Houseplant of the Month: April

Houseplants: like the perfect man... long lasting, great looking and low maintenance.  

What is not to love?  

Which is why the Flower Council of Holland have launched their Houseplant of the Month Campaign throughout 2015.  Each month they have chosen their favourite Houseplant and given a ton of information on the history and uses of the plant, how to choose a nice healthy one, and how to take proper good care of it.

We thought we'd do you all a favour and follow their lead, condensing the info in our own monthly feature.  

In the forth part of our series...

April: Ivy

This month it’s a gud’un.  You might recognise it from the outside of all the houses you dream about living in when you grow up, from its A Midsomer Night’s Dream foresty associations, or from much of our garlanding if you’ve been paying close attention...

Ivy is more commonly known as an outdoor climbing plant, but also makes an excellent indoor pal.  

Word is, it has super detoxifying powers, absorbing harmful substances in the air and replacing them with good old oxygen.  

Definitely one for the office then…

Ivy comes in many different varieties of leaf size, shape and colour from green to white to gold.  Probably the most classic ivy is the ‘Gloire de Marengo’, with its large leaves and creamy white leaf edges adorning much of Christmas.

Keep ivy in a light but cool spot, out of direct sunlight.  Apparently, the lighter the leaf colour, the more light it needs, the darker, the less light it requires.  So keep an eye out for what your plant is trying to tell you.

Water regularly and give her an occasional spray of lukewarm water and maybe even some plant food if you are feeling generous.  You’d also do well to pull off any old or sad leaves when necessary. 

According to the Flower Council of Holland, the current trend is to use the ivy in a natural way as a hanging plant in a rough wooden planter, or in a shiny copper coloured pot.  
So there you go, lead the pack...