Brian Minter's Guide to Adding Vibrance to Your Indoor Garden
As the festive season winds down and Christmas decorations are packed away, many Canadian homes can feel a bit empty and lacking in colour. Gardening expert Brian Minter suggests that one of the best ways to inject fresh life and lift our spirits during the dreary winter months is to introduce new and interesting plants to our indoor collections.
"By new plants, I mean the fun, interesting ones that have added buzz to the world of indoor tropicals and have also proven to be solid performers," says Minter. While winter indoor growing conditions in Canada aren't ideal for all plants, keeping them near windows for increased light, maintaining slightly cooler home temperatures, and providing a bit of extra care can help them thrive—especially when choosing more resilient varieties.
Top Plant Picks for Winter Colour and Interest
Minter's first recommendation for adding colour this time of year is anthuriums. These remarkably tough plants feature thick, dark green leaves and beautiful heart-shaped flowers in vibrant reds, pinks, orange, purple, and white. Their colour persists year-round, and they're available in smaller four-inch pot sizes, making them ideal for windowsills and tabletops. Whether displayed alone or combined with other tropicals in an attractive low planter, anthuriums top Minter's list of beautiful, easy-to-care-for plants. They also make lovely gifts, particularly for Valentine's Day.
This season also offers some of the best selections of bromeliads, with an amazing range of sizes and brilliant coloration. Among the easiest plants to care for, bromeliads simply require moist soil and a little warm water added to the centre of the plant, allowing them to absorb moisture as needed. Their vibrant colours and unique flower forms are truly spectacular, lasting for weeks. Related to pineapples, bromeliads offer plenty of fun and visual appeal.
Unique and Eye-Catching Varieties
The ZZ plant, or Zamioculcas, isn't new, but the pure black variety Black Raven is one Minter never tires of observing. Since mature leaves contain no green, this plant must be placed in a higher light area to facilitate photosynthesis. It looks great alone but becomes magical when combined with silver aglaonemas or multicolored calatheas.
Philodendrons are always on the "easy-care" list, but a newer variety, Pink Princess, stands out with dark burgundy leaves splashed with bright pink, creating a striking pop in any display. Though not a trailer, it has a vining habit that can be creatively trained onto shaped frames for an even more impressive look. Its cousin, White Wizard, is a green philodendron with unique white blotches and flecks across its foliage, equally versatile and trainable into unique shapes. Both are definite eye-catchers.
Sometimes hard to find, ardisias are cheerful plants that produce clusters of long-lasting berries, typically around the holidays, adding another layer of interest to indoor gardens.
By incorporating these vibrant and resilient plants, Canadian gardeners can transform their indoor spaces into lively, colourful retreats even during the coldest months, boosting both home aesthetics and personal well-being.
