The seasonal pot
Each of these lush indoor plants is a beauty on its own, but put them together in a big shallow bowl and you’ve got something special
Create a bowl of lush indoor plants, and find out how to make them last
This elegant arrangement features several indoor darlings, among them pretty peperomias and dangly pothos. They’re planted into premium potting mix in a 45cm-wide shallow bowl. The arrangement will last about a year before some of the plants outgrow the container and need attention. Turn the page for advice on how you can extend your enjoyment of each plant.
HOW TO PLANT
For best results, ensure there are drainage holes in your container. Fill it two-thirds full with premium potting mix, then decide how you want to arrange the plants. Tease out the roots and place the plants where you want them, backfilling as you go. Water in gently with a narrow-nozzled watering can. Place the container indoors in a bright spot or on a sheltered patio in filtered sunlight.
AS IT GETS BIGGER…
When your indoor bowl has become congested with roots and you can’t make out where one plant starts and another finishes, it’s time for a makeover. Here’s what you can do with each plant. Some of them can be easily divided, or you can grow new plants from their leaves or stems, while others need to be moved into their own special pot.
Peperomia
Peperomias don’t mind if they’re a bit pot-bound, and grow happily in the same container for a few years. All you need to do is remove the spent leaves. Give your plant extra humidity by misting regularly. New plants can be grown from either a stem or leaf cutting. The easiest method is to cut a piece of stem that’s long enough to sit in a container of water. A month later, you should see the first signs of new roots.
African mask plant
Remove dead leaves and reduce watering during winter while the plant is mostly dormant. Over time, your dwarf alocasia will produce many offshoots and become crowded. These can be divided in spring. Lift out the mother plant, wash the mix off the roots, and gently pull the plants apart.
Pothos
Left to its own devices, this trailing vine will produce a couple of long and lanky stems. To make your plant look more compact and bushy, keep it in a well-lit spot and give it a prune. Cut each long stem just below a leaf node near the top of the plant. For every single stem you prune, two or three new stems should emerge. The cut-off stems can be used to grow new plants. Place cuttings with at least three nodes in a jar of water, keeping any leaves above the waterline.
Once the cutting becomes too big for the container, move it to a hanging basket to show off its cascading foliage.
Chinese money plant
If this plant is starting to look sparse or leggy, move it to a brighter spot and apply liquid fertiliser monthly. If it outgrows its container, replace the original plant with one of the many plantlets that form around the base. These can all be used to create more plants. Lift out the mother plant, cut away the plantlet with a sharp knife, and re-pot straightaway into premium potting mix. Doing this should also stimulate new growth, as will a dose of liquid fertiliser. Pinch off any yellow or brown leaves at the base of the plant to keep it tidy.
Brake fern
Remove old or brown fronds and apply a liquid fertiliser monthly during the growing period, using half the recommended dose to avoid leaf burn. This fern grows from rhizomes, so it can be divided in spring if it has outgrown its location. When dividing the rhizomes, always have a few fronds or buds for each piece or rhizome.
Bird’s nest fern
Fronds grow from a rhizome that usually dies if divided. The only way to grow new plants is with a fiddly process using spores. If the fern is too big for the container, re-pot it into a mix of 50:50 perlite and potting mix. Being an epiphytic fern, it grows better in very open media. Cut off any brown fronds at the base of the fern.