“Think spring” with indoor blooms and green

March, with its warm, sunny spells and continuing cold, gray, wintery, weather, actually brings some plants into bloom.

Very early spring bulbs, witch hazel and hellebores will bloom this month as forerunners of the gardening season to come.

One early bloomer that is in full flower now is the primrose, or primula. A bright, cheery plant, its colorful blooms can be found in many of our garden centers in March. Primulas sport bright, green almost lettuce-like leaves and the flowers bloom on stalks that arise from the center of the plant. Fairy primrose produce white, pink, or purple mini-blooms while other varieties have larger flowers in red, yellow, purple, pink, etc., with contrasting throat colors.

Care of the primrose in your home is relatively easy. They prefer to be located out of direct sunlight as they like indirect light and cooler temperatures. Water your primula as needed and do not allow it to dry out. Every two weeks, give the plant water-soluble fertilizer and pinch off any spent blooms.

With primrose to brighten your home this month, how about adding houseplants that can also make it healthier? Easily obtainable at many garden centers or nurseries, purple heart plant, English ivy and asparagus fern have the natural ability to remove VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the air in the home. VOCs are toxic substances that are released from chemicals in paints, carpets, furniture coatings and even tap water. They have been shown to aggravate allergies and asthma symptoms, and can increase the risk of cancer in humans. The three VOC combaters, English ivy, asparagus fern and purple heart plant, are attractive as houseplants and very easy to care for.

Purple heart plant (Tradescantia pallida) is a sprawling, long-jointed plant with long, pointed leaves. The stems and upper leaf surface are deep purple in color. It produces small, pink flowers in summer but they are only open in the morning. This plant likes full sun and plenty of moisture. It can be grown as a hanging plant and its stems will flow over the sides of hanging baskets or pots.

English ivy (Hedera helix) is often used outside as a groundcover but it can also be grown as a houseplant in containers. It is a very hardy plant and requires little special care. Watering as needed and indirect light are fine with a treatment of fertilizer in the spring. This ivy can be cut back if it over-grows and it can be trained on a topiary frame if desired. There are a number of types of English ivy including, ones with variegated leaf colors, chartreuse leaves, various leaf shapes, and “crinkled” edged leaves.

Asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus) is a light, feathery plant that produces both flowers and berries. The asparagus fern is actually not a fern but it is of the plant family “angiosperm.” In the home, this plant prefers indirect light and moist soil. It needs a treatment of fertilizer in the spring and old growth removed to make way for new stem growth. It can be re-potted as it increases in size.

From the bright and colorful primrose to the air-cleansing, attractive purple heart plant, English ivy, and asparagus fern, adding a few houseplants to your home this month can have some very positive benefits.

Not only that, but blooms and green plants now can also keep us positively focused on the warmer weather, sunshine, and “getting back out into the garden” that is yet to come! 

If you have garden questions or tips for other gardeners, send them in to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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