My favorite indoor house plants are orchids, which come in hundreds of varieties and colors. Most orchids bloom twice per year with blooms that last several months. Orchids require very little care. Water slightly when almost dry. Indirect or eastern light is perfect. Mist occasionally and repot every couple of years with orchid bark-type potting soil. Good varieties include Cattleya, Dendrobium, Oncidium, Paphiopedilum, Phalaenopsis and Vanda. David Sherwood, Sherwood’s Forest Nursery.
Monstera plants can be grown in bright indirect light and in some tropical climates they can even tolerate direct light. Watering is important for this plant as they can even be grown in water, and this is a popular way to propagate them. Depending on light, humidity and temperature, watering should be done from 1-3 times a week. When in the colder, drier months of the winter, watering should slow down to once a week. When in the hot sunny months of the summer watering should be upped to about three times a week. When you notice that your plant has not produced a new leaf in a month or two it may be time to repot in a larger pot or even propagate it. When planting monstera, they prefer an airy, chunky mixture that is faster draining and does not hold onto too much water. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see your monstera flower! Austin Carrico, Chesterfield Valley Nursery.
Our favorite plant is an African milk tree, or euphorbia trigona. It is a type of succulent that pretends to be a cactus so it needs very bright light to full sun. Maintenance is a breeze as it only needs to be watered once every two weeks to a month. It doesn't require much pruning if any. Since most cacti and succulents have a smaller root system, you don't want to move the milk tree up too many sizes when repotting. I would recommend no more than an inch or two from the previous pot diameter. When you repot it, I would use cactus/succulent soil, a well-draining pot and repot it in the spring/early summer. Hanna Kolaks, Greenscape Gardens.
The Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema) plant is a tropical favorite for indoors and out as it’s so easy to care for that it makes even the novice gardener look expert. A native to tropical Asian jungles, it prefers medium to low light, warm temps and a somewhat humid environment. However, it will tolerate less than ideal conditions, including poor light, dry air and drought. It needs moderate water; allow the plant to dry out between watering. Meg Johnson, Timberwinds Nursery.
Lofty Fig, or Ficus altissima, is an easy-care member of the fig family that provides gorgeous variations on the tune of green in a houseplant with stately grace and lush, glossy growth. This is one ficus that is easy to care for. Allow the top few inches of potting mix to dry out before watering and keep in bright, indirect light. Although in its native southeastern Asia, Ficus altissima can grow extremely wide and up to 100 feet tall, as a potted plant it will steadily grow to a full, shrubby plant about five or six feet tall. No need to transplant until it is literally bursting out of its pot, and just note that the milky sap is not pet-friendly and may irritate skin. Kathie Hoyer, Bowood Farms.
Enjoy Clematis blooms year round, indoor and out with Bijou Clematis. From the world renowned English Clematis hybridizer, Raymond Evison, comes a plant so unique it may possibly be his crowning jewel. Satiny 3-4-inch mauve blossoms bloom repeatedly on stems only 12-24 inches tall. It is fantastic as a houseplant, blooming for months on end. In the garden, it makes a low mound, a lovely hanging basket or small trellised vine. It’s a tough, vigorous grower that thrives well both indoors in bright, indirect light as well as in the garden. Ann Lapides, Sugar Creek Gardens.
