Although conservatories nowadays are often used as dining rooms or extra sitting rooms, their original use as to show off exotic flowers which could not be grown outside. Many people don’t have any plants in their conservatories these days, which is a shame, because they make the room much more natural-looking and of course do really well, with the good light from almost every side and a warmer than average temperature. The main trick is to buy specifically for the conservatory; most garden centres make it clear which are suitable in their signage.
Keeping it simple
Most people from time to time have been given orchids, but although they are considered exotic and from hot countries, they don’t thrive in conservatories as they are often too hot and dry. An easy choice is cactus but be careful when buying as some can have very vicious thorns. A type of succulent called ‘living stones’ are great fun and are perfect for children to grow because they are low-growing, low maintenance and fun because to the casual look the pot seems empty! Their grey-green smooth leaves look like pebbles and go very well with conservatory furniture in natural colours and also with natural rugs. Flatweave rugs in frosty greens look particularly good with a succulent or cactus collection.
A little more tricky
Almost everyone who owns a conservatory has been given or has bought a citrus plant at some point. These look great when you take them home, with glossy leaves and often a reasonable crop of fruit. However, a year on they look a little sad, with one wrinkled lemon hanging on for grim death. If your conservatory gets very hot in the summer the citrus plant would probably benefit from being put outside – if you have it in the nice big terracotta pot it should be in, you can buy little trolleys which look quite elegant and which help you move heavy items. Again, if you don’t use your conservatory in winter, you should think of how your citrus will fare in the cold. If you have shaggy rugs or wool rugs in your conservatory you should keep background heat on anyway, so they don’t get damp and musty.
Let them grow to their natural size
The great thing about growing plants in a conservatory is that, as a rule, you don’t have to stunt their growth if they are happy where they are. In the main rooms of the house you have to keep plants clipped and tidy but in the conservatory you can let them ramble more naturally. You will probably find you get better flowers – and fruit if you have a passionflower or vine – if you are not constantly having to prune and trim. Take care if you let the plants go native that they are not lifting roof panels or damaging brickwork, but otherwise, with some rattan furniture and some natural rugs for décor, you can end up with a really exotic and relaxing room.