Question
Howdy,
I recently moved into an airy, well-lit farmhouse that is screaming for some plant-life.  However, my mom raised me on plastic flowers and microwave meals.  Do you have any recommendations for hearty, easy-to-raise, hard-to-screw-up plants that I could put into my new place?  The house is in New Jersey, if that helps re: temperature.

Answer
Hi Jeff,

The easiest of plants is the ZZ Plant. It can adapt to a wide range of light and it needs water only every 3 to 4 weeks.

Beyond that, your plants would have to be selected according to the available light. Plants must be matched properly with the available light or they doomed to failure.

So you have to decide where you want to locate the plants before I or anyone else can properly advise you as to plant selection.

For example, on a west windowsill. Or 6 feet from a south-facing window. Or right in front of a north-facing window. Note: the direction the window faces and the distance and angle the plant will be relative to that window are the key factors that determine light intensity.

Once I have that information, plus whether you are seeking tall plants or table-sized plants or hanging plants, then I will be able to help you select appropriate plants. But even then, the plants will not take care of themselves and you will need some additional care instructions, which I can provide.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my web site at www.HorticulturalHelp.com


If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to get a better understanding of the plant locations.