Just the other day I did a show on CBC Blue Sky and the topic was houseplants. Indoor gardens are a wonderful and in my opinion an essential element for those living where winter lasts for many months. Whether you garden inside or out, plants are amazing.
Let us not forget that without plant life, Earth would be very different. Plants alone have the ability to do what nothing else on this Earth can do. Using energy from the sun they can actually manufacture their own food through the process of photosynthesis.
Plants also do many more things for us. They can make a house into a home. Gardens inside our homes can transform a stale room with dry air into a nicer, healthier living space with higher humidity. Plants give great psychological benefit to life. In both the workplace and the home they help people deal more effectively with stress, give a greater sense of satisfaction and even reduce absenteeism. They add visual interest and can be used to create privacy, absorb noise and even control traffic within the home or office. They can even be used to create the most amazing seasonal displays with just a little bit of imagination.
However, we must remember that plants are living things and they do require some care. Many consider houseplants or indoor gardens a lot of work but like any form of landscaping, the workload is reduced with a bit of planning mixed in with some knowledge. Like anything else you own or care for you need to learn a bit about the care required. Always choose plants that will suit the environment they are to live in.
Light is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a plant. Plants that thrive in full sunlight are likely not a good choice for the indoor garden unless you have either supplemental lighting or a solarium. We live in the Northern Hemisphere, thus the brightness or intensity of light changes dramatically from summer to winter. In the summer the sun sits high in the sky and shines directly down on us with great intensity. In the winter, the sun sits lower on the horizon and in fact may find it easier to shine directly into the windows in your home. The direction your windows face, the size of the window itself, the type of glass as well as exterior and interior obstructions also have great impact on the brightness of the light your plants receive. When choosing plants think about the light that they need to thrive and choose the best plant for that location accordingly.
Most homes have what is considered low or medium light intensities. The following plant lists are some recommendations of plants that do well with a normal household light intensity. Use this list to help you in determining which plants to choose to create your indoor gardens.
Low light plants — Cast Iron Plant (Apidistra elatior); Chinease Evergreen (Aglaonema spp.) ; Common Philodendron (Philodendron cordatum); Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.); Pothos (Epipremnum aureum); Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata).
Medium light plants — Bamboo Palms (Chamaedora spp.); Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia spp.); Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata); Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis); Flamingo Flower (Anthurium scherzeranum); Grape Ivy (Cissus rhombifolia); Schefflera (Brassaia actinophylla); Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum); Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina).
— Hanbidge is a horticulturist with the Saskatoon School of Horticulture and can be reached at 306-931-GROW(4769); by email at growyourfuture@gmail.com or check out our website at saskhort.com
