On May 13th 2025, Susie of Windowsill Plants, Market Harborough gave a very informal presentation without audio or visual equipment, using ‘only’ her plants and infectious enthusiasm to give a very entertaining and amusing talk. The evening was full of useful hints and tips on how to care for houseplants and to ensure they flourish.
Firstly, she recommended we consider the natural light in our home and where possible to match the location of the houseplants with the specific light requirements of the plant variety. Does the aspect get morning light (ideal), is it south facing (sometimes troublesome), does it face west ( plants may overheat) or is it north facing? She suggested looking at hedges, walls, curtains etc as they may create sufficient shade to reduce the affect of the strong afternoon sun.
The second tip was to match the houseplants to our specific home i.e. cacti and succulents are ideal for a warm sunny spot as this reflects their natural habitat. Some houseplants, for instance the snake plant, love bright hot conditions but can also tolerate shade. Calathea’s originate from rain forest areas and therefore their thin leaves have not developed to store water. The leaves have no buffer to soak up the sun and the leaves are easily scorched. These plants are best kept away from harsh direct light. Peace Lilies are often recommended for bright light areas but will also tolerate low light. Aspidistras thrive in partial shade by may also tolerate some sun.
Her motto was simply to try and find out what works best for the houseplants in your home.
Sometimes trial and error is needed and if a houseplant looks ‘unhappy’ then try and move it to a new position for a few weeks to see if it improves. She also advocated grouping plants together as they seem to thrive better in groups!
Next she moved on to watering or ‘overwatering’ houseplants. Too much water causes the roots to rot and the soil to loose it’s structure. She recommended a good soak from the bottom up every 2 to 3 weeks rather than watering little and often and not to let a plant stand in water for long periods of time. Houseplants will adapt to being underwatered but not to being overwatered. Her motto was volume not frequency!
She also stressed the importance of using houseplant compost when repotting as this helps to improve drainage for houseplants compared to general purpose compost.
There followed a Q & A session discussing the relevance of misting (it may be more for your enjoyment than the actual needs of the plant!) and feeding (yes in the growing season). Baby Bio is ideal but to follow the instructions on the bottle carefully.
Susie’s love of houseplants was obvious throughout her talk and the informative Q & A session that followed. It was apparent that she is keen to spread the word that houseplants can bring so much joy and for everyone to love houseplants as much as she does!
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