Green House Effect

Summers are not exactly conducive to a lush,well-nurtured gardens,thanks to the searing heat. So it's probably the reason why this summer more and more people are opting for indoor plants,both at home and at their workplaces.

This summer more and more people are opting for indoor plants

Summers are not exactly conducive to a lush,well-nurtured gardens,thanks to the searing heat. So it’s probably the reason why this summer more and more people are opting for indoor plants,both at home and at their workplaces. Indoor plants like Song of India,Jade,Croton,Dracaena,Palms have become very popular this season. Some plants like the Dracaena,are ideal as indoor plants. Such plants require little maintenance since they need low lighting conditions and have to be watered only twice a week, informs Amit Mahajan,owner of Durga Seed Store Nursery,Sector 26. All one needs to do is to add fertilizers in small amounts during summer and spring, he adds.

I like having a lot of plants around the house to get a natural feel. It requires little effort,but in return,you get a beautiful ambience and a lot of greenery around, says Manjeet Dhillon,resident of Sector 34,who mainly has Palms,Dracaena,and Jade at home. They have to be exposed to the sun thrice in a week and I use organic manures twice a month, she adds.

While Money Plant and bamboos have always been around,horticulturists say plants like Boston fern and Bleeding Heart are growing steadily on popularity. While the former is an evergreen plant which grows up to 40-50 cm long,the latter grows to only about 15-30 cm. Both need only partial sunlight. Pothos,on the other hand,is ideal for a hanging terrace garden while shrubs like Zora and Masanda too have decorative value. Some plants need to be watered everyday,others can survive with watering on alternate day. One has to be careful about the proportion of gravel,sand,small rock and clay in the soil of the pot, informs Anil Thakur,Sub-divisional Engineer,Horticulture section (Panjab University).

There is a wide range of species available and gardeners keep on adding varieties of species every year. It is important to know which plants to keep in the house as some of them are poisonous and can prove fatal if used carelessly. On the other hand,plants are great as de-stressing agents and help people relax after a hard day’s work, says Doctor Satish Narula,horticulturist.

Of course there are some indoor plants which require careful nurturing. Ornamental plants need extra protection from excessive heat. I have Aloe-vera,Dracaena,different varieties of Palms,Asparagus fern,Song of India,and Araucaria plants in my home and I need to be very regular in their fertilisation in order to keep them fresh, says Shanta Uppal,a resident of Sector 15.

At the end of the day though,it’s a job worth the efforts. Our urban lifestyle makes it difficult for us to enjoy nature. Having these plants at home at least makes up for that lack, says Archana R Singh,a resident of Sector 14.

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