The Inside Garden & Conservatory FAQs
How can I get the flowers on my Gardenia to flower? When I was given it as a present it was covered in flower buds and, apart from those that were already opening, the other buds have dropped off.
Gardenias can be a real challenge to keep happy! They like hot and humid conditions so are better kept in the bathroom, kitchen or perhaps conservatory. They are best placed on a saucer filled with pebbles that are constantly kept moist. Water with rain water as they hate too much lime and our local tap water is generally rather limey. Never let the roots dry out and mist over the whole plant at least daily then they will reward you with rich creamy fantastically scented flowers! It?s worth trying to get the new variety ?Kleim?s Hardy? which, as its? name implies, can be grown outside. Grow it in a sheltered pot in lime free compost.
I was given a Cyclamen plant for my 40th birthday, it has stayed in the same pot and flowers regularly, I am 47 in November, is this a record?
It is unusual for Cyclamen to last so long, especially as you imply that it is in the same pot. A few years ago we had a Cyclamen festival at Cleeve Nursery and a plant of almost 30 years of age was brought in by a customer! Normally they are killed off by watering from the top of the pot or by being in too hot a room long before they reach any great age. It is fun to try to keep them going but not worth getting hung up about. After all you wouldn?t hesitate to throw away a bunch of flowers when they have gone over, so why keep a fairly inexpensive pot plant from year to year?
I have been given three different plants that don't seem suited for the house; a Stephanotis, a Mini Orchid and now a Gardenia. The Stephanotis was in full flower when it arrived. Flowers turned brown and dropped. It hasn't flowered since.
Stephanotis is very prone to dropping flowers if in a draught. They need normal room temperature but prefer the air to be humid so best in a bathroom, kitchen or heated conservatory. Avoid direct sunlight. Flowers do not keep on appearing but should re-appear every year. Keep the whole root ball moist at all times. Don't be afraid to cut this vigorous climber back. Feed with high potash feed weekly when it is making growth. When plants are reluctant to come into flower, a trick that sometimes triggers bud initiation is to put the whole plant into a large clear polythene bag containing a ripe apple. Seal the top and the ethylene given off by the apple sometimes helps the flowering process along! Stop when the apple begins to rot. Gardenias like it hot and steamy! Flower buds will fail to open if the air is too dry. Stand the pot on a saucer filled with pebbles that are kept constantly moist and top this up regularly. Bright direct sunlight will be tolerated but a dark part of the house will not. Water it with rain water and use lime free compost when potting on into a bigger pot. Make sure that the compost never dries out. Again this would be best in the kitchen or bathroom for the benefit if more humid air. The same feed as Stephanotis will do and feed to maintain nice rich glossy green leaves. The mini Orchid is probably the easiest to satisfy in a normal house. Water regularly [it will have a coarse free draining compost] Feed with a foliar feed [a specific orchid feed is best]. It will tolerate a bright windowsill or could be placed inside most average rooms that do not actually receive direct light. If coarse roots appear on the pot surface don't remove these as they will absorb moisture and nutrients and they are quite normal. Don't rush to pot these into bigger pots and when you do pot it on use only a slightly larger pot and a specific coarse bark based orchid compost. All these plants will last for years if you get the conditions right! Don't be afraid to bring these plants down to us at Cleeve for our houseplant staff to talk you through this.
My peace lily is 7yrs old and has never flowered. The plant is healthy and has plenty of leaves. What is wrong?
I expect that your Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) is not flowering due to being too dry at the roots and top on occasions. If you mist the leaves with lukewarm water regularly and stand the pot inside another filling the void between with damp peat you may have more success. It may also be in too dark a place so move it where the light is brighter.
I am considering purchasing a bougainvillea plant for my conservatory. How do I look after it and can it go outside when the frosts are over? What temperature is needed in the conservatory? It is not heated during the night.
Bougainvilleas are normally only grown inside in fact they like it hot as they come from Brazil I believe. However, they will tolerate a period outside in mid summer. Good light is essential and they will tolerate a very slight frost which usually defoliates them. They are a scrambler needing lots of room. Best to cut them back hard [to 1ft -1.5ft] at the end of winter. They are happy grown in a pot and don't seem to mind having their roots constricted. The fact that your conservatory is not heated at night shouldn't matter as long as it does not freeze hard inside.