UNTIL it's warm enough to make full use of your garden, terrace or balcony, indoor plants are an option for adding greenery to your life and, indeed, introducing flora to your interior world is an oft-made – and broken – New Year's resolution.
That's because the non-gardeners among us tend to find they can't even keep a plastic one alive.
If it's too cold to sit in the garden, bring the garden indoors (this picture and fourth photo: Ikea)
Most of the time, inability to keep plants flourishing, indoors or outdoors, is purely lack of knowledge about what they need; how much sunlight or shade, how much water, whether they should be in a colder environment or whether they thrive better with the heating on full.
Spanish news and online shopping website 20deCompras, in association with Colvin garden centres, has offered some advice as to what to do if you're not exactly green-fingered, but want to bring a bit of nature into your abode.
For beginners, or those who do not spend much time in their property, it's best to opt for robust varieties that can 'look after themselves', cope with adverse conditions, and do not need too much human intervention, says 20deCompras.
The authors recommend three specific types to start you off, and the bonus is that they are very elegant in the right pot and can add a touch of class to any room.
That said, keep them out of pets' reach. Some plants are poisonous to cats, dogs or both, and cats have a tendency to chew plants to help themselves throw up...and to use the soil as a litter tray.
Bowstring Hemp
The Sansevieria Zeylanica is known in Spanish as the Savannah or, amusingly, Lengua de Suegra, which translates as 'Mother-in-Law's Tongue'. If you have a mother-in-law and are on good terms with her, she'll probably see the funny side and might even be flattered – her 'tongue' might be long and sharp, but it certainly looks good as home décor.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com