Great house plants to grow... ideas?

Hi folks

Apologies - two separate threads on my first day posting. Sorry! Moved house a year ago and finally have a garden so have a lot of questions.

I love having flowering house plants and foliage plants around the house, and they can be expensive to buy. I'd love to grow some from seed, but when I look at packets in a shop it's very hard to tell what plants would be suitable to grow for indoor use only. Also most of the plants that are sold for indoor don't seem to be available as seeds (or not that I can spot).

Any suggestions for some pleasing flowering plants for around the house, that look semi decent even if they don't have blooms? I don't mind if they take a year or two to 'come good'.

Would very much appreciate your expertise. Thanks!

Boog

 

One that I grow is Phalaenopsis Orchid. I have them on a west facing window sill on a tray of gravel.

I water very rearly about once a month, and they are in flower about 10 months of the year.

Look out in your local gardening centre for one that have stopped flowering and are sold off very cheaply.

Bought one last week from Dobies garden centre and only payed £7.00, it was not being sold off.

Trevor

 

Coleus? (Not flowering though, just fancy leaf colourings)

Streptocarpus?

Worth looking out for pot-plants that are Reduced in the garden centres. With a bit of TLC they can usually be revived, and sometimes they are discounted simply because they have reached the end of their flowering period, so aren't attractive to "Mr and Mrs Average Punter"

eBay? Have to watch out for postage costs though, I do searches including "10 miles from my postcode" so I can go and collect them to say £5 or more of postage. Got a nice Clivia of eBay just recently, and collected it on my way home :thumb:

 

I like stuff like Rubber plants, Cheese plants and if you time it right they can be rescued from the likes of Lidl for a few pennies

 

I've grown Fatsia and Philodendron from seed in the past, also Ficus sp. seed are available.
You might need to go to an online seed merchant or mail order for the more interesting houseplant seeds.

 

I was thinking of cheese plants too. They were popular when I was a kid but seemed to fall out of favour a bit. Probably because they are indestructible and will quickly take over the living room.

 

Thanks a lot for the suggestions! I'd assumed orchids would be pretty tricky to grow.

Good ideas all round folks, cheers.

 

Boogaloo - pm me an address and I can send you some seeds for this (Alsobia dianthiflora).................





A few other ideas in my h/plant album...................
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/members/longk-albums-house-conservatory-plants.html

The Plumbago very easy from seed (easily found on the internet) and flowers first year.

 

I got one of these last year (a particularly nice shade of Blue, as they can be a bit pale ...) to replace one of my three, boring, bog-standard Passion Flowers. Flowered profusely all Summer, lovely plant :thumb:

 

Just had a proper look at your link - fantastic stuff! Shows how much more interesting life can be than the usual supermarket carbon copies.

I think the Pumbago is looking a definite!