For those who do not have facilities for a garden outdoors, bring your garden indoors. Your patio, verandah, balcony and terrace can vibrate with colour, as most ground plants, ferns and orchids do well indoors, though with some setbacks.

For starters, they need more care than outdoor plants, and you can’t leave them and go off on a holiday. They can also keel over with mysterious diseases. It’s safer to pick plants which will look after themselves.

Among the hardy and decorative evergreens we list Sansevieria - Mother-in-law’s Tongue, coleus, begonia, bougainvillaea, azalea, marigold, Aluminum Plant with long silver streaked leaves, poinsettia, phlox, Sweet William, and anthurium, which like a moist dry atmosphere. Plants like ivy will grow in dark corners, the others need light, and some even direct sunlight.

Long live plants

Remember nothing kills plants more than over watering, and never move pots from shade into direct sunlight.

Don’t let the plant dry out completely, or the root system will get damaged. The art is to catch it before it looks like it needs watering. And when pots are watered, the water should drain out from the bottom, as leaving pots standing in water holders will rot the root.

Lilies are great pot plants and grow from bulbs. Line the bottom of the pot with chips of pottery, add soil, and plant the bulbs close together, keeping the tip above the surface. It takes about six weeks for them to start leafing.

Choose tall, squat, large or small containers, suitable for the plant, and group plants of various shapes, sizes, and textures in one pot. For example, Fucia and Spiky Downers, balanced by a palm — is a striking arrangement.

Unlike houses abroad, we don’t give importance to window boxes, and window sills seem to be a thing of the past in modern construction. But, a window with flowers outside is a beautiful addition. Support a metal planter with brackets screwed into the wall. You can put individual pots inside, or lay the soil directly. Let it settle for ten days. Choose plants that cascade to give that flowing effect. Snap dragons in pink, yellow or crimson, lobelia, white and pink geraniums, pink and blue hydrangeas, petunia in purple and white, verbena in a variety of colours, honey suckle and periwinkle are great for the waterfall of trailing colour display.

Asparagus meyerii or squirrel tail, as it is commonly known, is a distinctive plant, with long bushy foliage. Among the most elegant houseplants, the cylindrical plumes grow in stout clumps and the plants should be placed centrally in containers, to give it space to grow. Allow the water to drain through the soil, and a reasonable drying-out period, before further watering.

Water the windowsill plants thoroughly with a narrow sprouted watering can, so the soil is not dislodged. Feed them with fertilisers from time to time.

House plants

Hanging baskets with a combination of petunia, lobian, begonia, busy lizzie, small ferns and ivy, make a striking difference to your entrance and verandah. Hibiscus comes in vibrant colours and grows well in pots. The hybrid flowers can be almost 6-8” in diameter. They also have nutritive properties. The capsules are used to make soup, and when roasted, make a delicious drink slightly tart in taste. Some varieties are also used for jams and jelly.

African violets make wonderful windowsill houseplants. They require fertile soil and sunshine. The pink and mauve — to dark purple blooms — add colour to your living space. They can be propagated, dividing the roots into several smaller clumps, but do handle it gently, as if untangling hair.

Coleus is easy to grow and has very colourful foliage. It needs plenty of light, but strong sunlight steaming in through glass panes would damage the foliage.

Terrace beauty

If you live in a flat, with no patio or veranda, go up to your terrace. Most buildings have a terrace that can be converted into an idyllic garden, perfect for those hot summer evenings and house parties.

It is important to seek professional advice from the builder about the capacity of the structure to hold additional weight of soil, water, containers and people. Raised beds with bricks can be built as permanent beds, but it is advised to confine to plastic containers, or growing bags when possible. Use lightweight packing cases to form a terrace and built-up beds at different levels, which can be planted with different flowers.

A 8’ x 10’ space can be turned into a gorgeous display of flowers, climbers, shrubs, and you can even have vegetables such as tomato, runner beans, green peas, and herbs.

The terrace is exposed to a lot of wind, and a windbreaker with bamboo trellis, which is lightweight and ideal, should be secured firmly to the wall. The temperature on top is also higher, and plants are exposed to elements and need adequate watering, except in the monsoon.

Small trees need spacious containers, and the container you choose should have adequate drainage. Bottle Brush is decorative and fast growing. The leaves are decorative, and the red plumes of flowers, delicate.

Euphorbia pulcherrima, also known as Christmas Star, loves this tropical climate, as the splash of red and white star shaped flowers lend perchance when used as border plants, blooming profusely in winter. The cut stem secretes a poisonous juice, so remember to wash your hands thoroughly if you come in contact.

Use short growing plants, creepers and ground hugging plants for the terrace. Petunia, geranium, nasturtiums, carnation, hibiscus, cornflower, fuchsia, and short stemmed lilies chosen carefully, will extend a continuous pallet of colour. Trail sweet peas, jasmine and ivy on the windbreaker. 

A lawn on the rooftop is a luxury addition. While the surface must be protected with waterproof layering, a plastic sheet gives additional proofing. Spread about 18”of well nourished soil on which you can put the ready grown lawn or cultivate it, and choose lawn grass, which needs less maintenance.

A water body or a swimming pool is not unusual, but, as mentioned before, be sure of the capacity of the structure to hold this weight. Convert the terrace into a space with mystic aura with light fixtures, roll back awnings, statues and trendy garden furniture.