The Advantages of Indoor Plants Over Flower Arrangements

Indoor Plants

• Like their outdoor counterparts, indoor plants grow in soil that ideally supplies them with all they need to live long healthy lives. While some flowering houseplants, such as orchids and gardenias, require more specialized care, most do well if provided with the right amount of light, warmth, water and nutrients. Examples of low-maintenance indoor plants that will reward you for years with colorful flowers include African violets, geraniums, cyclamen, Christmas cactus, amaryllis, and oxalis. Some outdoor plants, such as hydrangeas, can be adapted as indoor plants, and will bloom for up to six weeks. Plants that don't flower but produce colorful foliage also add long-term interest to the indoor landscape. Coleus plant leaves, for example, exhibit a vast palette of colors from soft variegated greens to deep purples with gold edges.

Indoor Plant Advantages

• With proper care, indoor plants can live for years and often require replanting into larger pots when their roots have nowhere else to go. The general rule is to select a pot that is 1 to 2 inches wider than the pot the plant is currently in and trim any roots that encircle the root ball several times. Leave most of the soil on the plant root undisturbed and replant it using fresh soil in the new pot. The plant will start growing again and produce more foliage and new flowers.

Cut Flowers

• Flowers start to die the minute they are cut, which necessitates finding ways to extend their lives as long as possible. Once separated from the plant, their source of water and nutrients is cut off, and you must compensate for this loss to keep your flowers looking fresh. One main reason that cut flowers fade quickly is that the vascular system in their stems fill with air bubbles or bacteria, blocking the uptake of water and nutrients. Flowers stems should be cut long enough so that no foliage is submerged in the vase, as decaying leaves can also clog the tubes that carry water up through the stems. Vases and other containers used for flower arrangements should be clean, since bacteria can quickly multiply and clog flower stems.

Considerations

• Flower food is available to provide nutrients to cut flowers and should replace the tiny packets that usually accompany flower arrangements. Floral foam must also be kept wet at all times, as water moving up through flower stems maintains their turgidity, or ability to stay upright. Cut flowers generally last a week if kept out of direct sunlight and in a well-ventilated area.