Gardening Favors
  • Gardening Guide & DIY
  • Garden Sprayers
  • Garden Carts
  • Hedge Trimmers
  • Lawn Mowers
  • Garden Tools
  • Blog
Gardening DIYGardening Guide & DIY

Houseplants Are Usually Better Outdoors Rather Than Indoors

by Team GardeningFavors November 13, 2022
written by Team GardeningFavors November 13, 2022
0FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

As a child growing up in the tropics I used to envy British gardeners. They got to grow all the amazing temperate plants outside that were impossible to keep happy in the relentless equatorial heat. They would also grow species indoors from the world’s rainforests, giving them the best of both worlds. Thirty years later, my opinion hasn’t really changed, but there is something odd about this indoor/outdoor divide. Many plants sold in the UK as houseplants are happier outside.

Houseplants Are Usually Better Outdoors Rather Than Indoors

This is partly due to our perception of the plants’ “exoticness”. When camellias first arrived on these shores, British aristocrats constructed elaborate glasshouses to grow them, assuming their Far Eastern origins must also make them vulnerable to frost. It was only when some of these glasshouses fell into disrepair and the plants still thrived, that they realised the error of their ways.


The same reasoning may explain why wonderfully weird carnivorous species such as Sarracenia pitcher plants and Venus flytraps are still sold in the houseplant section of garden centres. Despite their otherworldly appearance, these species hail not from the tropics, but from the bogs of North America and require a cool, dark period of winter hibernation to keep healthy, They can easily handle lows of -15C. Without this, they lose vigour, not to mention the fact that the extra light and humidity they get out of doors will give them a boost. So for best results plant them by the margins of an outdoor pond or in large, water-filled dishes with no drainage holes.

It’s the same with bonsai, where you will find a jumble of temperate and tropical tree species populating the houseplant shelves. Japanese maples, pines and elms are extremely unlikely to get the light they need indoors and will start to show it within just a month or two, and without a cool rest in winter rarely survive at all. If you do want an indoor bonsai, pick a Ficus or a Podocarpus (confusingly sold as “Buddha Pines”, even though they aren’t pines) and you will be fine.

Social media can sow confusion, too. When a leading influencer posted about olive trees in her living room, garden centres reported an uptick in demand for these as indoor plants. Unless you have a high-ceiling glasshouse that’s kept cool in the winter, with fans and vents for lots of airflows, olive trees are best kept outside. Most living rooms have the low light and winter warmth that far more closely mimics tropical rainforest floors than the scorching summer sun and cool winters these Mediterranean species need.


The same goes for most temperate species. Many “houseplants” of temperate origin that are notorious for being tricky to grow indoors can be suddenly rendered relatively trouble-free just by sticking them outside. Not a bad deal, really.

Source: The Guardian

Useful Article: 5 Best Backpack Sprayer 2021: Review and Buying Guide
Useful Article: Rainbows In The Meadow: Red, Yellow, And Green

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Team GardeningFavors

previous post
Rainbows In The Meadow: Red, Yellow, And Green
next post
Wave Petunias: 5 Reasons To Love Them

You may also like

Pre-winter Perennial Pruning Pointers : Best Pruning Tools

November 25, 2022

How to get your garden ready for summer

November 25, 2022

Autumn Gardening: 5 Things To Do For A Thriving Outdoor Space in 2023

November 25, 2022

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Find Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Transplanting Spade

  • Steel Scoop Shovel

  • Trenching Shovel

  • Square-point Shovel

  • Round Point Shovel

  • Garden Trowel

  • Scoop Shovel

Who We Are

Gardening favors is the largest website focusing on gardening products reviews, resources, gardening guides, and the latest updates and news.

 

Gardeningfavors.com is a member of the amazon services LLC Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program that allows websites to earn ad fees by posting ads and links to amazon.com.

Useful Links

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Affiliate Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Our Resources

  • Home
  • Gardening Guide & DIY
  • Garden Sprayers
  • Garden Carts
  • Hedge Trimmers
  • Lawn Mowers
  • Gardening DIY

Search

Contact Info

Address:  Pakistan

Phone:  +92 336 6486701

Email: [email protected]

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
  • Email

@2023 - All Right Reserved. GardeningFavors.Com

Gardening Favors
  • Gardening Guide & DIY
  • Garden Sprayers
  • Garden Carts
  • Hedge Trimmers
  • Lawn Mowers
  • Garden Tools
  • Blog