Bright ideas
Having embraced the recent fashion for houseplants, I have been surprised at the difference they make to a room.
It is well documented that they bring health benefits by improving air quality and adding to physical and psychological wellbeing.
From a purely aesthetic point of view, they look good – or at least they do when they are thriving.
Mine don’t always thrive and I am at a loss as to why they wither or, in the case of an aspidistra, suddenly drop dead for no apparent reason. So, I am very pleased to have found The Green Indoors by Maddie and Alice Bailey.
Full of gorgeous photography, illustrations, tricks and tips, the book is a godsend for those who fear that where houseplants are concerned, they are the grim reaper. The Bailey sisters also come with good provenance. Born into a family of horticulturalists, they joined their mother in her business, The Fresh Flower Company, before founding Forest, a houseplant store.
They say: “The majority of blogs, houseplant websites and books put watering and light above all other components of houseplant cultivation, but we found that lots of our houseplants were still suffering at home.”
After lots of research, the sisters say that humidity, air flow and temperature also play vital roles in plant survival.
I’ve learned a lot from their book, including the names of some unknown plants that sit on my piano that I can now put a name to.
The Green Indoors by Maddie and Alice Bailey is published by Hardie Grant books, £16.99.