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Add a
long-blooming moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) to your collection. It
thrives in most home environments, making it the easiest of all the
orchids to grow. Position your orchid in a brightly lit location
that’s free of hot or cold drafts. Water thoroughly with tepid water
once a week. Leave the flower stalk intact and wait for a second
smaller flush of flowers. Or prune it back to an inch above the
foliage, provide proper care and watch for a fresh set of flowers in
about a year. Or gift the non-flowering plant to a gardening friend.
There’s always one who’s willing to wait for the next set of
flowers. In the meantime, you can invest in a new variety for your
home.
Treat yourself to an easy-care anthurium. You can now find white,
red, pink, lavender and even yellow anthuriums for sale almost
year-round. The colorful heart-shaped “flowers” are modified leaves
that hold their color for many weeks. Grow this low maintenance,
very forgiving plant in bright, indirect light and water thoroughly
whenever the soil begins to dry.
Include bromeliads, another long bloomer with unique tropical
flowers. Those with pliable leaves are more tolerant of lower light,
while the stiff-leafed bromeliads need bright light to thrive. Water
the soil often enough to prevent the roots from drying. After weeks
and even months of flowering, the plant eventually dies but forms
offsets, known as pups, you can grow to maturity.
The tubular, red-burgundy flowers of lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus
radicans) reveal the inspiration for its common name. Grow this
long-blooming, trailing plant in a warm location with bright,
indirect light. Water thoroughly when the top inch of soil begins to
dry. Move it to a slightly cooler location and allow the soil to dry
a bit more between waterings during the winter.
Have fun by adding a hanging basket of goldfish (Nematanthus) to
your collection. This easy-care plant produces long-lasting,
orange-red flowers that resemble goldfish. Place it in bright,
indirect light and water when the soil begins to dry.
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Keep these and your other houseplants healthy and minimize pest
problems by providing proper growing conditions and care. Fertilize
actively growing plants with a flowering houseplant fertilizer
according to label directions. Boost the humidity by grouping plants
together. As one plant loses moisture, transpires, its neighbors’
benefit. Place pebbles in the saucer or tray to elevate the pot
above any water that collects there. As the water evaporates, it
increases the humidity around the plant and eliminates the need for
you to empty excess water out of the saucer.
Check all your plants for insects each time you water. It is easier
to manage small populations than larger infestations. Use yellow
sticky traps to monitor and trap white flies, fungus gnat adults,
thrips and other houseplant pests. Manage fungus gnat larvae
residing in the soil with organic Summitâ Mosquito Bits®. It
contains a naturally occurring soil bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis
israelensis (Bti), that’s safe for people, plants, and pets. Just
follow the label directions for the most effective control.
Look for opportunities to include these and other flowering plants
in your home. You’ll enjoy the added color and beauty these plants
provide.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books,
including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small
Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything”
instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s
Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and
contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned
by Summit for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
[Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com]
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