African violets are great houseplants for winter
QI’ve taken down my Christmas tree and decorations but the house feels really bare! What can I do?
Jane
AI know the feeling! January can be a dreary month when all the Christmas sparkle is gone. I always fill the gaps with colourful plants.
If you want a big specimen to take the place of the Christmas tree, try a yucca or parlour palm. They grow to about head height and make the cold days feel tropical.
Poinsettias will start to look tired soon, so replace them with new seasonal colour. Bromeliads and guzmanias are lovely bright rosette plants – they look like something from the jungle.
They come in pink, red, green, white and even vibrant violet, and they are really easy to care for.
Windowsills can look bare once all the Christmas cards come down too. Try growing African violets, flaming Katy and the polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) in decorative pots. Cyclamen, Christmas cacti and winter cherry are also all in bloom at this time of year.
I also like to put trailing plants on high shelves to let the foliage hang down. Tradescantia and scindapsus are ideal for this.
Just choose a few colourful varieties to keep your house looking bright and cheerful, and it will lift your mood on drab January days.
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
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