In the winter cold days, it can get pretty drab. I know it’s pretty tempting to buy some fresh beautiful flowers from the corner store, but why not consider some winter-blooming plants.
African Violet
African violets are one of the easiest flower plants to grow, particularly because they adjust well to the drier air often found indoors. It is best to keep it close to a window facing north, to do well in. They like locations with more natural light, but a south-facing window would be far too hot for them. These are relatively compact plants, but they are present in many trailing varieties.
Jasmine
Jasmine typically blooms in the spring through fall but is often sold in stores during the winter months in bloom. If you want to produce winter blossoms in your home, you will need to give your jasmine a period of rest during fall. Nights should be dark, as any light, like streetlights or indoor lights, can affect the growth. Once it blooms, prune it back quite heavily, which in general is a very good practice since jasmine tends to grow unwieldy.
Desert Rose
Desert Roses have bright, showy flowers that are quite stunning. They can bloom at any time, and in winter too! During their period, the plant can become pretty bare, dropping leaves, until there is new regrowth in the summer months. If you place the Desert Rose outdoors during the summer it will begin to sprout plenty of new leaves. Once the temperature starts to drop, bring it indoors and beautiful flowers will begin to emerge.
Lipstick plant
Lipstick plants in the home often and they are best kept in a partially shady area. Because these are originally epiphytic plants, the best soil would be a mixture of sphagnum and potting soil. The plants prefer a warm, humid environment with some good light. This will mimics more of their native environment, tucked away in some damp forests. To encourage buds, you could keep them at 65° to 70°F, though in winter, they can be cooler and drier. After they flower, it is best to prune their stems back to a height of 6″ to encourage new growth.
Poinsettia
The Poinsettia’s flowers are the inconspicuous little yellow buds that are subtended by the stunning red, white and pink bracts. These plants are most of the time-tossed after the holidays, but you can continue having the Poinsettia around your home. If you take care of it well, it may even turn into a shrub. The key to taking care of this beautiful plant is to keep it in a warm place since it hates drafts. And also it needs to be in a sunny area but kept away from the hot afternoon sun.
String-of-Pearls
This beautiful succulent is a member of the Asteraceae family and prefers to be in well-drained soil for succulents. It doesn’t mind being in slightly colder conditions in the winter, around 50°F, but keep your plant near a drafty window and it will still put out great flowers. It’s not atypical for these plants to die down after some years, so if you see signs, just make a cutting and it’ll restart the plant and it’ll look gorgeous.
