Don't look down on us houseplant lovers: there’s expertise in the indoor gardening world, too

‘Houseplants are like intensive care patients: they need us in ways that garden plants do not.’ Photograph: Jane Perrone.

Apologies for the lack of a newsletter last Friday - I was down with Covid and trapped in my bedroom feeling like death warmed up. As a result there's a bumper news section below, covering everything from human hair as a substrate additive to 'vegetal eroticism'. 

Just as I was falling prey to the virus, I took part in a recording of a Garden Masterclass with Noel Kingsbury - you can watch the recording here. It was probably the first time I have expressed in public my irritation that indoor gardeners are often looked down upon by those who focus their attention outside. 

Why is that? I suspect some outdoor gardeners just don't 'get' houseplants, and write off the whole indoor gardening world as frivolous and somehow less worthwhile than tending their gardens. I couldn't disagree more. Houseplants pose unique challenges: not least because there are none of the crutches outside growers can rely on. There will be no rainfall, roots cannot quest into new ground in search of water and nutrients, light is severely reduced, and substrates have to be spot on. 

Houseplants are like intensive care patients: they need us in ways that garden plants do not. There is a whole spectrum of knowledge indoor gardeners must grasp in order to succeed with their plants, and much of it is quite distinct from that needed by gardeners: and I would argue, more in-depth.

Perhaps the snobbishness also hides a degree of ageism - houseplants are seen as the domain of that much-maligned demographic, millennials. And yet, when you get deep into the houseplant community as I have, you realise there is an impressively deep reservoir of expertise here, covering everything from the intricacies of setting up vast terrariums and paludariums to the hybridising of aroids and even spare room tissue culture setups. Incredible gardens can happen anywhere, indoors or out. And that's why I love to celebrate everyone who grows houseplants. More power to your elbow.

This blogpost was taken from The Plant Ledger, my twice monthly email newsletter about the houseplant scene. Subscribe here and get my free in-depth guide to fungus gnats.