W
HEALTHY ARRANGEMENT Houseplants like (from left) spathiphyllum, rabbit’s foot fern, pothos, and African violet clean the air, pumping out oxygen and moisture.
WHEN WINTER’S SHORTENED daylight threatens to get me down, I turn to my indoor
gardens for a lift. The sunporch of my New
Jersey home becomes a tropical getaway in
January; the bromeliads, flowering maple,
bird of paradise, camellia, and Boston fern
are leafy reminders that spring will soon
return. Small plants like hoya, prayer plant,
and mistletoe fig in the kitchen window
thrive in the humidity that rises from the
sink. An assortment of moisture-loving ferns
have found happy homes in the bathroom.
Lately it seems that everyone who can
is growing vegetables outdoors. But what
to do when the growing season draws to a
close and you’ve plucked the last butternut
squash from the backyard patch or community garden? Bring your enthusiasm indoors!
Likewise, apartment and condo dwellers
should make a preemptive strike against the
gray days ahead by devising a green space
they can enjoy all year-round. You might not
get the same cardio workout you would from
digging, planting, and weeding outdoors, but
all aspects of gardening pay unique benefits.
Tending plants soothes our souls, lowers
blood pressure, and may even extend life.
Wonderfully convenient, indoor gardens
can be as ambitious or (CONTINUED ON PAGE 71)
