Easygoing Houseplants

Simple Care
Most houseplants die from overwatering, especially during winter. Generally, they need less moisture this time of year because they are not actively growing. An easy remedy for this problem is a moisture meter, which will tell you when the soil is too dry and your plant needs water.

Feeding is easy. Liquid fertilizers work well because they immediately supply your plants with the nutrients they need. Try Schultz All Purpose Liquid Plant Food 10-15-10. Some plants prefer a liquid fertilizer to a granular, slow-release one, but if you have trouble remembering to feed your plants, use a product such as Osmocote Outdoor & Indoor Slow Release Plant Food 19-6-12. One application can last nine months.

Flamingo Flower (Anthurium hybrids)
Who wouldn't want the bright pink, red, white, or purple blossoms of this plant in their home? Flamingo flower's heart-shaped glossy leaves and waxy blooms are attractive. It loves bright, indirect light and likes to be warm. A bit of humidity is also appreciated, so it works well in bathrooms with bright light. The mist from the shower will give it the moisture it prefers. If you want to place a flamingo flower in another room in your home, add humidity by setting the pot on a plastic tray filled with decorative gravel, or simply water it in the shower, which also keeps the leaves clean. This plant is best fed with a liquid fertilizer.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
If you routinely neglect houseplants, this may be the one you should try first. Its shiny, heart-shaped leaves can be green or marbled with white or yellow patterns. A new selection called 'Neon' has beautiful chartreuse foliage. Pothos is very adaptable and can be used almost anywhere in your home with moderate light. In light that's too low, it may lose some of the color in its leaves. Too bright, and the foliage may burn. Pothos also grows well in supplemental light from lamps and fixtures. It's happy in a hanging basket, where you will like its trailing habit, or growing in a pot on a side table. Pothos can also be trained to grow upright onto a piece of wood.