Plants that make good gifts at the holidays and beyond

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

There are many flowering plants that can be grown and enjoyed indoors. Any of these plants can make a great gift for a gardener that is craving some gardening fun or for a person that only likes to garden ‘indoors’. These plants belong to a category of houseplants called “flowering pot plants”, i.e. plants that bloom for a specific time period and then are a green plant until the next round of flowering takes place. Flowering pot plants are also a long lasting substitute for cut flowers, with many having blooms that last 4-7 weeks, some even longer. Flowering plants are also a nice alternative to the traditional all green houseplant. In general, flowering pot plants need minimal care and bright, cool conditions and moist soil. Fertilize regularly according to the directions on the fertilizer package for houseplants or flowering house plants. Warm air or drafts and over watering is usually their biggest enemy. Make sure that you follow the tips listed below for each recommended plant in order to get the most enjoyment from your flowering plant.
Chrysanthemums - come in a large variety of colors and should last 6-8 weeks. Bright light is crucial for these plants. They enjoy cool temperatures, 50° - 60° F. Keep away from cold drafts (the doors) and warm drafts the (fireplace or furnace vent). Ideally they should be moist at all times and the leaves misted from time to time.
Miniature Roses - are lovely but can be difficult to maintain indoors. They need lots of light, airy conditions, high humidity and plenty of water. The leaves should be misted frequently and the plant put on a saucer of water with a few pebbles to elevate the pot (do not place the pot directly in the water) if the room is warm. Red spider mites are a common pest of miniature roses, but by ensuring that you mist the leaves regularly and maintain the proper humidity you will help to keep the little pests at bay. Allow the rose to dry out a little between waterings. Miniature roses seem to work best if they are treated like an outdoor plant and brought inside for the flowering. You can place these outside come spring either directly in the ground or in a container garden. The following fall, repot the rose then bring the rose indoors in mid-autumn and remove the top half of the stems. Keep in an unheated spot for a week or two before returning to a heated room.
Cyclamen - are one of the most popular indoor flowering pot plants and with the appropriate care can last several months. They do best in a north facing window and do no like direct sun. Cyclamen prefer cool temperatures, 50° - 60° F ideally, and higher humidity than the average home in the winter months. To increase the humidity stand the pot on a saucer, filled with water, with a few pebbles to raise the pot out of the water or set the plant in a larger pot surrounded with damp peat. Cyclamen should be kept moist at all times and only watered from below. Adding water on the top of the soil near the root crown will eventually cause the roots to rot. This is the most common mistake the indoor gardener makes. Overwatering and watering from above will cause the cyclamen to die a very rapid death. To water from below which is called the immersion method, involves setting the plant in a bowl or sink of water so that the cyclamen takes the water from the bottom of the pot, up until the surface of the soil glistens. Do not allow water to touch the crown of the roots, from above. When the cyclamen has finished its bloom, reduce watering and stop fertilizing. Place the pot on its side and keep dry until midsummer. Then repot with fresh potting soil, planting the tuber to half its depth. Stand in a cool, well-lit spot and water to keep moist. Once new leaves develop move to a north-facing window. Make sure that your cyclamen is never exposed to cold or very warm drafts. This means to make sure and position it away from doors and windows, the furnace vent, woodstove or fireplace.
Poinsettia - has become a popular symbol of Christmas. The flowers which are really coloured bracts, last between 2-6 months and come in an increasing variety of colours from white to pink to red, even purple and rare, but my personal favourite yellow. They require maximum light during the winter. They enjoy average warmth, should be watered thoroughly and leaves misted frequently. Poinsettia are usually thrown away but can be kept and either remain in their pot or be planted in the garden as an annual foliage plant, or with some “extra” work and a little luck can be kept and encouraged to bloom again next Christmas.
Although, not flowering plants, another category of plants you might want to consider this holiday season, are miniature evergreens. These tiny trees are available in several varieties, such as spruce, yew, hemlock, fir and the Norfolk pine and are great to use on table tops and mantels and can be moved out to porches and patios for next summer. You can even add seasonal decorations to these miniature trees. After the holidays are over the miniature evergreens can be repotted and enjoyed as any other house plant. They like to be kept evenly moist while they are inside for the season.
Plants are always wonderful gifts to give or receive and can provide spirit lifting color and brightness, especially during the gray days of winter. It’s always fun to bring a little of the garden indoors. Happy “Indoor Gardening”.