Indoors In Winter
In winter, I appreciate any type of living thing to add warmth to the indoor environment. I hate to say goodbye to my tropical and annual containers, so I bring as many of them as possible indoors. Luckily, I have a bank of windows and a set of sliding doors that face southwest. Also, that part of the house has tile floors which come in handy when watering and cleaning up after my menagerie of plants. The dry air causes leaves to drop and flowers wilt and litter the floor. The tile also makes it easy to clean up periodic trimmings and not to mention caterpillar poop. At least one or two caterpillars hitch-hike on my coleus plants when I bring them indoors. Caterpillars have relatively huge poop- in case you were wondering!
This tiny sunroom houses many of the annuals that I bring inside in the fall.
This beautiful Phalaenopsis orchid was purchased in a grocery store for $9.99!
Nephrolepis exaltata, Boston Fern
Dragon Wing Begonia 'Red'
Plectranthus 'Nicoletta'
Spathiphyllum 'Domino'
(Variegated Peace Lily) This Peace Lily was a division of a plant grown by a friend. Pass-along-plants are the best!
Pilea mollis 'Moon Valley'
Codiaeum 'Banana' (Croton)
Plectranthus 'Green on Green'
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Colocasia 'Bikini-tini' (Elephant ears)
I got this Colocasia at an arboretum sale last spring. I decided to try bringing it indoors. So far, it's thriving!
I love Phalaenopsis orchids (Moth Orchids) for their ease of culture, Just put them on a bright windowsill and water when dry. They bloom for a long time in winter.
Rhizomatous Begonia
Rex Begonia
Dracaena deremensis 'White Jewel'
Hemigraphis repanda (Dragon's Tongue)
On a cold, dreary December day, I walked into Lowe's and bought a bunch of inexpensive houseplants in small pots. Adding a few pots of fresh, colorful foliage plants can help to cure the "winter doldrums". Sometimes you can find a new cultivar that excites you. This year I found Hemigraphis repanda (Dragon's Tongue) which I love! It reminds me of Alternanthera ficoidea 'Red Threads', an annual that I sometimes have a hard time finding for summer planting. Dragon's Tongue can be used in containers or as a ground cover. For more information check out: davisla.wordpress.com/category/dragons-tongue/.
I found this orchid last spring. I'm waiting for it to bloom again this year.
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Use plants to bring life.
~Douglas Wilson
~Douglas Wilson