"Top Houseplants for Everyone: Boost Your Serotonin and Lower Heart Rate, According to Research!"

WHILE your outside space is resting under snow and frost, there’s another way to soothe your gardening soul.

Monday marks National Houseplant Week, and just as outdoor make us happy and boost serotonin, so do their indoor cousins.

Expert Tony Le-Britton, owner of Bedford plant emporium Not Another JungleCredit: Jason Ingram

Expert Tony Le-Britton, owner of Bedford plant emporium Not Another Jungle, told me: “Houseplants give you a true sense of satisfaction and the vibrant colours make you feel good, especially during the when you might not be in the garden.

“It’s backed by that they lower heart rate, they’re calming to have around, they make you more productive.”

Tony, an author and collector of some of the world’s rarest plants, shares his picks for beginners to experts.

BEGINNER

Anthurium royal zizou: It looks like a peace lily and has big, thick, juicy roots, so if you forget to water it, it’s absolutely fine. It has robust, thick, waxy leaves, but it’s very compact.

The flowers emerge as a cool-toned purple and as they age they fade to a pink.

It’s fairly low-light tolerant and flowers for months at a time, twice a year — but even if it’s not flowering it looks lovely.

CONFIDENT

Maranta ‘Lemon Lime’: With really striking foliage it is easy-care but not forgiving in very low light. But it has a slightly erratic, fun growth habit — some of it wants to grow up, some down.

But it’s the leaves you grow it for — they’re really striking, acidic, vibrant green and yellow stripes.

Then if it’s happy, you’ll be rewarded with purple and white flowers as well.

It wants to sit in front of the window, with a little bit of direct sun if you can, and also let it dry out between watering.

EXPERT

Begonia Dolce Vita: A relatively new variety that needs high humidity, so put it in a terrarium. It’s a Rex begonia and has a stunning leaf pattern, and a metallic blue shift under light.

I grow mine in a terrarium, or propagation boxes — but make sure there’s plenty of light — and that it dries out between watering.

lTony’s Not Another Jungle will open at Battersea Park Station in on January 31.

OR TRY INDOOR OUTDOOR PLANTS

Many plants can be used inside and out nowCredit: Dibleys

LOTS of plants can be used inside and out now, because the climate is milder. Keep them in pots outside in then bring inside, or take cuttings for winter.

TRADESCANTIA NANOUK: I’d always recommend taking a couple of cuttings and putting them inside so you’ve got a back-up in a really cold spell.

COLEUS ‘MRS PILKINGTON’: Used a lot as bedding plants but they make fantastic houseplants – for winter, take a few stem cuttings and stick them in soil. They root really easily, so you can just start off your own again and then put them out again in summer. Only a few quid for a plug, so very affordable.

MAIDENHAIR FERN: Really easy outdoors and you can leave it out over winter in a sheltered spot. It will lose its leaves and come back in the . Likes limited direct sun, and keep it well watered. Give it loads of light, and keep it damp.

CROTON PETRA: One of the only leafy indoor plants that can take a real hammering of sun. Put it in a bright window, and the colour will get more intense. They do well outside in summer, creating a spectacular feature.

Just as outdoor plants make us happy and boost serotonin, so do their indoor cousinsCredit: Getty