The most unpretentious indoor flowers
A green corner does not necessarily mean a lot of new troubles and a waste of time. There are many completely unpretentious flowers that require your minimal participation.
Ficus
At the head of unpretentious and universal plants for the home is unconditionally the ficus with all the variety of its varieties. There are compact species up to 20 cm, and there are full-fledged trees that stretch several meters.
Aspidistra
Aspidistra became a regular guest in offices precisely because of her unpretentiousness. For decorative leaves, weekly watering is enough so that the temperature around does not fluctuate more than 3-5 degrees.
Aloe
Healing aloe is widely used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetology and hundreds of folk recipes. It is infinitely unpretentious on the windowsill, because the fleshy leaves independently store moisture and nutrients.
Aglaonema
Aglaonema is afraid of direct sunlight, so it is ideal for remote and shady corners. Decorative variegated species differ in color, up to rare red-pink.
Fuchsia
Beautiful decorative fuchsia can be easily grown at home on a windowsill, especially since in winter it just likes cool weather. In summer, the flower can be taken to the country and transplanted into a container.
Asparagus
Beautiful and unusual asparagus with needle-like leaves requires periodic watering and annual replanting. Otherwise, it does not need any special conditions and any lighting is suitable.
Balsam
Although impatiens are called impatiens, the small bush is completely unpretentious to care for. Partial shade and plenty of watering are enough for him, but he is completely indifferent to dry air.
Diseases, pests and problems in growing sedge
Indoor sedge very often suffers from rot, which threatens it with any waterlogging, but it cannot be called invulnerable to pests. Without spraying, this cereal, when grown in very dry air, can suffer from both spider mites and scale insects.
It is better to fight rot by emergency replanting, removing damaged parts of the clumps and reducing the moisture content of the substrate (until restoration). But pests can only be controlled with insecticides and corrective care.
Climbing indoor flowers
Luxurious ivy and vines beautifully entwine walls, shelves or racks. You can grow quite a few different varieties and species in your room!
Monstera
Monstera is prized for its fancy and large carved leaves. It grows quickly and wraps around any support, attaching to it with thin aerial roots.
Cissus
Decorative cissus belongs to the grape variety and came to us from the islands. Special tendrils are firmly attached to the support, and the flower grows throughout the year - without pronounced dormant periods.
Tricolor morning glory
If morning glory grows in the garden for only a year, then in the room it is a lush flowering perennial with bright petals. It has rather large and heavy leaves, so it needs to be carefully tied to a support.
Wax ivy Hoya
The plant got its name from its unusual flower umbrellas, as if covered with wax. In order for ivy to grow more beautifully, it needs to be periodically replanted and tied up.
Stephanotis
The large vine reaches five meters in length and blooms with elegant fragrant flowers, for which it is also nicknamed Madagascar jasmine. The color of different varieties varies from soft cream to pale lilac.
Syngonium
Syngonium grows up to one and a half meters and clings tightly to the support. Among the variety of varieties, there are species with whitish, green or variegated leaves, which with age become lancet-lobed.
Decorative sedge - description of the plant
It is not for nothing that ornamental grasses are considered one of the most difficult categories of indoor plants to grow. The sods that form these charming grasses require space and opportunity to grow freely, frequent renewal and proper care. But it would be a big mistake to think that beautifully growing and dense cereals are not suitable for growing in pots.
In indoor form, they do not lose their main advantages at all - the curtains simply appear in a completely new light. And the first candidate for interior landscaping is not outlandish rare herbs. A simple, familiar and variegated sedge.
Sedge (Carex) is a representative of perennial ornamental grasses from the sedge (Cyperaceae), found in almost all climatic zones of our planet. This is such a familiar plant that almost no attention is paid to its features.
Sedge is the main peat former in the biosphere.
Sedge is a large genus of grasses, famous for the intensity and variability of leaf color. Outwardly, in a potted format, it resembles thick, lush, but rather narrow bunches of long blades of grass - green fountains. It develops in the form of hummocks and clumps. The ability to form turf and grow into grass carpets and massifs is not lost in the indoor format.
The rhizome is fibrous, horizontal, powerful, it consists only of adventitious roots. This is one of the most graceful indoor plants. The height of sedge, depending on the variety, ranges from 10 to 40 cm. With age, all plants produce longer leaves.
Grooved, narrow and long, the leaves of the plant are arranged in three rows, surprising with a closed reddish vagina and an unusual tongue at the vaginal joint. The unpleasantly sharp edges of the leaves are difficult to guess before touching them, but the microscopic teeth often leave injuries and contact with the clumps of this cereal is not a good idea.
With a length of up to 30-40 cm in width, the leaves do not reach even 0.5 cm. They are quite rigid, beautifully arched and drooping, creating graceful silhouettes. Young leaves tend to grow very straight.
Sedges are long-lived evergreen grasses that do not die off in rooms for the winter. And growing quite quickly. The rate of degeneration of clumps and the need for rejuvenation depend on conditions and care. They are quite durable, but, like garden cereals, they cannot do without rejuvenation.
In general, sedges require obligatory division at least once every 5 years, but with incorrect temperatures, flowering or improper watering, they most often lose their decorative properties faster.
Sedge flowering
Flowering shoots of sedge are thin. They are almost indistinguishable in turf before flowering and die off after fruiting. Indoors, the plant rarely blooms. Thick and fluffy, the spikelets are hidden under the spinous cover of the bract and are not particularly impressive in beauty.
Most often, dense spikelets are not allowed to form, since they are not very decorative. Yes, and sedge is grown only as a deciduous textured plant, and flowering always greatly harms the decorativeness of the foliage. Simply trimming the flower stalks before the inflorescences appear allows you to keep the clumps consistently decorative.
Brownish sedge (Carex brunnea). © gartenhit24
Drought-resistant indoor flowers
If you often leave, your home is always too hot, and your windows face south, you need indoor flowers that are not afraid of short-term droughts. And there are such people - we checked them all!
Zamioculcas
In common parlance, this is the same money tree that is so often found in apartments and offices. It grows quickly and looks good thanks to its elastic, shiny leaves.
Kalanchoe Blossfeld
The flower pleases not only with dark waxy leaves, but also with beautiful dense blooms, even with almost no moisture. Following the old buds, new ones immediately appear.
Sansevieria
This unusual decorative flower is reminiscent of succulents and cacti, because it also does not require complex care. Sansevieria is also called “pike tail” for its tall and elongated, erect leaves.
centipede fern
Most ferns need high humidity, but centipedes are an exception. It reproduces by elongated shoots covered with brown hairs that resemble a centipede.
Scindapsus
The amazing creeping flower is an unusual tropical visitor that tolerates dry atmospheres. He is also not afraid of overwatering, so rare but very abundant watering is enough.
Pelargonium
Of the densely flowering plants, one of the most unpretentious to dryness is pelargonium. It blooms in large inflorescences-umbrellas, which rise in lush caps above the velvety leaf plates.
indoor ivy
Unlike most climbing plants, indoor ivy does not require spraying or excess moisture. A healthy temperature regime is enough for it - and it can grow even in the far corner of the room.
Soil and fertilizing
The soil for cyperus should have normal acidity (pH 5.5). The ideal soil for the plant is a combination of equal parts of peat and humus soil. Adding a little swamp silt to the substrate will help retain moisture, which means active flower growth.
Cyperus needs regular feeding from March to August. At this time, the plant must be fed at least twice a month, that is, every 15 days. Both mineral and organic compositions are perfect for this.
Indoor flowers that bloom all year round
If you want your home flower garden to delight you throughout the year, you can organize it! Decorative ever-flowering varieties are exactly what you need!
Abutilone
The beautiful abutilon is called indoor maple for its characteristic leaf shape. If you continue feeding and take care of lighting at the end of the season, it will bloom in winter.
Begonia
Begonia blooms all year long if the temperature around is above +16 degrees and it has enough light. Every two weeks, feed the flower and place a container of water around it to humidify the air.
Hibiscus
The beautiful evergreen hibiscus is nicknamed the Chinese rose for its beauty and elegance. It is quite demanding to care for and can drop all its buds if there is a lack of moisture.
Anthurium
Anthurium has not only beautiful flowers, but also large glossy leaves that resemble hearts. The plant requires moisture, spraying, fertilizing and heat - from +15 degrees.
Geranium
Unpretentious geraniums feel great on windowsills under any conditions. They don’t even need a very high temperature - +8 degrees is enough, but regular inflows of fresh air are required.
Koleriya
Kohleria attracts attention with its unusual bell-shaped flowers. It is undemanding in terms of lighting and watering, but requires high air humidity.
Balsam
In winter, balsam continues to bloom even under ordinary artificial lighting, for which flower growers value it. But he does not tolerate cramped spaces, so it is better to move the flowerpots away from neighbors.
Growing
Cultivated sedge can grow in greenhouses, gardens, on the banks of domestic ponds, in rock gardens and on lawns, in group plantings and living borders. Outdoors, it is better to plant the plant in a well-lit place, but under no circumstances in direct sunlight.
For black sedge, coastal and bubbly sedge, light shading is desirable. But strong shading is harmful for any variety of sedge, since it is worth remembering that the plant is a cereal that prefers well-lit areas.
The ideal soil for garden sedge is neutral (pH 6.0–7.0) or slightly acidic (pH 5.0–6.0), with a high level of humidity. Boggy soil is only suitable for certain types of sedge (leaved or coastal). Graceful and drooping sedges do not tolerate stagnant swamps.
IN THE PHOTO: Group planting of sedge bushes in the garden.
This plant needs to be fed once every two weeks (except for the winter “rest” period). Our article “Types of fertilizers and their features” will help you choose the right fertilizer for sedge in open ground or in a container.
Indoor flowers for the bathroom
A green corner in the bathroom is a real dream, because it promotes pleasant relaxation after a hard day. Not all plants will withstand such conditions, but we found several options!
Dracaena Sandera
Due to the special shape of its shoots, Dracaena Sandera is called indoor bamboo. It looks wonderful solo in pots and in glass vases with water. Keep in mind that she needs more space, because she grows quickly.
Orchid
There is a stereotype that orchids are extremely capricious, but several of their varieties will fit perfectly into the bathroom. These are phalaenopsis and paphiopedilum, which require high humidity and soft diffused light.
Philodendron
This is a hanging indoor plant, which requires much more moisture than light. It needs constantly moist soil and more space - very soon you will get a whole green wall.
Calathea
Large decorative calathea leaves feel ideal even at 90% humidity. They need warmth without sudden temperature changes and fairly short glimpses of the sun.
Watering
Cyperus grows only in a well-moistened environment. It does not tolerate dry air, so it constantly requires active moisturizing in the form of spraying and watering. Cyperus soil should always be well wetted; to do this, place the pot in a tray with a small amount of water, which must be constantly replenished.
Cyperus grows well in water, so if you want to decorate your pond, Cyperus is best suited for this. Simply place the plant pot in enough water to lightly cover the surface of the pot.
Indoor flowers for children
If there are small children at home, safety comes to the fore, because kids experience the world tactilely, by smell and taste. We have chosen several plants that will be completely harmless to your precious child!
Lemon Tree
Lemon is light, fresh and clean, and its leaves contain beneficial essential oils. It has a pronounced antibacterial effect, and also a subtle pleasant aroma.
Violet
Unpretentious violets create a feeling of warmth and comfort in the room, which is so valuable for children. Flowers and leaves are completely safe, because sometimes the petals are even used to decorate dishes in cooking.
Tradescantia
The flower is not only unpretentious, but also completely harmless, even if a child tastes it. Bright two-color leaves decorate the interior and delight with interesting colors.
Cypress
Children are attracted to the whimsical cypress tree by its unusual shape and texture. It has natural antiseptic properties, so it destroys bacteria and fungi around it.
Peperomia
Peperomia leaves contain healing phytoncides that improve the health of the air. This is a good choice if your child is often sick and you need to strengthen his immunity.
Decembrist
For many years, an ornamental plant with unusual segmented shoots and leaves has been found in apartments. Children are attracted by the bizarre shape and bright, colorful blooms.
Spathiphyllum
Of the unusual and flowering plants, spathiphyllum is best suited for a child's room. It also purifies the air, maintains healthy humidity in the room and does not require complex care.
Source
Types and varieties of sedge for growing indoors
Sedge, which is used indoors, is most often simply called decorative sedge . But in fact, these are varieties of the most variegated and most adapted species for indoor use - brownish sedge (Carex brunnea).
This is a very compact, stable and very diverse species, with hundreds of varieties allowing you to choose from different color variations. This type of sedge is also called brown, graceful, graceful.
If a couple of decades ago the only plant variety adapted to indoor cultivation was considered 'Variegata' , today sedge is represented by a large number of plants. Moreover, sedge varieties are usually nameless - they can be distinguished only externally.
In addition to dark-leaved, rich green plants, there are sedges with bright herbaceous, marshy and even anise-lime color, yellow, white, chocolate or multi-color stripes on the leaves. It is worth choosing varietal plants to suit the interior and to your taste.
When choosing sedge, do not rush: be sure to check whether a particular plant is suitable for rooms. It is better to look for indoor sedge in flower shops. Garden seedlings in containers may look no worse, but they will not be able to grow indoors. Purchasing sections of any available sedge for the interior is a big mistake. Garden sedges should remain garden grasses.
Very rarely on the shelves among indoor plants you also come across Morrow sedge (Carex morrowii) - this is an even more invulnerable species that is resistant to drought, but it degenerates much faster.
Morrow's sedge (Carex morrowii). © vanmeuwen
Interesting information about Pandan
Pandanus, also known as pandan, adorns the Pandanaceae family with its beauty. A genus of seven hundred and fifty perennial tree-like specimens that like the sultry climate of the Eastern part of the globe.
The homeland can be considered Hawaii, the western part of the African continent, India, Polynesia, Vietnam and up to the Australian continent.
Most of all, pandanus likes the island of Madagascar, which is home to approximately ninety varieties of this plant.
These wonderful screw palms can grow beautifully along river banks, mountain forests, and in the highlands; they even decorate the surface of a volcano, sea coasts and coral reefs.
In most cases, the Pandanus flower is able to form numerous light roots that stretch to the ground and gradually take root. Throughout its life, the standing position of the screw palm is maintained only thanks to lignified aerial roots, called stilts.
The pandan plant has four-meter long sword-shaped, linear, sharp-serrated leaves at the edges, the width of which reaches fifteen centimeters. The leaves are located on the trunk and form double-row helical spirals. Due to this, the pandan flower has other names - “screw palm” or “screw tree”. Over the years, the leaf blades fall off from below, leaving behind nicks. As a rule, pandanus blooms are observed in a natural microclimate. Its tiny yellow flowers without perianths are concentrated into panicle inflorescences or cobs.
Photos of Pandanus can be seen in the next section.
Pandanus species
Pandanus sanderi
Veitch's pandanus, also known as Vicha (Pandanus veitchii)
Veichi's homeland is Southeast Asia. On the shortened trunk of the Vichi pandan there is green foliage with white stripes in a spiral pattern, which can reach 1 m in length and 8 cm in width. At the edges of the leaves there are very hard thorns with white tips. This variegated pandanus variegata can reach a height of one and a half meters in indoor conditions. But at times one has to wait a very long time for Veitch’s pandanus to bloom, sometimes in vain.
Pandanus utilis
This large palm tree can reach twenty meters in size, and a cultivated one - 3 m, but this is only in the natural environment. Hard leaves, reaching one and a half meters in length and ten centimeters in width, are located on the trunk in a helical shape. The edge of the foliage is covered with reddish thorns. At the end of flowering, the useful pandan branches beautifully and turns into a handsome man. At home, a non-blooming pandan of this variety pleases its owners only with its gorgeous foliage.
Temperature
In spring and summer, the plant is best placed on a balcony or open area. The ideal temperature for cyperus is 18-20°C. Make sure that the flower does not stand in drafts, this can be detrimental to it. In winter, the temperature of the plant can be lowered to 10-12°C. During this period, the room in which the plant is located must be periodically ventilated.
Pandanus care at home
It is not at all difficult to care for the plant. This unpretentious indoor palm tree does not make any special demands on its existence. For successful maintenance, it is advisable to consider some of the subtleties of its care.
Selecting a location and temperature
The Pandan plant thrives throughout the year in bright light. It is better to place indoor pandanus near windows from the west or east. It is advisable to rotate the pot with the plant periodically to prevent it from being one-sided.
Important! Lack of lighting will negatively affect the brightness of foliage color.
Temperature ranges from 19˚С to 25˚С will be acceptable for indoor palm trees all year round.
Remember! During the cold period, the temperature in the room should not be lower than 13˚C. This temperature limit leads to the death of pandan.
Pandanus has a love of fresh air. So periodic airing will be pleasant for the flower.
Main! Protect your indoor plant from drafts.
Humidity and watering
The pandanus palm can be content with moderate environmental humidity levels. You can wipe the leaves from bottom to top with a damp cloth. Be sure to use gloves. There is no need to get rid of the aerial roots that have appeared; add some moss to the flowerpot and keep it moist. For greater comfort, you can use flower pots with automatic watering.
Summer watering should be plentiful at intervals of 3 days. It is necessary that the upper part of the earthen mixture dry out slightly between waterings. We use slightly lukewarm and settled water. In the cold off-season, we reduce watering and be sure to monitor the condition of the substrate.
Soil mixture and its fertilizer
Turf and leaf soil, sand and humus are a suitable and comfortable soil mixture (equal parts).
This flower needs systematic feeding in the off-season. It is better to use a complex mineral fertilizer, which is suitable for all decorative foliage plants.
How to propagate pandanus?
Using seeds, separated bushes and cuttings.
Seeds are sown in a sand-peat mixture and stored in a mini-greenhouse at a temperature of +25 °C. It is advisable to look occasionally and moisten the earthen mixture. In a month the shoots will appear. It is better to plant seedlings with three leaves in a stable place.
The cut lateral twenty-centimeter cuttings are slightly dried, having previously treated the cuts with charcoal. They are rooted in a soil mixture of equal parts sand and peat. We organize greenhouse conditions with temperatures of 25-28˚C. We systematically ventilate and water with a spray bottle; within one and a half to two months the sprouts acquire roots.
Daughter rosettes formed on the trunk or leaf axils are also suitable for propagation of the screw palm. We separate the rosettes with small roots and plant them in flat flowerpots. Good drainage of at least twenty millimeters is required, then turf soil of at least seventy millimeters and sand, a layer of at least forty millimeters. We plant the roots in the sand, press them, cover them with translucent hermetic material and create a comfortable temperature of more than 22 degrees. After 2 months, the matured cubs are transplanted into larger pots.
Transfer
The screw tree has rather fragile roots. Therefore, replanting must be done very carefully, transferring from a small pot to a larger one. Every year you can renew the flowerpot for young specimens, and for older palm trees you can increase the period to three years by filling the flowerpot with roots.
Pandanus pests and diseases
Occasionally, the plant is attacked by uninvited guests: scale insects, spider mites, and scale insects. If pests are identified, treat the plant with an insecticide. However, in general, the indoor pandanus palm is not very attractive to pests.
Reproduction
Sedge is mainly propagated by dividing the bush. Long-rhizome species, after the formation of several shoots, are planted at almost any time. It is better to propagate and replant tussock-forming plants in the spring. How to properly replant sedge and other ornamental grasses is described in our article: “Secrets of replanting ornamental grasses in the garden.”
You can grow plants of this genus from seeds, sowing them mainly after spring warming (with the exception of rusty-spotted sedge, which is usually sown before winter). Seed propagation of most sedge species is less popular due to the risk of loss of decorativeness.
