feet. Featuring green leaves with a glossy finish, the rubber plant prefers warm temperatures but can tolerate air conditioning.
