Seasonal Winter Plants
| Published: 28th October 2008 21:04 |
As the colder months are approaching and we begin to look forward to Christmas festivities, a wonderful way of cheering up the home is with seasonal houseplants. Apart from looking gorgeous, house plants can also help banish winter blues - as they are natural well-being boosters that can reduce blood pressure and stress levels, according to extensive research (see http://www.flowers.org.uk/ for more details).
Poinsettias
Get in to the Christmas mood and treat yourself to a beautifully festive poinsettia, by far the most popular Christmas plant in the UK. Fabulously exclusive to this time of year, they now come in a range of colours including salmon, cream and orange, as well as bi-coloured or freckled varieties. To get the most out of your poinsettia, make sure it never gets cold, not even on the way home from the shop, and keep the soil moist, but don't over water it. This is the perfect plant for centrally-heated rooms, and will bring Christmas cheer to any grey corner.
Orchids
As well as being a popular Christmas gift choice, Phalaenopsis orchids are a lovely way of adding a sophisticated touch to your home as the nights draw in. they come in a range of colours, including all shades of pink and purple, pure white, lemons and striped or bi-coloured varieties. They flower for up to 3 months and are very easy to look after in a centrally-heated room, as they like warm conditions and require little water. They can easily be encouraged to re-flower - simply cut off the stem at the first node (bump on the stem), carry on watering as normal, and a new flower spike will soon grow.
Another lovely easy-going orchid is the cymbidium, which looks elegant and impressive. They have a fleshier stem than the Phalaenopsis and have larger, patterned flowers and come in an even wider range of colours. You can also look out for Paphiopedilum, Oncidium and Vanda orchids for an unusual, exotic choice.
Winter Scents
Jasmine and gardenias are great for adding heady, sublime scents to your room. The glamorous gardenia has dark, glossy leaves and rich cream petals, and is a favourite of celebrity brides. Jasmine has small, delicate pink or white flowers, and trails elegantly , or you can train it around a circular frame.
Drama
For a show-stopping plant, try an amaryllis or clivia. Similar in shape, they both have a cluster of bell-shaped flowers atop a long, thick stem. Clivia is a sunny, bright plant for cheering dreary winter afternoons, with vivid orange flowers and long, thin, glossy leaves. Amaryllis reminds us that Christmas is nearly upon us, with velvet-rich petals in red, deep pink or white. They bloom for three to four weeks, but sometimes the flower heads can be too heavy for the stem, so you may need to tie the stem to a stake.
Texture
Christmas cacti are unusual in shape, with long, segmented stems spilling over the pot. They produce vibrant red or cerise buds this time of year which open into gorgeous starry blooms. Other winter flowering cacti will produce magnificent, tropical looking blooms in the winter, too.
For more information or ideas on winter-flowering houseplants or gorgeous festive cut flowers, visit http://www.flowers.org.uk/.
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