Seven houseplants to brighten your home on grey days

Homes in need of a pick-me-up during the dark and dull days of winter may just benefit from a little bit of greenery.

This is why the gardening experts at GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have revealed seven striking and beautiful indoor plants for homeowners to help brighten up spaces over the darker months.

With beautiful blooms and air purifying qualities, houseplants are a great way to quickly brighten up a room over some of the shortest days and darkest nights.

The Chinese Evergreen plant is one of the most popular choices for dimly lit rooms as it thrives in the shade, and Peace Lilies are also a great option for darker spots in the house.

Most houseplants bring beautiful shades of green to a room, but the Bird of Paradise will literally brighten up a room instantly with its orange beak-shaped flowers.

A spokesperson for Garden Buildings Direct said: “Homeowners often choose indoor plants as a quick and easy way to brighten up rooms during the darker winter months.

“Lots of houseplants are easy to care for and provide a beautiful bloom to all areas of your home, and there are some great options for those spots in your house which don’t receive much sunlight – for example, Peace Lilies favour darker conditions and Spiderwort grows well in the shade provided it has enough water.

“And if you’re looking for a houseplant which will instantly brighten up the space, a Bird of Paradise or an Orchid are great options, with their strong colours and tall stems.

“Anthurium plants are one of the most long-lasting indoor flowers, and provide a exotic red bloom. For wonderful shades of green in your home, try hanging Ivy.

“Any kind of houseplant is a great way to help purify the air, which is especially ideal for winter months. Indoor plants and flowers bring a beautiful bloom into all areas of your home, even those which the sun rarely reaches, which will truly help to brighten up even the dullest of days.”

Garden Buildings Direct’s best indoor plants to brighten the home:

1. Anthurium
Anthurium plants are best known for being one of the longest-blooming houseplants. Its red bloom and waxy leaves last up to eight weeks with new flowers forming often. This exotic plant thrives in a warm environment, so is perfect for a flower feature in the bathroom with watering only needed every fortnight. Anthurium plants can be toxic if consumed so it’s best to put them out of the way of children or pets.

2. Orchid
An orchid is a great way to brighten up any room and will give a tropical feel to the space, the most common colour is purple but there are lots of other varieties to pick from. This plant is perfect for colder months as they prefer indirect sunlight and are easy to take care of. Orchids do need regular watering once a week, but the roots should be kept green which indicates an ideal amount of water.

3. Peace Lily
A Peace Lily is a common plant for darker rooms since they love the shade and often bloom beautifully during low-light conditions. The Peace Lily is ideal for those wanting some tranquillity in their homes during the grey days, and this flower is also known for purifying the air inside the home.

4. Bird of Paradise
A Bird of Paradise plant is a perfect choice to brighten up a room instantly. With a tropical bloom, a Bird of Paradise will give a burst of colour for any household. Its beak-shaped flowers are best placed in an area which gets direct sunlight over the colder months to keep the orange, yellow and blue flowers blooming on dull-looking days.

5. Spiderwort
A Spiderwort is a popular choice for homeowners wanting to brighten up the space. It is a trailing plant so is ideally placed in hanging baskets and will bring a variety of greens, whites and purples to brighten up some of the darkest of days. Spiderwort thrives in a medium to well lit sun spot, but will bloom equally well in partial shade so long as the soil is kept moist and well-drained.

6. Ivy
Ivy is a great climbing plant which thrives in a cool room, and is easy to care for especially over the winter as it only needs watering every fortnight. Ivy plants come in several different green shades and grow quickly – so it’s a good idea to snip off trailers to keep the plant compact. However for pet owners, it’s best to avoid Ivy plants as they can be toxic for animals.

7. Chinese Evergreen
The Chinese Evergreen is arguably the best houseplant for dark days and dimly lit rooms as it will bloom well in the shade and needs to be placed away from direct sunlight. Choose a darker green Chinese Evergreen for spots with little sunlight. This plant is also a great choice for bedrooms and offices as it is known to be a good air purifier.