Blooming Plants to Brighten Your February

February is a great time to add some colour to your home or office with flowering plants. Plants clean the air and add some much-needed colour during these long winter months. Here are our picks for February

Anthuriums 

Anthuriums have dark green leaves and beautiful blooms that range in colour from red to pink to white. The colours are so bold and vibrant. With the right care, these plants can keep their blooms for a long time and keep blooming throughout the year. 

Anthuriums can tolerate low light, but they prefer bright, indirect light. The less light these plants get the fewer flowers they will produce. Keep them away from direct light though because the flowers and leaves can get sunburned. 

Water only when the soil is dry to the touch and don’t overwater because they are susceptible to root rot. Anthuriums love humidity. Keeping them on a humidity tray will cut back on watering, and help the blooms last longer. 

Fertilize with a high-phosphorus fertilizer 

Orchids 

Orchids are beautiful indoor plants that have long-lasting blooms. They’re available in a variety of sizes and colours and bring a touch of colour indoors. 

 Orchids need the brightest light available without being in direct sunlight. The leaves will scorch if exposed to direct light. They can tolerate low light, but need to be rotated every few weeks to ensure even growth. 

Water Orchids weekly. Watering them first thing in the morning will help keep the soil damp throughout the day. Empty any excess water from around the stem or saucer to prevent new growth from rotting. Forget the popular myth of watering with an ice cube though - it’s way too shocking for your tropical plant.

During the growing season, fertilize weekly with an Orchid fertilizer. When flowers are in bloom, fertilize once a month.  

Peace Lily 

The peace lily is one of the most popular indoor houseplants because of it’s simple beauty, air purifying capabilities and it’s symbolic nature. Peace lilies are known to represent sympathy, peace, innocence, and prosperity.

Peace Lilies like temperatures between 18 and 26 degrees Celsius, they also like medium to bright indirect light but tolerate low indirect light. Keep them away from cold and hot drafts, like AC units, heaters, or open windows and doors.

Replicating the slightly moist tropical environment can allow your peace lily to thrive and bloom. Water your peace lily every one to two weeks, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Misting your peace lily once a week in addition to its regular watering routine can also give it the moisture it needs. 

Blended potting mixes with texture are common for peace lilies, especially ones with perlite, peat moss, coir, or loam. Also, a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer diluted to half-strength can give your peace lily the little push it needs during the spring and summer. 

African Violets 

African violets are another of the most popular houseplants and for good reason. These small, compact plants can bloom several times a year, and they’re available in lots of different colours and varieties.

 African violets do well in bright but not direct sunlight. If the leaves start getting light green, your plant is getting too much light but thin, dark green leaves or a leggy plant means too little light

 Keep soil moist with warm water and strive for high humidity. Do not allow water to touch the leaves. Water from below, or push the water spout into the soil when watering. Don't allow the plant to sit in water.

 A well-draining potting mix is important. Poor drainage can cause root rot, so make sure that your plant is never allowed to sit in water

Cyclamen 

Cyclamen are winter flowering plants, so they’re very popular gifts at Christmas and Valentines Day. The bright, cheery flowers last a long time, and they are gorgeous. The small blossoms dangle at the tops of tall skinny stems. They appear to float above above the gorgeous heart shaped leaves.

Cyclamens have an opposite growing season than most plants, blooming in the winter and going dormant in the summer. They need this period of rest in order to grow well. 

 They will do great in a bright room with indirect sunlight or in an east or west facing window. Cyclamens are very fussy about the temperature. They like to be kept cool during their active growing season (fall through spring). If they get too hot, it will force an early dormancy. They don’t like cold drafts either. 

 Proper watering is a critical part of their care, and another thing that is a bit different than most plants.

Like African violets, they don’t like getting their leaves and stems wet. So it’s best to water them from the bottom, unless you are sure to water the soil and not the leaves. Allow to dry slightly between waterings, but never completely bone-dry. If you’re not sure how to keep them properly watered, we recommend getting a moisture meter 

General potting soil will usually work just fine for growing cyclamens, as long as it doesn’t hold too much moisture. If you tend to overwater, then use a fast draining mix or you can always amend regular potting medium with perlite or pumice and sand to give it better drainage. You can fertilize your cyclamen with liquid plant food every 2-4 weeks while it’s actively growing and blooming. Stop once the flowers begin to fade.