Favorite Vibrant Plants To Grow Indoors During The Winter?

[PrideKidd]

Hello Fellow Botanists,

Hello and Good Morning for most of you. I finally got all situated here and am ready to make my first Thread here so lets see if we can get some responses.

I was thinking about how dismal it is outside here in Northwestern Pa. & I need some more plants to bring me colors in a harsh and unforgiving whiteout. I have some color going on, but I could use some suggestions on plants that I can grow to expand my palette.

So far I have some that bring me some color heres one example:

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I really enjoy attempting to to care for Hardy Cyclamens. I figured since I cant find most of my gardening pictures, might as well bust out the phone and start anew

If you do not know what Cyclamen are then heres a little snippet from http://www.organicgardening.com I am by no means smart enough to know the species and their origins but I figured if I gave credit where credit is due and paraphrase a little bit it might help you to understand why these buggers are so fun to grow.

Heart-shaped leaves and butterfly blossoms make cyclamen a Christmas favorite. "If conditions are right, the flowers will just last forever," says Hans Gerritsen, president of the Hortus Group, specialty cyclamen growers in Castroville, California. Cyclamens flourish in chilly temperatures—ideally no warmer than 65°F—with indirect or filtered bright light, moist but well-drained soil, and foliage that is kept completely dry. Florist's cyclamen (C. persicum) is the most widely available. Latinia hybrids, whose red, purple, or salmon "flame" flowers boast a white blush and, in some cases, a sweet scent, are also a good choice, Gerritsen says. If your house is warm, try the new Metis miniature hybrids, which promise prolific blooms even in less-than-ideal conditions.

Once again thank you http://www.organicgardening.com for helping me to explain the hard parts. After reading that earlier I am a little surprised the strong drafts in my heated basement have not killed it off yet. So score one for me I guess.

Any other fun suggestions you can think of?


Until Next Time
Timmi

 

[LIcenter]

Miniature roses are always nice, and come in a variety of colors.
Of course the problem with indoor flowering plants is the need for a good amount of sunlight to get them to flower. In many cases the greater percentage of us do not have that luxury in our homes, and wind up with quite a few of low light leafy plants.

 

[PrideKidd]

Miniature roses are always nice, and come in a variety of colors.
Of course the problem with indoor flowering plants is the need for a good amount of sunlight to get them to flower. In many cases the greater percentage of us do not have that luxury in our homes, and wind up with quite a few of low light leafy plants.

Thank you for such a quick response, I will have to give those beauties a shot. As far as your lighting goes I went to Home Depot and they pointed me in the right direction of grow lights. ( mind you at this point I had blue hair and many more piercings so I can only imagine what he thought I wanted them for lol )

With a little Finesse and tweaking you can get just the right amount of light. Once you do say good bye to Leafy plants!

 

[LIcenter]

I was thinking along the lines of beautifying the homestead, as opposed to grow lights tucked in some far away corner. Now I see where you are going with this.

 

[Trellum]

Hi there! What about cinerarias or winter jasmine? I think those would help to add some color to your garden during the winter =D I know winter jasmine might not be able to bloom if doesn't get full sun tho, but at least it will most likely stay alive! My neighbor's winter jasmine does every winter

 

[claudine]

My favorite indoor plants are miniature roses. Unfortunately, they always go dormant in winter.
Currently, I grow a few hyacinths and a beautiful orchid

 

[Kansas Terri]

I had no IDEA that Cyclamen could be grown in one 5! I have always loved them because of the variety of bright colors, but my house is too warm for them to do well inside.

I will have to shop for some bulbs once the ground thaws out.I have a spot near the house that might suit them. What I plants there tends to peter out in time because it gets too hot and dry in the summer, but cyclamens just go dormant when it is hot and dry. I will have to try a few bulbs and see what they do.

 

[Claire]

Not much in the way of color, but my aloe is thriving right now. For me, just having a few things that are actually ALIVE inside in winter is almost enough.

I also bring in many of my herbs and they do just fine in a window as well. I'm in NC, where it is often sunny and cold, but not much snow. My chives are doing great, my lavender hasn't boomed yet since its final summer hair cut but it is still alive and smells good, and my rosemary is of course thriving because it might as well be a christmas tree.

Poinsettias - though standard for Christmas, can stay alive and red for quite some time if you have the energy for them.

 

[gata montes]

I feel more than sure that I've recently responded to a very similar question - but either way - oh where to start - as apart from the many varieties of Cyclamen already mentioned - there are many, many beautiful indoor plants that will flower throughout the winter months and many that have not only spectacular foliage but stunning flowers too.

So if looking for something to brighten up the dull days of winter - here are a few that are well worth considering

Bromeliads

Begonias - of which there are plenty of varieties to choose from with varying foliage and flower colors

Azaleas - and especially the new Spider Azaleas - all of which come in a wide variety of colors

Clivia - more commonly known as the Kaffir Lily

Cymbidium Orchids - whose blooms not only last for around 10 weeks but also come in a wide variety of colors - as well as miniature and pendulous varieties

African Violets- which come in a huge color range

and if none of these appeal there plenty of others like for instance - Kalanchoes, Polyanthus, Winter Jasmine, Streptocarpus or Cape Primrose - as well as many flowering bulbs and particularly Amaryllis of which there many to choose from including some that are fragrant

 

[Pat]

My favorite indoor plant for color is the african violet. I am not good with them but I do like them. I tend to over water the plants or the bugs get them. I bring my coleus indoors most winters to add color also, I know most people let the coleus die out during the winter.

 

[SucculentsGalore]

Wow great posts! I love the Kafir lily (I've never seen that variety before) and the African violets. Is it easy to over water the African violets? How often would you say they need watering?

 

[claudine]

My miniature roses went dormant, so I can't keep them in my apartment anymore. I replaced them with african violets, campanulas, a peace lilly and a blue hyacinth that looks and smells absolutely gorgeous.
If you want to have beautiful and colorful flowers in your home, choose hyacinths They're stunning and very easy to grow.

SucculentsGalore - I water my african violets once a week.