Looking for more houseplants this winter? Many garden plants that we treat as annuals are actually perennials from tropical regions. Instead of clearing them out of our beds, we can easily transition them inside, where they will continue to grow and even bloom throughout the winter. Here’s an overview of the plants you can bring in and a few tips for moving them.
What Plants Can You Bring Inside?
Not all of the tropical plants in your garden become good houseplants in the winter. Some of them need a period of dormancy, in particular those tender bulbs like Caladiums, Calla Lilies, Cannas, Dahlias, and Elephant Ears. You can dig them up and put them in cold storage inside, but they won’t make great houseplants. In contrast, so many of our beloved container flowers don’t need a season of rest. Many of these garden plants can beautify your home over the winter, including:
- Begonia
- Bird of Paradise
- Bougainvillea
- Coleus
- Cordyline
- Fuchsia
- Gardenia
- Geranium
- Hibiscus
- Impatiens
- Jasmine
- Mandevilla
- Oleander
- Passionflower
- Rosemary
- Thunbergia
How to Make Your Selections
With so many options to choose from, it’s tempting to try to move the whole garden indoors. But that can be impractical if you’re short on space. Likely, you’ll have to make some choices. Besides choosing the right species, you want to keep in mind the following:
- Only keep healthy plants: the strongest plants will not only perform the best inside but make great additions to the garden when the weather warms again next spring.
- Don’t bring in plants with pests or diseases: with no natural predators indoors, pests spread much more quickly inside than outside. You don’t want to infect your other houseplants or create a problem for yourself over the winter.
- Bring in your favorites: if you have to make choices, go with your favorite flowers. Given the proper light and care, they’ll continue to impress you even after the outdoor growing season has finished.
Give Them A Successful Move
A sudden change of environment can stress a garden plant out, causing them to shed the beautiful leaves or flowers that you hoped to enjoy. Likewise, if you’re not careful, you can bring pests indoors that might infect your other houseplants. Here are a few steps to avoid these mistakes and increase your chance of a successful move:
- Dig Them Up: start the transition well before we plunge into freezing temperatures and give them a good start by potting them in fresh potting soil.
- Clean Them and Check for Pests: spray down the leaves, trim away any dead foliage, and check thoroughly for pests. Make sure you look underneath the leaves and in the crooks between stems and branches.
- Transition Them Inside Gradually: once you’re sure that your garden plants are free of pests, start with a gradual transition. Think of it as the opposite of hardening off seedlings in the spring. Bring them inside for a few hours each day at first, so they can adjust to the lower levels of light. Over the course of two weeks, increase their hours inside until they’re full-time guests.
With enough light and proper water, your new houseplants will give you fresh air, colorful blooms, and the relaxing presence of a plant. If you’re wondering about proper care for specific plants indoors, or have any more questions, feel free to contact the experts at our garden centers in Virginia and Maryland. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to bring a few garden plants inside this year as houseplants!