Indoor Houseplant

The answer to real enthusiasts faced with any or even all of these drawbacks is to experiment with plants until the types are found which will tolerate the poor conditions. In future pages some indication will be given of plants that will stand domestic gas in ‘the atmosphere, poor light conditions, cold, dryness or any other factor which will inhibit the healthy growth of certain other plants.

This is, of course, stretching the definition to its farthest range and although it gives some idea of the scope of house plants and the activity of indoor gardening, it will be more helpful to be somewhat more precise.

The range of house plants for indoor gardening, then, is just as wide as you care to make it. Some indoor gardeners will be sufficiently skilled or sensitive to be able to grow permanent plants for so long that they must eventually be discarded mainly because their size makes them no longer practical, and will be able to maintain temporary plants in splendid condition for surprisingly long periods.

All need watering more freely in summer than in winter, all need more attention to light in winter than in summer, all need greater humidity in winter when the central heating is switched on and the rooms become drier as the windows are closed more frequently.

Yet one of the fascinations of indoor plant growing is that even those who cannot grow house plants still like to try to constantly seek the elusive secret, asking eagerly how often their ivy should be watered and with what quantity, which foods are the best, what temperature and aspect is most likely to be successful.

Some of the temporary plants must be treated like a bunch of cut flowers and thrown out when they have passed their best, but others can be planted out in the garden where they will recover and flower again next year, or perhaps given a convalescent period in a greenhouse to bring them back to splendor.