Buds and blooms
BY Nicola Jayasundera
Indoor plants are a great way to bring some natural elements to your interiors. But they are not simply pretty leaves since some houseplants actually bloom indoors as well – as long as the conditions are right. They will certainly add a few pops of colour to your otherwise green space.
ORCHIDS While orchids appear to be delicate and seem to require high maintenance, they aren’t quite as fragile as they look and are actually sturdy indoor plants. They will bloom for months and can live for years with little care. Orchids prefer bright, indirect light and like to be watered once a week.
PURPLE SHAMROCK This is a delicate little plant with butterfly-like purple leaves that fold up for the night. The purple shamrock is an oxalis variety, which bears tiny flowers that range from white to pale pink in colour. Since the plant requires only a sunny spot and watering when the soil dries out, it is a low maintenance one for your home.
BROMELIADS Natives of the rainforest, bromeliads are fun plants that are related to pineapples. With a striking variety of colours, these plants survive on lots of bright, indirect light and require a good watering every one to two weeks. This makes bromeliads extremely low maintenance plants.
ANTHURIUMS This indoor and outdoor favourite – with its heart-shaped leaves and pretty red, pink or white blooms – will add plenty of colour to your indoor plant collection. The flowers, which are almost always in bloom, will last from several weeks up to a few months, and require only low indirect light and occasional watering.
PEACE LILIES These hardy must-have houseplants can last for many years with minimal care under the right conditions. While these plants prefer low to moderate light, the lilies bloom better with bright filtered light and require water only to keep the soil moist.