Turn your gardening eye to inside the house when the weather is gloomy outside

Early January is time to talk about houseplants.

Those of us that lived through the 1970s might be experiencing reruns as living plants are once again filling interiors and public spaces. The mod fern bars might be gone, but the modern replacement of houseplant fever comes in the form of succulent centerpieces and living walls made from indoor plants.

Three reasons why indoor plants are cool again:

Indoor plants remove pollutants

Blame the rise in asthma and awareness of indoor pollutants from plastics, paint and carpet.

Today’s homeowners are using some very specific houseplants to absorb the chemicals that float free in most homes. Office buildings and other commercial spaces also have seen the advantages of clean air courtesy of living plants. I’ll be speaking about houseplants that clean the air and update décor this month at the Tacoma Home and Garden Show, so say hello to sanseveria and spider plant to name a few.

Tending houseplants is good for mental health

The benefits of gardening to improve mental health have been studied for decades, especially in Great Britain where prisons, schools and mental health experts practice horticulture therapy.

Those studies have crossed over to include the tending of indoor plants as a way to help with moderate depression and anxiety. Goal-orientated tasks that show positive results are calming, and you don’t need to tell a gardener that watering, repotting or arranging houseplants has a positive effect on your mood. Especially during the damp, dark days of winter, tending a blooming orchid or African violet is one way to substitute sunshine with colorful petal power.

Contemporary interiors showcase plants

If your home needs an update, you don’t need to redecorate the entire space.

Peek inside the pages of any design magazine or before-and-after TV remodel show, and you’ll see how a tall fiddle leaf fig warms up an empty corner or how a row of pointed sanseverias adds texture to a blank wall.

The trend toward clean lines and texture is why certain houseplants keep popping up in upscale homes. Living plant walls are one of the more decadent interior design splurges, but you don’t need to bolt plant shelves to the wall to enjoy the look of green foliage and blooming flowers in your home. Air plants in tiny, three legged pottery pots make great accents in small spaces, and Echeverias and other plump succulents update any dining room when arranged in a long, low, boxy container as a centerpiece .

So what if you have killed houseplants in the past?

Here are the most asked questions about houseplants, with answers that will keep your little green roommates happy:

Q. I have tried growing houseplants, but they turn yellow and get floppy. I do not have any bright windows so that may be part of the problem. Please suggest some houseplants for dark interiors like mine. — C.S., Tacoma

A. Make peace with your past plant mistakes by growing the Peace Lily or Spathiphyllum. The lush lance shaped leaves do not require much sunlight to stay green, but in a bright room you may be rewarded with white, spathe-like blooms. The tall, single flowers resemble an “I surrender flag” which might be how this winner earned the “Peace” moniker. Keep the soil moist for best results. If you want another option for dark corners, consider the taller growing Corn Plant or Dracaena, “Janet Craig.” Just be sure to let this one dry out between watering. There also are several types of pathos and sanseverias that will survive in rooms with little natural light.

Q. I want a houseplant for my office. Problem is I may not go into the office for weeks at a time and do not trust that anyone will water. Are there any houseplants that can survive a few weeks without water? I should add there is only fluorescent light and that I do not like cactus or sedums. I want something more leafy or tropical. Thanks. — C.W., Kent

A. Two letters: Z and Z. The Zamioculcas zamiifolia is often called the “ZZ Plant,” and it adapts well to fluorescent light and infrequent watering. The foliage looks shiny, so this plant is sometimes mistaken as a plastic imitation of a houseplant, but it is that waxy covering that helps it conserve moisture. For a more tropical look, consider the Ponytail Palm with a bulbous stem that stores water and a wild ponytail of foliage on top, or the more sedate Sago Palm, a drought-resistant member of the Cycad family. Just be sure not to over-water these camels of the plant world. Poke your finger into the soil and only water when the top one inch is dry to the touch. Once every two to three weeks is about right.

Learn from Marianne Binetti

Marianne will appear at the Tacoma Home and Garden Show that runs Jan. 23–26 at the Tacoma Dome. She will speak every day at 2 p.m. except for Saturday when the talk is at 1 p.m. Topics are “Healthy Houseplants Healthy Home: How to grow houseplants in any room including sedums, orchids and African Violets” and “Four Seasons of Color: Creating the year round Landscape.” For discount tickets and more info go to www.tacomagardenshow.com.

This story was originally published January 4, 2020 at 10:00 AM.