OK I'll admit it, I'm a baby boomer growing up in the '50s and '60s who was around when indoor plants took off in the '70s.
As Australian Crawl sang in Beautiful People "the garden's full of furniture the house is full of plants" and so it was.
It would appear the wheel has turned full circle with reality renovation TV shows now using indoor plants as on-trend interior design and why not?
Using indoor plants has many advantages.
They chew up carbon dioxide in the house and replace it with oxygen; they soften the interior and they add seasonal colour lasting longer than a bunch of flowers.
In choosing an indoor plant that will grow and thrive indoors there's a couple of things to keep in mind.
■Look for big broad leaves like spathiphyllum, aspidistra and dieffenbachia. These will grow in very low light conditions.
■Many palms grow in low light particularly bamboo palms and parlour palms. But they will burn if placed in direct sunlight.
■Kentia and rhapis palms are prized indoor specimens. Very slow growing they are not cheap.
■Bathrooms are an ideal environment for maidenhair ferns and African violets.
■Use the best potting mix available and make sure you have a saucer under any pot to prevent water leakage. Investing in a water probe is also a good idea to take the guesswork out of when to water and how much.
Got a question? Contact Michael Lee at
www.greenthumbgardener.com.au.
