Grow Houseplants with Style and Convenience in Mind

By Melinda Myers

It starts with one plant on a sunny windowsill then morphs into an impenetrable jungle. You may feel you need a machete to reach each individual plant to water and tend. Clear the way to improved growing conditions and convenient care while showcasing every plant with style.

Group plants with similar light and watering needs to make maintenance easier for you and increase humidity levels – something tropical plants need to thrive.  Set plants on attractive trays filled with pebbles to capture excess water.  The pebbles elevate the containers above the water to avoid root rot. As the water in the tray evaporates, it increases the humidity around the plants.

Grow cacti and succulents in a cool, sunny location for winter.  Give each plant enough room to capture the sunlight it needs and to show off its unique form and color.

Expand your indoor growing space and enjoy greenery throughout your home by adding artificial lights. New furniture grade LED light fixtures like the Bamboo Mini LED Grow Light Garden (gardeners.com) fit into small spaces and look great on countertops, work desks and shelves. You’ll save energy with LED lights and add a bit of style to your home décor with these attractive light gardens.

Increase your success with the popular fiddle leaf fig and other floor plants. These beauties are often used to decorate a bare wall, corner or other space in need of a focal point.  Oftentimes these areas do not receive sufficient light for the plants to grow and thrive. Soon leaves begin to yellow and drop.  Keep them healthy and beautiful with supplemental light. Hang a pendant light above or set a plant light stand beside these large plants. Many are trendy decorative fixtures similar to those used to light your home.

Save time and increase success by growing houseplants in self-watering containers. These pots have built-in water reservoirs that extend the time between watering. They also help reduce the mess of water spilling over the saucer and onto wood or carpeted floors.

Take the hassle out of watering with an indoor coil watering hose and sprayer. These coiled hoses hook up to the faucet, allowing you to water houseplants and seedlings up to 50 feet away. You’ll eliminate the need to fill and lug watering cans from plant to plant, leaving a trail of water along the way.

Maximize time spent tending your plants by using the proper tools. Many indoor gardeners use old silverware or try adapting outdoor tools for indoor garden use. Having the right tool for the job provides better results in less time. Indoor garden tool sets have perfectly sized tools for pruning, transplanting and tending houseplants. Many come with an attractive built-in case for easy storage and a tray for corralling the mess of potting and transplanting. You’ll waste less potting mix and spend less time sweeping up debris.

Increase your growing space and show off your plant collection with one or more plant stands. Many provide multiple tiers, allowing you to display plants of different sizes while positioning them in the light they prefer.  

Set large plants on wheeled caddies or a collection of pots on a wheeled tray to move them out of the way when cleaning or hosting a gathering. Then wheel them back in place once your company has left.

Adding some convenience for easy care will allow you to spend less time keeping your plants looking their best and more time enjoying the individual beauty each plant provides as you grow them in style.

Featured photo courtesy of Gardener’s Supply Company

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Gardeners Supply for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.