Houseplants for Beginners

Your plants won't need a miracle to grow with these no-fail tips.

Houseplants, like fresh flowers, add instant life to any room. But if you have a black thumb like I do, that organic energy is short-lived. Inspired by the season's bounty of bright blooms and greenery, I've decided to give gardening another go, but not before I called on an expert for some advice.

Meet Barbara Pleasant, member of the American Horticultural Society and author of The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual. Pleasant got to the bottom of my houseplant missteps and shared these no-fail tips.

First things first. You're probably wondering what you should grow. Barbara recommends choosing hardier plants that will recover easily if you forget to water them and are seldom bothered by root rot or insects.

Some of the best houseplant varieties for novice gardeners are those located "in a spot that pleases them," which might be near a bright window that receives some direct sun or in a spot that receives much less light, perhaps on a tabletop in your living room.

"Most of the easiest high-light plants are succulents, which are plants that can retain moisture in their leaves," she says. Jade plants, mother-in-law's tongue, kalanchoes, and aloe fit into this category.

"In more diffuse light, philodendrons are easy to grow and come in a range of sizes and leaf types," she says. "Chinese evergreens require little care and always look good, and many people with no experience are successful with pothos, tricolor dracaena, aspidistra, spider plant, and rubber plants."

If you've struggled with planting, you've probably wrestled with the question: How much water? Barbara says it's important to get to know your plants as individuals; some will need more water than others. "Large plants grown in smallish pots in bright light often need twice as much water as small plants growing in roomy containers in dim light," she says. If you're uncertain if a plant needs watering, tip it slightly to see if it feels heavy or light. "With practice, you can easily tell if a container is unusually moist or dry by checking its weight," she says.

Add plant food from spring to fall, when houseplants are actively growing. "Most of them rest in the winter, when days are short and light levels are low," she says. Still, adding a little water-soluble plant food to the water is easy, and helps support plants during their periods of active growth.

I wondered if heat and air conditioning temperatures can affect plants. The answer: yes. Dry heat is tough on houseplants, which will require more watering if the air indoors is dry. "Most houseplants are from tropical climates, so they do better in high temperatures than low ones," she says. "Few houseplants are happy when temperatures drop below 55 degrees F."

When purchasing a plant, look at individual plants to see if it's healthy. Look at the entire display area, Barbara says, and check to see if the plants appear to have been watered and maintained. Choose a plant with lots of healthy foliage, no spotted or yellow leaves. If you're buying a houseplant with blooms, choose one that is only beginning to flower, she says.

Some varieties won't live forever. "With many blooming houseplants, for example cyclamen, you might enjoy the plant for two to three months and then ditch it. Most foliage plants are long-terms companions that show new growth from spring to fall, and then they will hit a holding pattern during the winter," she says.

Don't get discouraged if you're not successful at first. Like anything, gardening indoors takes practice. Says Barbara: "Start small, with only two or three plants, and put them to work bringing life to your rooms. Place a sturdy foliage plant where it can easily be seen as soon as you come in the door -- a classic way to energize the transition from the green world outdoors to your indoor spaces."