Rooms in bloom: A full-fledged greenhouse room or just a few pots on a windowsill can bring the outdoors in - indoor gardening

Sunset, Jan, 2002 by Kathleen N. Brenzel

Nineteenth-century naturalist Burroughs's secret for finding tranquility in a stressful world is familiar to anyone who loves gardens--places where flowers bloom, water trickles softly in a fountain, and the scent of jasmine or roses wafts in the air. * But how can you enjoy a garden in this month of cold weather, rain, or snow? Bring it indoors. You can add a sunroom or conservatory to your house to create a warm, sunny place for plants and people, or turn a family room or a sunny nook off the kitchen into a garden room with a few carefully chosen plants, furnishings, and accessories. A bay window or porch can be converted into a bit of Eden, too, with a scattering of bright floral-patterned pillows and a few blooming plants or a tabletop fountain and a collection of birdhouses. * Even in coastal Southern California, where mild winters make it possible to garden outdoors nearly year-round, it's nice to have a room where orchids and other frost-tender plants are always happy and where you can relax and putter on rainy days. * Here and on the following pages, we look at ways to bring the pleasures of a garden indoors.

What garden rooms need

The best environments for keeping plants happy indoors--and avoiding damage to a home's interior--have the following elements.

* Light. To thrive, most indoor plants need at least some natural light. Blooming plants such as orchids and kalanchoe need more light than palms. Some indoor gardeners add windows to brighten a room; an alternative is a prefab greenhouse window over the kitchen sink.

* Good orientation to the sun. South-facing windows provide the best light for most plants. East-facing windows make the most of morning light, provided that it's not shaded by trees. A western exposure gives enough light for most plants, but hot afternoon sun can burn foliage. North-facing windows are good only for plants that take low light.

* Screening. To protect plants from intense sunlight, especially from west-facing windows, put up bamboo blinds or translucent curtains.

* Comfortable temperatures. Like people, most houseplants thrive with average indoor temperatures--about 68[degrees] to 72[degrees] during the day and no lower than 55[degrees] at night. Some plants--notably dwarf citrus, cyclamen, cymbidium, and miniature roses--like it cooler, as low as 60[degrees] during the day and 50[degrees] to 55[degrees] at night. Display all plants out of drafts and away from fireplaces and heater vents.

* Humidity. Dry heat, common in most houses during the winter, is fine for cactus and succulents, but it's tough on tropicals such as African violets, bromeliads, and orchids. To raise humidity levels around these plants, fill wide saucers with pebbles or decorative glass, add water, then set the pots atop the pebbles. Mist plants every other day with a fine spray of tepid water.

* Waterproof flooring or other moisture protectors. Brick, tile, and linoleum best withstand water spills and moisture. Hardwood flooring is fine for garden rooms as long as pots and saucers (which can transfer moisture to the wood) do not contact the floor directly. Put cork pads underneath saucers or slip terra-cotta or iron feet beneath pots and saucers to lift them off the floor.

One room, two looks

A visit to antiques warehouses, import stores, home and garden centers, and nurseries can inspire your garden room's decor. Here, we show two different looks--one rustic country and the other softly romantic--for the same space. Gather furnishings and collectibles whose colors and styles blend together well.

Rustic workroom

Weathered country furnishings fill this garden room--just the right spot for ordering plants and seeds and planning the year's outdoor garden. An antique wood cabinet holds garden books and colorful glazed pottery. Other elements that add to the room's garden appeal include:

* Potted plants. Maidenhair ferns, crotons, and ivy spilling from an antique metal wall fountain thrive in the room's soft natural light. For details about the grass pot behind the table and the large mixed planting near the window, see pages 51 and 53, respectively.

* Colorful seat cushion. The cushion cover pictured is made from two bright sunflower-motif napkins stitched together.

* Garden art. Citrus box labels in green frames brighten the wall behind the birch-bark birdhouse.

SOURCES: Furnishings from J Hill Country, San Francisco (415/522-1190); sunflower napkins from Les Alpilles de Provence, Balboa Island, CA (949/673-0719 or www.lesalpilles-provence.com).

Romantic retreat

This cozy corner has a light, breezy style that brings to mind lazy days on a rose-covered veranda. Natural wicker furnishings and soft pastel colors set the tone. A bird cage holds a small potted fern. Other easy-to-find accessories pictured above:

* A steel trellis. Spray-painted blue and mounted to the wall, it recalls the shape of a garden gate.

* Floral-patterned covers. To decorate the chair cushions, the covers were cut and hemmed from standard pillowcases.