Houseplants expert, buyer and lifestyle visual display artist, Claire Bishop, shares her tips for keeping your houseplants happy.

During the autumn and winter months, houseplants will thrive with minimal watering to keep leaves looking green and glossy. As Claire says, “The most common problem that can go wrong is too much love and too much overwatering. It’s surprising that most of the on-trend plants at the moment thrive upon minimal care.”

Here’s some quick-fire tips on how to keep your houseplants happy.

Hydroponics

• Replace the water every two to four
• If possible, use rainwater or bottled
• Spray feed the leaves for a nutrient
• Most plants can be grown in water — as long as the base leaf is kept above the water line. Clusia are great, as are Monstera and Spathyphyllum.

Succulents

• Position in a bright spot away from direct
• Water very sparingly when the compost feels
• Misting with a spray is the easiest way to water

All houseplants require a little clean to keep them looking their best. Claire recommends, “Simply wiping the leaves with a damp cloth is plenty. This is not just to keep them looking fabulous, removing the dust also ensures good health.”

Bromeliads

• Stunning long-lasting flowers that add an exotic
• Water at the base of the flower
• Make sure the roots don’t sit in
• After flowering, Bromeliads will produce new plants called

Terrariums

• Position away from direct
• Sealed terrariums are self-nourishing and easy to care for.
• To grow succulents and cacti, choose an open

Calatheas

• Position in medium or low light.
• Keep soil damp and mist leaves
• Trim brown leaves to encourage new

All is not lost when plants start to wilt. Think of these signs of decay as opportunities to improve the next round of growth. “Take off any foliage that is yellowing and trim damaged leaves of larger plants with sharp scissors at the same time.”

Bonsai

• Position in a bright spot away from
• Water often — mostly just whenever soil starts to dry
• Prune regularly to maintain shape.

Caring for houseplants really is easy when you know how. Simply be sure to keep an eye on light levels in the darker winter months as some plants may need a little bit more TLC than others. Take it from the expert, “Too much light and draughts can affect plants. Placing them directly on a windowsill is a good plan — you can open and close the window to control those heavy breezes and sun rays. And they can quickly recover if you reposition them.

“Your houseplants will breathe life into your home and give a little bit of brightness when the weather starts to darken. Take advantage of my tips to make the most of your home.”

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