If you are suffering from COVID cabin fever, post-holiday let down, or the effects of short hours of daylight, let us recommend a mood-lifter: houseplants. Bringing green and growing plants into your home can make you feel better, physically and psychologically. Plants can also be used to get creative and have fun. Here are suggestions from the Hyannis Country Garden greenhouse that can lift your spirits this month.
Many indoor plants are available in small sizes. These are perfect for people who don’t have much window space, or those who love the process of watching a plant grow. Ferns are especially satisfying as they are able to live with less light. Choose small ferns if you have north-facing windows, or want to grow a few pots of greenery on a table that’s a distance from a sunny slider.Small plants are fun to pot up together in a miniature garden. Whether you’re going all out and making a fairy garden in a wide, low pot, or just want to have fun with a quick potted centerpiece, there are many small plants that can be used. If you have a very sunny window, consider making a succulent planter like this. Fill the bowl with a cactus mix potting soil and plant the group of succulents at the top. Sink a small, empty clay pot just below the plants, and top-dress the entire container with gravel. Since succulents grow slowly, such an arrangement lasts quite a while. In the summer you can transplant the succulents to individual pots and grow them outdoors if you wish, or use them to create new arrangements in a larger bowl.If you have space for more plants in your home, be sure to look for varieties that have variegated or brightly colored foliage. The variegated ficus on the left, and the pale-leaf of the Dieffenbachia on the right, are good examples of plants that add different colors and textures to your indoor plant display. Many of the plants you purchase at this time of year can also be used to ornament your deck, porch or patio in the summer. This variegated ginger plant thrives in a shady spot outdoors, and is also easy to keep from year to year as a houseplant.
If you wonder about which plants to choose, ask our greenhouse staff for recommendations based on the amount of light you have and your level of experience with houseplants.
Know that a miniature garden or other creative, living arrangement can be taken apart and replanted in different containers later in the spring. You can repurpose your indoor plants as components in your outdoor window boxes and pots, or step them up into larger, individual pots as they grow.
Remember that indoor plants are similar to those in your yards and gardens; some last for years and years, but others only live for a short period. If one of your houseplants dies, it’s not a tragedy…it’s an opportunity to try something new!
