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Everyone appreciates house plants in winter - bringing life, colour and often scent into every room of the home. If you've recently bought a winter-flowering house plant, se the following guide to keep it looking good and flowering well for longer. |
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Colourful cyclamen
- Flower time up to 8 weeks
- Which room? east, west or north window, south in winter
- Temperature max 15C (60F), min 4C (40F)
To keep flowering and healthy, cyclamen need to be kept cool, ideally 10C (50F) and certainly no higher than 16C (60F), with a minimum of 5C (41F). They are the perfect flowering house plant for a cool room, that is not draughty. They need reasonable light so an east or west-facing windowsill, porch or conservatory is ideal Water sparingly from below by adding water to the saucer rather than the top of the pot - if you have lost cyclamen to over-watering in the past, delay watering until the leaves just start to wilt and then water well from below. Drain the saucer of any excess and then leave until the plant shows signs of wilting again. |
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Indian azalea
- Flower time up to 10 weeks
- Which room? east, west or north window
- Temperature max 15C (60F), min 4C (40F), humid
The Indian azalea makes a superb house plant, but needs a room with a steady temperature of around 15C (60F). It appreciates a bright spot out of direct sun and draughts, as well as a humid atmosphere - so stand it on a tray of moist gravel. If it is to flower to its full potential you will need to give careful attention to watering. |
The Indian azalea ( Rhododendron simsii ) is an acid-loving plant and so you must use lime-free water, such as fresh rainwater, to keep it moist. If you do not have a supply, you can turn alkaline water acid by adding a teabag to the watering can 24 hours before watering. The second tip with Indian azaleas is actually wetting the compost. The pot is so crammed with fibrous root that water tends to run off the top without soaking in. The trick here is to stand the pot in a bowl of water until it is thoroughly soaked before being allowed to drain. It is difficult to over-water Indian azaleas but they tend to drop their leaves and flowerbuds if allowed to dry out, so water it every other day to be on the safe side. Keep outside during the warm summer months.
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Christmas cactus
- Flower time up to 12 weeks
- Which room? east, west or north window, south in winter
- Temperature max 23C (75F), min 10C (50F), humid
When in full bloom, the Christmas cactus ( Schlumbergera x buckleyi ) is one of the most eye-catching flowering house plants you can get. They do best in a cool room where the temperature remains fairly steady around 13C (55F). Keep in a well-lit position out of direct sunlight in summer, such as near an east or west-facing window. When not in flower, mist the leaves regularly. |
| Use lime-free water, such as collected rainwater to keep moist (see Indian azalea). Once buds form, avoid moving the plant as this can cause them to drop prematurely. Put the plant outside for the warm summer months to encourage buds to form. |
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Flaming Katy
- Flower time up to 6 weeks
- Which room? east, west or north window
- Temperature max 23C (75F), min 10C (50F), dry
If you have trouble keeping flowering house plants alive, this tough and pretty plant is for you. Flaming Katy ( Kalanchoe ) can cope with fluctuating temperatures and dry atmosphere of modern centrally heated homes in winter. Give it a minimum temperature of 10C (50F), good light such as a windowsill it will bloom for months without complaint. Move it out of direct sun during the summer months. |
Indoor jasmine
- Flower time up to 6 weeks
- Which room? east or west window, south in winter
- Temperature max 15C (60F), min 4C (40F), humid
The house plant jasmine ( Jasminum polyanthum ) bears loose sprays of delightfully fragrant flowers. It is an ideal plant for a cool conservatory or porch which is kept frost free during the winter months. Otherwise, keep it on a well-lit windowsill. Jasmines like a moist atmosphere so mist the leaves regularly and stand the pot on a tray of moist gravel. They are vigorous climbers, so you will need to prune them to keep them small or provide a larger support in subsequent years. |
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Cymbidium orchids
- Flower time up to 14 weeks
- Which room? east or west window, south in winter
- Temperature max 15C (60F), min 7C (45F), humid
Cymbidiums are known as the beginner's orchid as they are one of the easiest orchids to care for. They have delightful flowers which cover the length of their long stems and last for months. Cymbidiums like a cool, well-lit position out of direct sunlight such as an east- or west-facing windowsill of a room with a minimum temperature of 7C (45F). Move outside in a lightly shaded position for the summer and keep well watered, feeding every three weeks. Water sparingly in winter. |
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Bouvardia
- Flower time up to 6 weeks
- Which room? east, west or north window
- Temperature max 20C (70F), min 13C (55F)
A compact and shrubby plant with beautiful soft pink flower clusters with a waxy appearance. Ideal for a bright windowsill but needs to be kept out of cold draughts. This lovely plant has a long flowering period and is easy to care for. During the summer months bouvardia is best placed outdoors in a sheltered position - but it should not be neglected and allowed to dry out! Plants should be watered freely and fed weekly during the summer months. |
| Through the winter months no feeding is required and less water is necessary. To encourage more flowers the growing tips should be pinched out to form bushy plants. |
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