My daughter has just started college and has moved into student accommodation on campus. I want to give her some indoor plants to make her room feel a little more homely and would really welcome some recommendations. She’s no gardener but I know she’ll do her best to look after them. Mary C, Cork
House plants are an unbeatable way to transform any indoor space, bringing life and beauty into a room in a way that’s genuinely magical while also helping to purify the air. If your daughter has no previous experience of looking after them, then it’s a good idea to start with a selection of stalwarts that will tolerate less-than-ideal growing conditions.
One of the best is the trusty Swiss cheese plant, Monstera deliciosa, an almost unkillable species with large, jungle-like, glossy foliage distinguished by its irregularly shaped holes (hence its common name). Another is the rubber plant, Ficus elastica ‘Robustica’, a handsome, large-growing species of ornamental fig with large, paddle-shaped, glossy green leaves whose good looks belies its tough-as-old-boots disposition and ability to tolerate periods of neglect. Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is another enduring classic famed for its Lazarus-like ability to return from the nearly-dead.
Growing trailing indoor plants in purpose-made hanging pots or containers suspended in macramé hangers is another easy way for your daughter to green up her student digs while also making clever use of limited space. Resilient species ideal for this purpose include the rosary vine, also known as ‘string of hearts’ (Ceropegia linearis subspecies woodii); tradescantia (prized for its colourful foliage); and ‘string of beads’ (Curio rowleanus, formerly known as Senecio rowleanus). All of these are widely available from most good Irish garden centres as well as specialist house plant suppliers. As is the case for all house plants, bear in mind that all the above require only very light watering from autumn to spring. If the container that the plant is growing in doesn’t have drainage holes, then be extra careful in this regard.
