Garden Indoors Excerpt

Too often foliage is passed over by our attraction to blooms. This is certainly the case in the garden and I see the same myopic view inside the home. By embracing foliage you do not in any way sacrifice beauty or color: both are present in a range of forms. The advantage good foliage has over blooms I that it is long lasting. Rather than cycling in and out of flower, the color, pattern, and texture remain a constant.

Another compelling reason to fill your bedroom with foliage houseplants is that they help remove toxins from the air pollutants that are found in houses from industrial chemicals used to manufacture building materials and numerous household cleaners that may contain formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, acetone, and ethyl acetate. These pollutants are actually absorbed through the leaves of the plants and converted to harmless substances. Experts estimate that fifteen houseplants make a significant impact on improving the air quality in a house. So along with foliage houseplants adding color and texture to your bedroom, they also help clean the air.
P. Allen Smith's Bringing the Garden Indoors
This article is an excerpt from the latest book in the Garden Home Series, P. Allen Smith's Bringing the Garden Indoors.
Air Purifying Houseplants




* Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii) - bright filtered or indirect light, water sparingly in winter, neutral to acidic soil, minimum temperature of 61 degrees F.
* Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)- filtered light, high humidity, water moderately and allow some drying in winter, minimum temperature 45 degrees F.
* Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans) - full light with shade from hot sun, moderate humidity, water sparingly in winter, minimum temperature 55 degrees F.
* Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco) - full light with shade from hot sun, water sparingly in winter, moderate humidity, minimum temperature 55 degrees F.
* Elephant Ear (Philodendron domesticum)- bright filtered light, mist daily in summer, water sparingly in winter, support stems with moss pole, minimum temperature 59 degrees F.
* English Ivy (Hedera helix) - bright indirect to low light, keep moist, grow as a topiary or in a hanging basket, hardy zones 5 ,6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
* Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) - requires bright light, excellent drainage, plant crown 1/2 inch above surface of soil, keep the old leaves picked off, minimum temperature 60 degrees F.
* Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) - full or bright filtered light, light water in winter, minimum temperature 45 degrees F.
* Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa')- indirect to bright light, high humidity, minimum temperature 59 degrees F.
* Red Edge Dracaena (Dracaena marginata 'Tricolor')- full light with shade from hot sun, keep moist in summer, water sparingly in winter, minimum temperature 55 degrees F.
* Ribbon Plant (Dracaena sanderiana)- full light with shade from hot sun, moderate humidity, water sparingly in winter, minimum temperature 55 degrees F.