TOLEDO MAGAZINE

Indoor plants can make winter blues bloom into joy

An African violet blooms at Hirzel Brothers Greenhouse in Toledo.

The needle on the colorometer tilts toward Low in midwinter when wardrobes tend to black and gray, landscapes are bleachy, and intake of Vitamin D from sunshine is paltry.

Calendars claim winter has another 64 days, until the vernal equinox on March 20. Unofficially, winter ends later, be it the moment we spot the first yellow daffodil or hopping robin, or the first day we’re emboldened to don a spring jacket.

Until then, there’s psychic sustenance to be found in flowering indoor plants which usually require little more than a sunny window (or a grow light) and weekly watering. For many of them, blooming time can be altered by affecting one or more of their growth factors: the amount of light, water, fertilizer, and the temperature.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here for more blooms

You might still have a red poinsettia in reasonable shape, but potted plants usually hold their flowers for a month or longer, and they’re encouraged to bloom by the lengthening daylight.

African violets are the most common houseplant, with a palette ranging from deep purple and blue to yellow, pink, and white. Some petals sparkle when held in just the right light. Some are fringed and frilly. Their finely haired, oval/round leaves don’t like to get wet, and they’re best watered from below. Many cities (not Toledo) have clubs affiliated with the African Violet Society of America, Inc., which has an informative Web site (avsa.org).

What we call Christmas cactus, with segmented stems ending in trumpet-like flowers, may also blossom at Thanksgiving or Easter, depending on temperament or variety.

People who planted amaryllis bulbs in early December have been watching their thick stems grow almost an inch a day (making it a great plant for kids) and explode at the top with fat red, white, or pink-streaked blooms. Paperwhite bulbs, also called narcissus, bloom in as little as three weeks after being set in a bowl of gravel or marbles with water. Both are just-add-water plants.

Rising out of long, strappy leaves, orchid stems often bear stunning blooms in midwinter.

Flowers of the cyclamen, originally grown in the Mediterranean region, can be white, pink, or purple.

The tiny flowers of kalanchoe form clusters of pink, yellow, orange, or white. In China, people buy them for Chinese New Year.

Even geraniums potted up and brought inside in the fall may be blooming now.

Plants shown here were photographed at Hirzel Brothers Greenhouse on East Broadway Street in East Toledo.

Contact Tahree Lane at 419-724-6075 and tlane@theblade.com.