Wealden Times | WT188 | October 2017 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

WT Kitchen & Bathroom Supplement
WT’s Lucy picked up some
excellent plant tips from Sarah
at a recent Simply Garden talk
at The Printworks, Hastings,
where she found out about
IKEA’s great new range of
plant pots and cultivation
units. Here are three of our
favourites for kitchens...
KRYDDA
cultivation unit, £19
A herb planter at Simply Garden
Perfect Partners
BITTERGURKA
plant holder with LED
cultivation bulb, £35
Sarah Wilson from Simply Garden gives her suggestions
for plants that thrive in a kitchen environment
Herbs are an obvious choice for the kitchen, especially if you can find a
warm and sunny spot for them. If you struggle to keep supermarket
herbs alive, try growing your own from seed on the windowsill. This will
save you money, plus the plants are likely to be healthier and last a lot longer.
Air plants are like beautiful, mini ornaments but it can be easy to forget they need
to be looked after like other plants. If you place them in your kitchen near the sink it’s
easy to give them the occasional dunk in water or a quick spritz with your mister. Place
them somewhere in your regular eyeline and you’ll be less likely to overlook them.
You’re getting something out of the oven and catch your arm on the hot oven shelf,
we’ve all done it. Aloe vera plants are legendary for their ability to heal burns, simply
snap off a leaf and apply the gel inside directly to the burn. If you have a sunny spot
and don’t overwater it, your Aloe vera will happily thrive with very little care.
Kitchens can be humid environments, which perfectly suits humidity lovers like the
Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata). This fern looks great displayed in a hanging pot
which can be placed in the vicinity of moisture sources such as the sink or cooker.
Beware temperature fluctuations though and keep this plant out of direct sunlight.
The perfect plant to add interest to your kitchen shelves is the Ficus
pumila. This tough little plant will cope with lower light levels and will
trail beautifully, providing vertical interest. It loves moisture so water it
every 3-4 days in a warm room. Look out for the variegated form if you
fancy something slightly brighter than the straight green variety.
SATSUMAS
plant stand with
5 plant pots, £30
Visit Simply Garden at 51a George Street, Hastings, for expert advice, gardening
essentials, plants, containers, courses and talks. 01424 319093 simplygarden.org
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