There is a small, flowering plant to choose from for every season of the year. Aim to grow a few different varieties that flower at different times so that you can keep the display going for as long as possible. Starting in the fall, there are the delightful Cyclamen persicum cultivars that come in a variety of soft colors.
These small cyclamen are really much more charming than their larger cousins, and they often have attractive silver-green leaves. In spring, there are a large number of bulbs and primulas to choose from, followed by geraniums, miniature roses, and marguerites in summer.
Small flowering plants usually look best if they are displayed together, rather than randomly spacing them around the room. When growing several plants together in one pot, make sure you buy enough plants to fill it entirely — you may need three or four to create a really full display. A favorite place to show off houseplants is on the kitchen windowsill, where a row of three or four identical pots or ceramic pitchers can make a real feature filled with small flowering plants, such its cyclamen, in harmonizing colors.
“Bulbs are very easy to grow indoors and usually flower several weeks earlier than they would outside. Buy bulbs as soon as you see them at the garden center; when they are at their freshest, and plant them, immediately.”
Flowering plants make popular gifts and marry will flower for long periods of time. Choose from African violets (Saintpaulia), which are available all year round in many colors, and kalanchoes, with their abundant star-like flowers that flower nonstop throughout the year. Cineraria (Pericallis hybrida) is a pretty plant to give as a gift, with its mass of daisy like flowers covering the bright green, heart-shaped leaves. However, these plants should carry a warning, as they won’t survive in an overheated room and will also soon wilt and die if left on a hot windowsill.