10 of my favourite plants - indoor and outdoor
Plants have been a constant in my life from gardening with my Dad as a little girl, keeping house plants, being the one who nurtured office plants, and then cultivating gardens of my own. Here's a list of some indoor and outdoor plants that I love.
1. Pilea
Pileas became a very instagrammable house plant. With their pancake-shaped leaves, they are aesthetically pleasing. It took me a while to find my first Pilea, and then it went a little nuts!
I discovered that Pileas can be propagated easily. Once pups start to grow, you can detach them either with a knife or sometimes just gently pulling on them. Plant them in a small pot with potting compost, then give them a good water. Before long, the tiniest of pups will grow into small plants.
My Pileas became quite prolific and I had over 20 plants. Every now and again I give away most of them and start over.
Pileas are easy to look after. Once a week in warm weather sit them in about an inch of water for an hour or so. Let them drain. Pileas don't mind drying out before their next watering. Keep them somewhere light but out of direct sunlight.
I've recently detached some pups and they're already doing well. It's great to check on them every day and see how much they've grown!2. Auriculas
Part of the Primula family, I came across Auriculas a few years ago. The first year I tried to grow them from seed, without great results. I read up on them and learned that a better place to start is buying plants from a specialist nursery. I ordered a selection. At the end of the year, after flowering, you can separate out the offsets, and plant them. Within a few years I had a total of 100 Auriculas.
When we moved house I gave them all away so now I'm starting again with four plants.
Auriculas have something of a cult following and in a little corner of Instagram from mid April to May you can spot these distinctive blooms.3. Hellebores
Great for colour and flowers in Winter, my Dad always had Hellebores in my parents' garden. They were early additions to our garden here in Derbyshire. They're past their season now and should self-seed so I'm hoping for a great display next Winter.4. Passion Flower
I love the exotic flowers. They only last a day or so once they open and, generally, one flower at a time. I have a Passion Flower plant in the garden. It was fabulous last year and I trained the tendrils into a heart shape. It's not showing any signs of life yet but I'm hoping it's just a matter of time.5. Clematis
Another family favourite, Clematis make wonderful climbing plants. Again, I love the flowers. So many different colours and shapes. The rule for Clematis is feet in the shade, head in the sun.6. Orchid
Over the years I've had large collections of Orchids. There's a misconception that they're difficult to grow but Orchids are very forgiving. I give mine a good soak every couple of weeks, keep them somewhere with good, indirect sunlight and they thrive.7. Lavender
Chris loves Lavender because it's a sensory experience for him. (He's blind). I've grown Hilcote Lavender from seed and given away lots of plants to the neighbours this year. I also have a cutting taken from a plant at our old house. My Dad and I bought it after my Mum died. It's called Vera, same as my Mum. I've just pruned it and planted the cuttings. Hopefully, they will do well.8. Verbena
I love the tiny purple Verbena flowers. They form in a cluster. Verbena grows quite tall and comes up every year. A great filler for a bed.9. Snowdrops
Snowdrops mark the advent of Spring for me. They're so pretty. I got to our local churchyard to check on the drifts of snowdrops.10. Blossom
Blossom season is my favourite. Every year I wish blossom lasted longer! I love cherry blossom, pink blossom, and hawthorn. At the moment, the trees are laden with flowers. They look stunning!
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