Green Fingers: Greening your home
Houseplants, because of their nature, have originated in warmer climates.
Our homes have gradually become warmer and drier and, while good for people, it is not the best situation for houseplants, which like it more humid (steamy, moist) but there are ways around this and that is with choosing newer, dry-tolerant plants and also giving it moisture by way of hand misting in the home.
You could give your houseplants an occasional moisture treatment by putting them in a bath or shower, give them a decent overall spray and, when dry again, put them back into position. Some homeowners do the same but take them outdoors on a dull summer’s day and return them inside later in the evening. We are so busy in the summer months that we transfer our houseplants into a shade tunnel in late April and leave them there until around now when they are returned to the house.
Not that long ago the selection of houseplants was limited and within that there were many that would have needed a genius to get them to flower again (e.g. Anthurium), let alone keep them alive (e.g. Codiaeum ) or were a potential health hazard (e.g. Dieffenbachia). Fortunately, all those negatives have disappeared and been replaced with a huge range of easy to look after houseplants.
Houseplants, because of their nature, have originated in warmer climates and are typically referred to as tropical plants. It is from these that the new selections have been made. There is a huge boom in houseplants and where before it might be a few dotted around the house it is not unusual to have many more now up to those whose homes have become an urban jungle. I know of quite a few people who have 30 or more house plants in their home and one family member has 100 and room for more!
There are too many houseplants to choose from so I will make a few suggestions and as common names can be confusing and relate to a few different plants, I am using the scientific name. I will list some that are really easy to grow such as Begonia rex, Chlorophytum, Dracaena, Hedera, Monstera, Philodendron, Rhaphidophora, Schefflera, Spathiphyllum, Sansevieria and Yucca. Now you have some houseplants to look at, many of which have horrendous names that are almost impossible to pronounce but take your time and you will be on the right track.
The historical cause of houseplant failure is overwatering and that is still the case. Our practice is to water and then let dry out so it could be weeks or more until another watering is needed. Water more frequently in the summer and give a feed between Easter and August. If in doubt a safe method is to mist over the plants and this keeps plants alive.
Feeding small wild birds is a two-way trade as initially the aim was to help them get through the tougher winter months, and now is also to attract the greatest variety of small birds. We have a mainstay of peanuts, wildbird seed, niger and fatballs, but add occasional other foods such as pieces of apple, mealworms and crumbs from the kitchen.
If you have any queries or comments you are welcome to share them with me on 051-384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmail.com and if of general interest I will include them in a future article.
