Aspiring to be a ‘Crazy Plant Lady’ or planning to create an indoor garden sanctuary to calm and brighten up your home?
Bringing your garden indoors is a lovely way to chase away the winter blues and enjoy natural health benefits including air purification, mood enhancement and immunity support.
There are many Central Geelong businesses who can help you achieve your indoor jungle, supplying beautiful pots and plants and providing tips on how to care for your new plant babies.
You can’t go past Lustre Blooms with its pretty pink building on Myers Street offering some of your plant favourites, plus a huge assortment of funky pots and paraphernalia. Order online before midday for same day delivery at www.lustreblooms.com.au
Smellies Flowers on Moorabool Street now sells a wide range of luscious indoor plants. Purchase pots and plants separately or if you purchase a pot and plant pair online, they will pot your plant for you. www.smellies.com.au
Townhouse Living on Yarra Street offers a stunning range of stoneware, concrete and clay pots. You can also pick up gorgeous gardening accessories including trowels, forks and mist sprayers. www.townhouse-living.com.au
Recently relocated to Central Geelong, Flower Bowl is more than your average flower shop, offering contemporary arrangements, its signature flower bowl terrariums and giftware including candles, soaps and earrings. www.flowerbowl.com.au
For something bright and colourful, Our Satellite Hearts in James Street stock Jones & Co pots and face vases, adding a little fun to your shelf or kitchen bench. Adairs, Bed Bath & Table and Target also offer a variety of pots to go with any plant and home style.
Add to your collection by propagating your own plants from cuttings and giving them a new home in a jar or bottle. $2 shops such as So Spoilt in Westfield have a large variety of inexpensive jars perfect for propagating plants. Or you can try Target, Big W or Mainly $2.
If you don’t feel confident mixing and matching, new kids on the Central Geelong block, A Natural Bunch in James Street offer potted, ready to go plants. www.anaturalbunch.com.au
A Natural Bunch also offers these top tips to help keep your indoor garden flourishing.
Keep potting soil moist but not wet.
If your soil is too dry or over watered, it can damage the plant’s roots. There is no specific watering frequency that works for all indoor plants however, as a general rule, plants with lush, thick leaves require more water than plants with waxy or leathery leaves.
Water your plant if the soil becomes lighter coloured or cracked however it is prudent to determine what kind of plant you have and follow its specific watering guidelines. If mould forms on the surface of the soil or there’s standing water under your pot, you’ve most likely over-watered your plant.
Stick your finger in the soil to determine how wet it is below the surface.
If you poke your finger into the soil up to your knuckle, you can feel if your plant needs more water. If the soil feels damp, no need to water it, however if it feels dry then give it a drink. Signs of over-hydration include discoloured leaves, lack of leaf growth, loss of leaves and soft rotten patches.
Signs of dehydration include slow leaf growth, brown and dried leaf edges, and lower leaves becoming yellow and curled.
Select a pot that has good drainage.
The amount of drainage in a pot is very important. Make sure there are drainage holes so excess water can drain away.
Cashepots (pots with no holes) can create water build-up which may kill your plant. Materials such as plastic, metal, and glass will absorb much less water than ceramic or clay, so keep this in mind as well.
Select an area in your house that gets adequate sunlight.
The quality, duration and intensity of light effect a plant’s growth. Avoid placing the plant in direct sunlight. Instead, give them plenty of indirect light in a well-lit room. Fluorescent lights can work as an alternative to sunlight for some plants. Provide flowering plants 12-16 hours of light per day and foliage plants 14-16 hours per day.
Don’t move your plants around a lot.
Plants acclimatise to their surroundings slowly, so it’s best you don’t move them around excessively. Moving a plant suddenly may have a negative effect, however if you wish to reposition the plant, take it to the new area for an hour a day. Slowly increase the amount of time in the new area until it has fully adjusted.
For more information on how Central Geelong businesses have been doing things differently and to find out more about how you can keep supporting local businesses visit www.centralgeelong.com.au or download the Love Central Geelong app.
