Published on Saturday, August 17, 2024

 

 

By Victoria Torley

In the article "Indoor gardening in Costa Rica," I  wrote about the windowsill garden.

Many asked for more advice on indoor gardening. So, here we go.

Anyone who lives in an apartment with a balcony can grow vegetables in pots, or hanging baskets with flowers or herbs in a hanging shoe organizer.

Shoe organizer? You bet! Get yourself a plastic shoe organizer, fill it with soil, and put your herbs in each shoe holder. Be sure to poke some holes in the bottom of each holder or, if they are open, use landscaper fabric to hold the soil.

Would you rather have fragrance on the balcony? Great plants are the gardenia and the jasmine. They will thrive in nice big pots with just a little pampering.

Keep them well fertilized and watered with lots of sun for best results. Climbing jasmine will twine around an open railing on the balcony making you the envy of your neighbors, who will wonder where the perfume is coming from.

Don’t neglect the bathroom. No light at all in the bathroom? There is even a plant for that, the Golden Pothos Vine (Epipremnum pinnatum) which will thrive in shallow light and even grow in the dark, although, if you will be away for an extended period, it is best to move it from a dark to a low light area. As a bonus, the vine is an air purifier.

Bored with growing green things like philodendrons, ferns, ivy, indoor palms, spider plants and lucky bamboo? Not that they aren’t great plants for the home, but there are any number of vibrantly colored plants you can grow indoors.

Take, for example, the Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum). My garden has a lot of these lovely plants in white, pinks, reds, and purples. There is even a peace lily so dark it looks black. Great indoor color.

You might also try the Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema commutatum) with its white flowers and bright red berries or any of the flowering Bromeliads which adapt very well to indoor situations.

Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa), are great flowering plants for the house and the new hybrids come in a variety of colors.

But don’t ignore the coleus with its wonderful year-round leaf colors. Just remember to snip off the flowers when they bloom. Coleus are easy to start and easy to care for. The begonia also makes a great addition to the indoor garden and flowers very well.

If you can find one, the Columnea (Columneagloriosa) is a fantastic low-light plant with trailing foliage and exotic red and yellow flowers.

So, bring greenery and color into every room of the house with these plants and don’t forget to check the web for others.

Plant of the week. Another great plant for the house or the shaded balcony is the Caladium (Caladium bicolor) a native of South America and easily available at nurseries (or from your neighbor).

The plant comes in different variations of red, white, and green, including one that appears to be purely white with red veins, the edge of green is difficult to see. Buy several varieties and mass them together for an amazing display.

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Find more amazing stories about gardening in Costa Rica on the AM Costa Rica Garden website. Questions on this article, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached by emailing victoriatorley1@gmail.com