Tropical gardening is truly an addictive passion.
One moment you have a tiny Palm Tree in your living room, and the next time you look, your living room has suddenly become a jungle.
Much can be said for this though.
Not only are plants great decorative items, but some plants actually clean the air of impuritites.
Plants can also be a great way to decorate.
I won’t say a cheap way though!
Taking cuttings and starting seeds of houseplants is a great way to increase your collection at a minimal cost, and I have found that most tropical plants are rather fast growing.
Selling the cuttings is another great way to continue to increase the money you have to spend on new plant additions.
So, you may ask, what are some good starter plants?
Most Philodendrons make excellent, easy-to-care for houseplants.
Not only do they come in a typical green, but there are variegated forms too.
My favorite Philodendron is call “Neon Pink,” it is burgandy with a pink swirl in it.
Another favorite of mine is the “Pink Princess,” which has a green leaf swirled with pink.
My Bird-Of-Paradise has done excellent for the past two years, even when I overwintered it indoors.
Cactus is another great choice, not only do they come in all shapes and sizes, but they can withstand lots of neglect, and will still flower.
Although I don’t think of Cactus as “tropical,” many of them actually are.
Changing some of our common light bulbs into grow bulbs is an excellent way to provide our houseplants with plenty of proper lighting, and of course, most houseplants benefit from being outdoors in the summer, although additional watering is required due to increased heat.
Gradual introduction of houseplants to sunlight should be done, otherwise your plants will burn.
I get such a joy out of shopping around for “new” plants and growing seeds of plants that are not common to this area, that I am sure that you too will find that once you try a few tropical plants, you will find yourself addicted to them.
