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Inside out plants beat climate change
With climate change turning the gardener’s world upside down, it’s time to re-think traditional growing practices and try houseplants outdoors
No one can have failed to notice that winter didn’t show up this year, and that the summer hosepipe ban is now a perennial fixture. With climate change in mind, new plants and new ways of cultivating them are needed, says Gardening Which?.
They say people often forget that houseplants are in fact rainforest plants, used to little light, so can easily be transferred to shady nooks outdoors during the summer months. Likewise, some thirsty sun-loving outdoor types may flourish on a well-lit window sill.
Last June, Gardening Which? bought 15 types of house plant to trial outside and 15 outdoor plants to test inside, using at least three plants of each type to test them in different situations.
From June until October, the trialists kept fortnightly records looking at how well the plant was faring, how attractive it was and their verdict on its success, the results showed that for the most part, it was possible to bring the outside in and vice versa.
Among the house plants were the most widely-available types, while outdoors plants were sufficiently small and attractive to be earn a place on a windowsill.
By keeping sun-loving plants on sunny windowsills and shade-loving plants on shady ones, ten of the 15 outdoor plants flourished successfully indoors.
For those house plants trialled outside, most were happiest positioned in shade during the hottest part of the day. Those that didn’t make it tended to be devoured by slugs and snails.
Julia Boulton, Editor of Gardening Which? , said: “The results of this research show that with the right care and conditions, house plants and outdoor plants can successfully trade places.
“With our climate becoming warmer, it’s even more important for gardeners to challenge convention.”
Inside-out successesTillandsia - a striking plant that looks lovely in a hanging basket
Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) – had vibrant coloured leaves
Prayer Plant (Stromanthe) – this plant did best out of direct sunlight
Swiss cheese plant – for masses of character keep it in the shade
Bougainvillea – B. ‘Alexandra’ gave a Mediterranean flavour
Money Plants – sun loving, drought tolerant and trouble free
Dragon tree (Dracaena) – successful whether in the sun or shade
Tradescantia – great for window boxes, avoid the midday sun
Spider plants – only need early morning sun for the best green leaves
Outside-in successesGarden pinks – favourites include the Dianthus ‘Whatfield Cancan’
New Zealand Flax –‘Maori Queen’ pink stripe glowed in the sun
Heather – winter flowering Erica carnea is also lime-tolerant
Hosta – all three varieties were happy on the windowsill
Hardy Ferns - Polypdium and Gymnocarpium varieties do well
Houttuynia - Houttunyia cordata ‘Chameleon’ needed lots of sun
Euonymous – a smart, neat, drought-tolerant little foliage plant
Lavender – Lavendula stoechas proved flourished from July to August
Conifer - Thuja orientalis ‘Aurea Nana’ was popular with all trialists
This article was created: 15 March 2007.
This article was last edited: 25 April 2007.
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