Winter Flower Garden Indoors
Blooming Plants to Grow In the House during Cold Weather Months
Jan 8, 2008
Many gardeners suffer through the long dark cold winter, missing their outdoor flowers-- the colors, the fragrance, the lush growth, the warm sunshine -- and wishing desperately for spring. But there is an alternative to the misery: grow an indoor flower garden.
Most of our beloved garden flowers do not do very well indoors where the light levels are just too low in winter even on the sunniest of window sills, and many others simply refuse to bloom without specific day length or temperature requirements. This means we must turn to the selected house plants or flowering plants that will tolerate indoor conditions and bloom nonetheless. Consider a few of these winter bloomers to satisfy your winter flower cravings.
Forced Bulbs Bloom Indoors
- Amaryllis is the favorite Christmas season bloomer with big, boldly colored flowers. These can be forced to bloom a little later during January and February, too.
- Paperwhites are absolutely the easiest thing to grow, no chilling required and performing well even if planted in gravel and water.
- Spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, crocus and snowdrops can be exquisite but do require lengthy chilling periods, usually several months. This means you need to purchase pre-chilled bulbs or start them by October.
Orchids for Winter Flowering
- Orchids bloom exquisitely in winter. Now that prices have come down, orchids are often discarded once the blooms fade. Try out Phalenopsis orchids for long term keepers.
Winter Houseplant Seasonal Bloomers
- Clivia is a rewarding grower with bold orange or yellow blooms; does best if given a cool dry period in fall to prime for bloom.
- Christmas cactus is long lived and explodes in wonderful colors including white, bright fuschia and cherry pink; may require a short day treatment to set buds.
- Kalanchoe is often sold as a florist plant but can be rebloomed annually.
Traditional Flowering House Plants
- Begonia: Many popular forms of angel wing begonia offer patterned foliage as well as sprays of typically soft pink blooms to gently brighten the darkest winter day.
- African Violets are a perennial favorite flowering house plant. There are so many different types you can quickly amass a significant collection. These bloom prolifically on a window sill although serious growers typically use supplemental lights for peak performance and optimal health.
- Geraniums will throw a few blooms in winter, although not as heavily as during the summer outdoors of course, since they are sun lovers of the first degree. (Be sure to include a few scented geraniums, although they bloom less spectacularly they are lovely easy care pot plants with varied foliage forms and heavenly foliage fragrances sure to lift your mood in an instant.)
- Impatiens: the double flowered or rosebud forms like miniature roses are especially delightful.
- Miniature Roses: require an exceptionally bright window sill or supplemental lighting to bloom well but what better flower to see in mid winter than a perfect little rose?
- Violas and pansies: a cool windowsill temperature helps these stay compact.
Purchase a few flowering florist plants in full bloom such as the Hydrangeas, Azaleas, and Cyclamen – while their blooms may be fleeting and the plants are typically discarded afterwards, these stellar performers offer a lot of flower power.
Poinsettia Bracts: Perennial Winter Favorite
And by all means continue to enjoy the blooms – the colorful bracts – on those holiday poinsettias!
Fight Cabin Fever: Grow Flowers Indoors this Winter
Why not keep that green thumb going and become an inside grower this winter, be it on the windowsill or in a greenhouse or under lights, and tend at least a few of these fun and easy and rewarding flowers for winter color and bright cheer!
more FLOWER GARDENS ARTICLES and FLOWER GARDENS BLOGS Copyright January 8 2008 Barbara Martin All Rights Reserved
