Houseplant heaven

You don’t need a garden to enjoy plants, says the woman who runs one of Britain’s biggest houseplant nurseries

Back in the late 19th century, no middle-class home was complete without houseplants. The Victorians were crazy about them, especially aspidistras, which were tough enough to withstand the low light, air pollution and temperature swings of the typical Victorian dwelling.

Throughout the 20th century houseplants dwindled in popularity, coming to be seen as dowdy and old-fashioned. If you wanted a sleek, modern interior, ferns and Swiss cheese plants didn’t go with the look. All that changed, however, with the huge popularity of the moth orchid, phalaenopsis. Thanks to new, faster propagation techniques these exotic plants became as affordable as a bunch of cut flowers and in the past ten years even the trendiest of loft dwellers have begun using greenery and flowers as part of their decor.

The company that’s done more than any other to popularise houseplants in Britain is Dibleys in north Wales. Winner of 27 gold medals at Chelsea, the nursery specialises in some of the best plants for indoor growing including African violets, coleus (now annoyingly renamed solenostemons), tradescantias, painted leaf begonias and – above all – streptocarpus, or Cape primroses, which Dibleys exports all over Europe.

The nursery was founded in 1976 by biology teacher Rex Dibley. Now 84, Rex is still active in the business, but the dayto- day running has passed to his son Gareth, 53, and daughter Lynne, 51. ‘As children we’d spend the summer holidays going around plant shows in Wales and the west of England, where my dad sold his plants,’ Lynne recalls. ‘We had the chance to explore the showground and talk to all these other nursery people. It was great fun for us kids – like running away to join the circus. I still love going to all the plant shows and meeting up with people I’ve known since I was a child.’

Lynne did an art degree and then returned to work in the family business. ‘Somehow I got drawn back into it,’ she laughs. ‘ I’ve become as obsessive about plants as my dad is. I have them everywhere in the house – it annoys my boyfriend, but I just can’t resist them.’

Her particular passion is for streptocarpus. Native to South Africa, they have masses of deep-throated flowers on long stems and come in a dazzling array of colours. Some varieties will flower for up to ten months and they do well in centrally heated rooms and slight shade. Dibleys sells half a million streptocarpus a year, either by mail order or through garden centres, and Lynne warns, ‘ They’re addictive. Once you have one and it flowers well, you’ll want lots more.’

She believes we’re entering a boom time for houseplants, as homes get smaller and urban dwellers crave more greenery. ‘People are realising that having houseplants creates a healthier environment,’ says Lynne. ‘There are plants for every room in the house, whether hot and sunny or shady and cool. Even if you don’t have a garden you can surround yourself with plants.’

Streptocarpus ‘Harlequin Blue’