Cut flowers and houseplants are easy and cheap ways to bring a bit of nature inside your home (or office). They brighten the room up, often smell delicious and, in the case of houseplants, freshen the air in a room. However, you will need to care for houseplants and for cut flowers to get the most out of them.

Obviously, the two things need different care. The houseplant is alive and growing, while the cut flowers are dead - even though they don't really look it.

Cut flowers only have a limited shelf life. However, you can make them last longer with a few simple techniques:

* If you're picking the flowers from your own garden, pick them early in the day before they lose much of their moisture. They will also retain a lot of their volatile (scented) oils if picked at this time of day. The best time to pick them is before the dew has evaporated.

* Once again, if you pick your own flowers, choose those that are fully open in the case of single blooms on a stem. If a flower has several blooms per stem, then choose one with some buds still closed and the majority open - the closed ones will open in the vase.

* Whether you have picked your own or whether you are using a bought bouquet, get the flowers into water as soon as you can. The end of the stem seals itself off after a while, so unless you have put the flower directly from the garden into the vase, you will need to snip off the bottom end of the stem - not too much. Harder stems can be crushed lightly - classic home advice writer Shirley Conran recommends striking rose stems with a hammer. Also get rid of any leaves that will be underwater, as they will break down and taint the water (and stink).

* Once you have arranged the flowers to your liking, add a flower preservative to the water. You can use a bought preservative, or make your own from 1 t sugar, 1 t ordinary chlorine bleach and 2 t lemon juice in 1 litre of water.

* Change the water frequently - daily if possible - and keep the arrangement away from fruits that give off ethylene, especially bananas.

For houseplants, you will need to make sure that it has enough sunshine (but not too much - some, such as ferns, can be harmed by too much direct sunlight) and enough water. You will also need to fertilise it from time to time. To do this, use a liquid fertiliser, a slow-release fertiliser (these look like little balls) or fertiliser spikes. You could try making your own liquid fertiliser from seaweed and/or compost, but this can be a bit smelly for indoors. Some plants need more water and fertiliser; others, such as cacti, need a lot less.

Check your houseplants for pests such as mites, aphids and thrips. You may need to spray against these - a pyrethrum spray is the best solution, as it is organic but is very effective. Don't use flyspray - use a proper plant spray.

Periodically, your houseplant will need repotting so that its roots have room to grow. Most plants will not be very happy if they are pot-bound and the roots are cramped - but some plants won't flower unless they are pot-bound, so ask when you buy your plant.

To repot a houseplant, you will need to transfer it into a new container that, obviously, is larger than the original. After you have chosen a suitable new pot, put it in its water-saucer and put a bit of potting mix into the bottom. Some potting mix contains some slow-release fertilizer capsules. If yours doesn't, add some. Water the plant. This serves two purposes - it minimises the amount of water loss the plant will suffer while being transferred, and it will also provide lubrication for getting the plant out of the old pot. Let the water soak in thoroughly. Then, holding the plant very carefully, hold it pointing slightly downwards (on an angle) and tap the bottom of the pot. Squeeze the sides if necessary and shake the pot slightly until the plant - roots, dirt and all - slithers out. Put it into the new pot as soon as possible and fill up the gaps with potting mix. Then water the plant and put it in its new location.

As we all learned in school, pot plants grow towards the light. This can give them a very lopsided appearance that has been the clue in many a child's detective story. To prevent this happening, rotate the plant weekly or ask your regulsr domestic cleaning lady to do that for you when she visit you.