Indoor Blooms in the Middle of Winter

When the weather outside is frightful, these indoor flowers are so delightful

Hi GPODers !

A few weeks ago I shared some photograph I carry after various snow storms here in Connecticut ( A Snow Day in Connecticut ) . Though I can always find the smasher in the pared down landscape and icy patterns created in the coke , I do need a dose of colour to get me through the long winter months . This is where I turn to indoor plants . Some of those include wintertime - bloom classics like amaryllis , Cyclamen purpurascens , and poinsettia , but there are some cacti that have surprise me with their burnished blooms ( and no — they are not Christmas , Thanksgiving OR Easter cactus ) . Before we welcome spring with open arms , and my indoor plant live their inevitable spring and summer negligence , I wanted to sing the praises of some of my favorite houseplant flush from this winter .

The first flower is a pretty pinkish edition of a winter classic : the amaryllis . This flora was given to me as a gift this year , and sacrifice a succession of seriously outstanding rosiness with minimum water and a ardent post in a sunny window .

‘ Sweet Nymph ’ amaryllis ( Hippeastrum‘Sweet Nymph ’ , Zones 8–10 or as a houseplant ) has amply twofold blooming with watermelon pink and white petals that have gorgeous veining . Each new flower is wholly alone in its food colouring and patterns , making every bud opening an exciting experience .

I will be attempt to put this bulb into quiescency and store her through the summer and fall to get more blooms next winter ( If you have an amaryllis you ’d care to do the same with , you’re able to learn how that is done here : An Amaryllis Encore ) . If I ’m successful , I ’ll document the process and hopefully have Modern flowers to share with you next twelvemonth !

But on to the slimly more unexpected ! This thimble cactus ( Mammillaria vetula , Zones 9–11 or as a houseplant ) almost did n’t live on 2023 , but a recoil of growth and even some flowers has encouraged me that it is n’t sentence to give up yet .

This cactus does not traditionally flower in the winter , but anyone who grow anthesis houseplant knows you have a act more control condition over your blossom than you might have outside . This is particularly low - drive when it comes to cacti , as you demand to neglect these industrial plant to rush flowering . Cacti demand a season of dormancy to produce flowers , meaning exposure to come cooler temperature , less short , and even less watering than their normal schedule . The earlier you startle this dormancy , the earlier they will flower . I keep my cactus in a windowsill and often precipitate off of my watering docket , so quiescence is usually induced unintentionally .

The other cactus that produced optic - catching flowers this winter is another pincushion cactus related to the tiny thimble variety above . Mammillaria haageana(Zones 9–11 or as a houseplant ) is striking all year - round of golf with its unique , dark brown to inglorious spines criss crossing around the flurry of smaller , shining white radial spines .

But it really shines when it protrude forming its crest of lustrous pinkish flowers . This exposure was take on on February 17th …

And it absolutely explode with blooms just a week after on February 26th !

These flowers are very tiny , but they ’re shiny and offer an encouraging dose of promising color before the first flowers start come forth outside . I may not have intentionally induced these blooms , but happy accident can be some of the best dirty money in horticulture !

I hope you savour this protection to a few of the indoor plants that kept the growing season going for me indoors . I have n’t sung the praises of my houseplant collection in a while , so let me know if you ’re interested in seeing more .

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