Beating the January Blues

The sparkly excitement of Christmas is now behind us and January can feel like the dreariest of months in the gardening calendar So take a look around your home and think about filling it with houseplants.

Even in January there are colourful flowering houseplants available that will brighten rooms Indeed, houseplants are enjoying a renaissance at the moment so you should have plenty of choice.

Orchids are plentiful now, and there is a wealth of different types and colours. Some of them are so reasonably priced that they can almost be treated like a bunch of flowers, replaced with a fresh plant as necessary. As they can flower for many weeks, this is quite cost effective and brings much needed cheer.

Cyclamen are beautiful, hugely popular plants with heart-shaped silver marbled leaves. Their bright reds, purple, pink or white flowers are a perfect cheerful addition to your home.

The Anthurium or Flamingo Flower also does very well in a warm room, as long as it receives plenty of light. It’s easy care, even though it’s a tropical plant, and flowers its heart out for months. The flowers or spathes are heart shaped and waxy, almost plastic-like and are held erect above lush foliage. Once only available in red, there are now many other colours to choose from.

Cyclamen do best in moist, well-drained soil, away from direct sunlight, and protected from frost. They also don’t like being too hot, so keep in a cool area of the home.

They produce long-lasting blooms in several colours including white, pink and purple.

These easy going plants can bloom continuously throughout the winter months, and they flower sporadically at other times of the year as well.

Popular house plants in the 1960s and 1970s, they have come a long way since then, and a new generation of house plant fans are falling for them once more. I love the African violet for its ‘retro’ feel, with funky containers, they can add fun and colour to a space.