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Bring the Outdoors Indoors

In the colder months, you may be tempted to spend more time indoors, and forego spending time in the garden.  That doesn’t mean that you have to give up on nature altogether though.  It is possible to bring the outdoors indoors by bringing in some of your favourite potted plants.

Choosing Suitable Indoor Plants

Almost any plant can be brought in from outside as long as they are given the proper care and treatment.  However, it is important to give your plants time to adjust to the move.  Before it gets too cold, move your plants to a shadier area of the garden before bringing them all the way indoors so that they can get used to the different temperature levels.  Leave the windows for the first week if at all possible, so that the plants can get used to the different levels of humidity as well.

Here are some tips on selecting plants to bring indoors:

• While almost any plant can be brought indoors under the right conditions, some plants will do better than others.  Speak to professional nurseries for advice on which plants would be most suited to your indoor climate as well as your gardening abilities.
  
• Only bring indoors plants that look healthy.  There is little chance of a stressed or unhealthy plant improving once it has been moved inside.
  
• Ensure that the plants are disease and pest free.  This is important because pests and disease spread a lot more quickly inside than they do out and you may end up losing all of your indoor plants.
  
• Choose your favourite plants and ones that will look good inside.  You will be more motivated to take the best possible care of them so that they are constantly looking great and complimenting your décor.

Where to Place Indoor Plants

Indoor plants will thrive in areas of the home that receive high levels of indirect light or sunlight that has been filtered through curtains.  It is not likely to be a problem in winter but too much direct sunlight can scald the leaves of the plant.

Keep plants away from heating sources such as your heater, and even the television.  Also take care to ensure that no part of the plant touches the cold windows as this can be very damaging to the plant.

Creating a Theme with Indoor Plants

There is no need to be limited by your indoor plants for you can create just about any theme that you like with careful plant selection.  Again, your local nursery professional will be invaluable for this.  If you wish to have a clean transition from indoors to outdoors, combine the two areas through the plants that you use.  For instance, if you have a Balinese-style garden, many palms will do fantastically indoors.  Some themes that you could consider include:

• Flower garden
  
• Balinese-style
  
• Tropical jungle
  
• Classical and elegant
  
• Cottage garden

…and so forth.  You really are limited only by your imagination.

Preparing Plants to Come Indoors

There is generally no need to repot your plant before you bring it inside as most plants have a dormant growing period during winter.  Spring is the best time to repot plants.  However, if your plant has become root bound (where there appears to be more roots than soil), it may be best for its health to move it into a larger pot.

Using the hose, thoroughly water your plants so that the excess minerals and salts are removed.  The water will also help to wash off unwanted pests.  While you are watering your plants, it is a good time to clean the outside of the pots before they come indoors. 

Once you have watered and cleaned the plants, apply a natural insect repellent.  There are many available from nurseries or garden suppliers.  Also take the time to remove dead flowers and foliage.  There is no need to do a full pruning.

Caring for your Plants Once They Are Indoors

It is relatively easy to look after your plants once you have moved them inside.  The first thing you should be mindful of is to not water your plants too much.  To find out if your plants need watering, simply stick a finger into the potting mix near the rim.  If the soil feels moist, it shouldn’t need watering.  Of course, if it is dry; top the plant up so that the soil is damp but not wet.

In winter, your plants do not need fertilising.  This is because they are dormant throughout the colder months.  Finally, the soil may settle over a period of time, causing you to need to top it up.  Never use dirt from the garden for this purpose.  Instead, you should use a potting mix specifically designed for indoor plants.

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