It’s a time of year when plant shops seem to be flooded with many of my favourite old-school Victorian houseplants, which these days are thought of – paradoxically, thanks to the widespread adoption of central heating – as incredibly tricky to grow. As so many of these cool-climate species look incredibly exotic, we tend to assume that their decline soon after we get them home is down to our own failure to spoil them with the steamy jungle conditions we are convinced they must require.
I think it’s reassuring to know that the reality is usually the exact opposite. With the current energy crisis causing many of us to consider reducing how many rooms we heat, and the temperature across our homes generally being lowered to a level that’s decidedly chillier, some of these species could really start to come into their own.
