Five Indoor Plants That Anyone Can Grow

 

By now, if you received fresh flowers for Valentine’s Day, they are probably just a memory except for the container that they came in. Years ago, I told Jerry T “no more fresh flowers, just a potted plant instead”. It took him a few special occasions to put this into practice, but he eventually succumbed to my wishes. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE FRESH FLOWERS. But being the practical Virgo that I am, I hated seeing him spend all that money just to toss them in the trash a few days later. So after years of trial and error, I have come up with the best five indoor plants than anyone can grow.

Forget about those live ferns, rubber plants, fiddle leaf trees, and other tropical trees – buy the fake ones. It’s not worth the frustration. The biggest mistake that people make with indoor plants is overwatering and failing to give them an occasional spritzing of water with a spray bottle. All of the five plants shown below are super easy to grow, require low light, need very little water, and will thrive with little care.

Bromeliad

As you can see by my pictures, there are several varieties of this plant. Bromeliads are EXTREMELY HARDY. Not only is this plant easy to grow, it acts as an air purifier. I ALWAYS have several of them in my home and also outside on my deck (in the shade) during the spring and summer. A couple of years ago, I used two bromeliads on one of my Thanksgiving tables. You can see them on a previous blog post HERE. Water bromeliads maybe once every two weeks. Two schools of thought on how to water – (1) water the soil or (2) water the well where the colored stalk is growing from. I’ve done both, but have found watering the well works the best.

You’ve probably seen them at most grocery stores and at Lowes and Home Depot. As with most everything else these days, you can also order them from Amazon (click on the small images below). I like to group them together in a larger container and it’s sometimes hard to find four or five identical plants at my local stores. When I order them from Amazon, I know that they will all be the same size and color.

After you’ve had this plant for a few weeks, usually a “pup” plant will sprout up beside the bigger plant. Click HERE for a website that explains how to grow and separate the “pups” from the mature/mother plant. If you separate and repot the “pup”, you will eventually have another mature plant just like the one you started with. Once the colored stalk dies, just cut it back. The leaves alone make it a lovely plant. It will literally last for many months with very little TLC.

Dracena

Dracenas, like the bromeliads, come in many different varieties. This is a variegated version (my favorite). You will also see them with solid dark green or lime green leaves. They also come in a tree form. Without a doubt, these plants are the easiest of all indoor plants to grow. I have one tucked away on a shelf, that gets very little light and water and it’s thriving.

Water dracena’s every couple of weeks. I have never fertilized mine, although it probably wouldn’t hurt. The plant in the picture above is several years old. It was in my kitchen for a couple of years and then I gave it to my son when he moved into his home. As you can see, this plant is in great shape. As with the bromeliad, you can find these in the indoor garden section of the big box hardware stores. I occasionally see them in my local grocery store.

Kalanchoe

This is a great plant when you want a bright pop of color. I like using these plants to compliment my holiday decor – orange for Thanksgiving, red for Christmas and yellow for Easter. They also come in white and a couple of shades of pink. Our local nursery carries the miniature form like the one in the green pot above. The miniature plants will actually fit inside a votive candle holder. These smaller versions are great for a party favor or can be used as place setting decor at a holiday dinner table. Again, grouping these plants together will will make a real visual impact. The flowers on a kalanchoe plant will literally last for weeks. Because they are a succulent, be careful not to over water them. They also won’t need as much spritzing as the others plants. After they bloom, cut back the flower stalks and they will almost always bloom again. This plant, even without flowers, is pretty.

Orchid

Who doesn’t love an orchid? You can basically find them everywhere these days. I’ve had one in my kitchen now for two months. All the blooms have opened up and its gorgeous. I water it about every ten days or so. After the blooms fall off, cut the stalk back. After this, I will move it outside in a fairly shady spot as long as it’s warm. When it drops below 55 they need to be moved indoors. They will normally bloom again as long as they are kept in a warm environment and given an orchid fertilizer. There is nothing prettier than several of them in a large container.

 

Amaryllis

If you have never “forced” an amaryllis bulb, you’ve got to try it. I seriously don’t think there is a prettier or more unique plant. They’re available around Thanksgiving/Christmas time at Lowes. However, you can order the bulbs online anytime of year on Amazon. I bought the bulb in the picture above at Lowes a few weeks before Christmas. I forgot about it and left it in the bag in the garage until January. It had actually started growing in the bag. I eventually planted it and after a few weeks, voila – a gorgeous bloom!!!

Growing these bulbs is virtually mistake proof. You can even buy a kit complete with the bulb, the pot and a soil pod (see the kit below). These kits make a great gift or a fun gardening project for kids. After the bloom dies, cut off the flower along with the stalk. With proper care, it should bloom again. I have planted many of these bulbs outdoors. However, only one has actually bloomed. It’s really best to leave them in the pot to get them to rebloom. You will normally have two stalks with flowers from each bulb, occasionally even three. They come in several colors. I’ve ordered the white ones with double blooms pictured below for Easter.

I promise you that these five indoor plants that ANYONE can grow will last longer, and will be cheaper than a bouquet of fresh flowers. Studies have shown that indoor plants improve concentration, release oxygen and will remove toxins in the air. This, along with enhancing your surroundings make indoor plants a win-win!

Below I’ve picked out some gorgeous containers that you can use for a grouping or a single plant. Just like the saying “clothes make the man” – “pots (along with a little TLC) make the plant”.