Organic Gardening News

As we finally take down and pack away all our Christmas decor, we find it does leave a bit of emptiness in our homes.

One of the best things we can do to add fresh life and lift our spirits is to add some new plants to our houseplant collections. By new plants, I mean the fun, interesting ones that have added buzz to the world of indoor tropicals and have also proven to be solid performers.

It is important to remember that our winter indoor growing conditions are not the best for all plants, but keeping them near windows for increased light, running our homes just a little cooler, and providing a bit of extra care, they will be fine, especially if you choose the more resilient varieties.

My first choice for colour this time of year is anthuriums. They are remarkably tough, with their thick, dark green leaves, and beautiful heart-shaped flowers in vibrant reds, pinks, orange, purple and white. Their colour just keeps coming all year round. They are also available in smaller four-inch pot sizes, ideal for windowsills and tabletops. By themselves, or combined with other tropicals in an attractive, low planter, they top my list of beautiful, easy-to-care-for plants.

This is also the time of year we can find some of the best selections of bromeliads. The range of sizes and brilliant coloration is amazing. They are among the easiest of all plants to care for: All you need to do is keep the soil moist and add a little bit of warm water into the centre of the plant, allowing them to absorb the water as they need it.

Their vibrant colours and unique flower forms are truly spectacular and they last for weeks. Related to pineapples, bromeliads are something you can really have fun with.

The ZZ plant, or Zamioculcas, is not new, but the pure black variety Black Raven is one I never get tired of observing. Since there is no green in mature leaves, the plant must be set in a higher light area to go through its photosynthetic process. They are great by themselves but combine them with silver aglaonemas, or multicolored calatheas, and you have pure magic.

Philodendrons are always on the “easy-care” list, but a newer variety, Pink Princess, is something else. With dark burgundy leaves splashed with bright pink, it will truly pop in your display. Though it is not a trailer, it has a vining habit, so you can creatively train it onto a shaped frame for an even more impressive look.

Its cousin, White Wizard, is a green philodendron with unique white blotches and flecks across its foliage. It, too, is versatile and can be trained into unique shapes and forms. Both are eye catchers.

Philodendron Birkin may be small but it offers big interest. A compact plant with green leaves striped with white, it makes a statement by itself or in combination with any plant with contrasting dark foliage.

Versatile pothos make wonderful indoor hanging basket plants. They are very easy to take care of, are among the best-selling varieties and usually come in a range of pot sizes. The colour explosion of new varieties has further enhanced their appeal. Pothos epipremnum Happy Leaves is an introduction featuring rich cream and green foliage. The new variety called Cebu Blue boasts deeply toned bluish leaves, which is a novelty in tropical plants. Pearls and Jade is an interesting white and green bicolour, so keep an eye out for that one, too. When it comes to variegated foliage, pothos certainly lead the pack and I love how easy they are to have in your home.

The old-fashioned rubber plant, ficus elastica, has changed dramatically in its colour range. Their familiar dark green leaves have “evolved” into burgundy-black, as well as tricoloured cream, green and coral-pinks of varieties like Belize, Tineke and Ruby. They are striking and can enhance a room all by themselves. I’m really impressed by the foliage of a new multicoloured variety called ficus Shivereana. It has sophisticated, tan-coloured leaves with unique green speckled markings.

Rubber plants are among the most user friendly, but when the older green leafed varieties are replaced by newer colour blends, the plants will need far more light. Another secret with rubber plants is proper pruning. During the active growing season, pinch out the tips of the existing branches, which will force the plant to send out more branches along the stem, never leaving a gangly plant with a bare stem on the bottom.

The hoya family has exploded into so many unique leaf colour combinations, and it will be fun to see what comes next. They will all flower once they mature, but the secret is to put them in a very cool east or north window where, if you can slightly open the window to get the temperature below 8ºC (50ºF), it can help with bud set.

Spider plants, chlorophytum comosum, have always been an indoor garden staple, with lots of new plants developing on the tips of shoots which come from the centre of the plant. Curly Sue has a “swirled” habit, which makes it that much more interesting.

Just before Christmas, a good local grower reintroduced ardisias, sometimes called the “Christmas Berry” plant, back into our tropical market. It’s a green plant, much like a coffee plant, but with temperature variation treatment they can produce stunning red, coral or white berries which last for months. I think they are just spectacular.

If you have a cool windowsill near your kitchen sink, you may want to try some of the “string” series of plants. From String of Dolphins, Frogs, Turtles, Spades and Pearls, they are all fun plants and look surprisingly like each of the animals/objects for which they are named. They make great gifts for kids.

These are just a few of the many plants which can transform an empty-feeling room into a happy, uplifting and welcoming environment, which is especially valuable during the darker days of winter.

Related

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Weekly roundup of three properties that recently sold in Metro Vancouver.

2002 – 1515 Homer Mews, Vancouver

Type: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment

Size: 2,673 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $5,420,000

Listed for: $5,988,000

Sold for: $5,888,000

Sold on: Oct. 21

Days on market in this listing: 23

Listing agent: Karim Virani at Virani Real Estate Advisors

Buyers agent: Deanna Lawrence PREC at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: With an internal floor plan in excess of 2,600 square feet plus nearly 500 square feet of terraces with marina, city skyline and mountain views, this three-bedroom condo not only boasts a layout larger than many detached homes, but a sub-penthouse position to boot in Yaletown’s prestigious King’s Landing tower. Inside, highlights abound with marble-accent bathrooms, an impressive primary bedroom wing, hardwood floors throughout, Kohler and Grohe fixtures, high-end appliances including a Viking gas range, a separate pantry, a marble gas fireplace, 10-foot-high ceilings, wraparound windows, and walk-in closets outfitted with bespoke organizers. A private two-car garage and storage room are also included. Residents enjoy resort-style amenities with a gym, swimming pool, sauna, billiard room, theatre, and guest suites. The unit’s monthly maintenance fee is $3,156.24.

6311 Coltsfoot Dr., Richmond

Type: Five-bedroom, six-bathroom detached

Size: 3,242 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $3,042,000

Listed for: $3,688,000

Sold for: $3,428,000

Sold on: Oct. 3

Days on market in this listing: 57

Listing agent: Shafik Ladha PREC and Winnie Chen at ReMax Westcoast

Buyers agent: Sam Chen PREC and Benny Wong at Nu Stream Realty

The big sell: This 2021 custom-built residence sits on a 6,600-square-foot corner lot in Richmond’s Riverdale district within walking distance to parks, schools and shopping. It showcases premium materials and craftsmanship with a pillared entryway, soaring 16-foot-high ceilings complemented by double-height windows, an Italian marble-clad fireplace, a chef’s kitchen with integrated premium appliances including a wine fridge, marble countertops, and a well-equipped wok kitchen, a luxury media room, and bi-fold doors that open to a covered patio complete with an outdoor kitchen, and an adjacent putting green. The attention to detail continues upstairs with skylights, and four ensuited bedrooms including a primary bedroom with a sundeck, and a spa-like ensuite bathroom with a steam/rain shower. A legal one-bedroom suite, and a three-car garage with an electric vehicle plug-in complete the picture.

473 Carlsen Pl., Port Moody

Type: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse

Size: 1,790 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $920,000

Listed for: $895,000

Sold for: $885,000

Sold on: Nov. 7

Days on market in this listing: 15

Listing agent: Ali Kaywan PREC at Oakwyn Realty

Buyers agent: Caylee Gaylard and Adam Chahl PREC at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: This renovated townhome is located in Port Moody’s North Shore district and forms part of the city’s Eagle Point complex. Built in 1979, the townhouse community features an outdoor swimming pool, a sauna/steam room, a garden, and a club house for residents’ use. This three-level home has had new floors, baseboards, windows and doors installed, as well as fresh paintwork with neutral colour tones, and updated bathrooms and kitchen countertops. All three bedrooms are located on the top floor and the listing agent reports that there is the potential to use the recreation room on the ground floor as a fourth bedroom. A single-car garage also resides on the lower floor and owners have the ability to park an additional vehicle in stalls allocated throughout the complex. This unit’s monthly maintenance fee is $561.06, and pets and rentals are permitted.

These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.

Realtors – send your recent sales to nicola@besthomesbc.com

Learn more about the latest mortgage rates and explore our guide to Canada’s lowest national insured and uninsured mortgage rates, updated daily. Related

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