No endorsement of products or information at these sites is implied. For many people, the last two weeks in December fill with a dizzy array of gatherings, cooking, wrapping, and unwrapping. But poking about a bit with indoor plants can be relaxing. A tour through a local conservatory, such as the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle or the W.W. Seymour Conservatory in Tacoma's Wright Park will refresh any tired holiday afternoon and also will give you great ideas for house plants and their care. If you're weary of winter and have no tickets to Bali, a trip to the house plant section of a nursery can also brighten your day.
House plants do best with clean leaves.
Place house plants where they can get the most possible daylight. Rare winter sunlight means as much to plants as it does to people. Protect them from drafts, and don't allow foliage to touch windows when the temperature is below freezing. Even double paned windows get too cool for tropical plants. During these winter days, houseplants need less water and less fertilizer, because they will grow very little.