In case you hadn’t noticed, houseplants are hot. Again, or still, depending on where you are in your gardening life. Not only are plants more readily available, the varieties are practically limitless. For one thing, we can find them at the supermarket in the middle of a January blizzard. Alternatively, you could even order them online. Traditional sources like local garden centers are usually the best for selection, size and price, but don’t discount public gardens. Some of the healthiest and most unusual plants can be found at places like Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, or Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, MI. And finally, seek out local plant societies that sponsor shows or conventions during the fall and winter months.

Purchase houseplants any time

Online nurseries ship throughout the winter months, so the season won’t limit your satisfaction when the urge for green strikes you. How do they do it? Lindsy Mandeville, customer service plant and insect specialist for Josh’s Frogs in Owosso, Michigan, explains their system for determining when plants will be shipped during seasons of extreme temperatures, both hot and cold.

In winter, plants are boxed with heat packs and foam insulation on a two to three-day shipment schedule when the low in the recipient’s area remains 20° F or above, or on an overnight shipment if temperatures are above 10° F.

Houseplants need humidity, not just heat

Once the plants arrive, they must adapt to the new location. This includes recovering from the stress of being boxed up and knocked around for a couple of days. They also are typically blasted with excessively dry air. If your house’s furnace runs without a built-in humidifier at a high temperature (somewhere above 65° F), plants can suffer from lack of humidity.

The warmer you keep your house, the more humidity you will have to provide your plants. And here’s the best part, and a requirement that offers an excuse to buy more plants—you can increase humidity by grouping several plants together. There’s a downside to this, however. Lack of air circulation created by grouping plants together can contribute to disease and increase insect activity. Part of the solution to this conundrum is to get a fan and let it run at least half a day. I have two ceiling fans I run in the room with the majority of my plants.

How much light do houseplants need?

Many types of houseplants will thrive with light from a sunny window, as long as they don’t receive direct sunlight. Others can take as much sun as you can give them, while some blooming houseplants require special lighting. If you opt for lights, make sure you give plants a period of darkness as well. Plants require both in order to bloom.

A plant with an unpronounceable name and the ability to bloom in little light is Porphyrocoma pohliana (por-fy-ro-KOH-muh pohl-ee-AY-nuh). These are also known as Brazilian fireworks. This tropical shade-lover prefers a shady position. With leaves streaked with silver, this plant will flower even in the winter months if given a half-strength blooming fertilizer.

One surprise in the sunlight department is any plant in the citrus family. (Especially so if they’ve spent their summer outdoors soaking up the sun, and you’ve kept up with a modicum of fertilizer.) There are special citrus fertilizers you can use. However, in a pinch, water soluble types made for acid-loving plants (like Rhododendrons) work very well. I feed them at half strength once November rolls around. Still they’ll bloom, their waxy white flowers giving off the unmistakable fragrance of orange blossom.

Why not Orchids?

And don’t let anyone tell you not to bother with orchids. These irresistibly exotic beauties might have a high price tag, especially if they’re of blooming size, but they are worth it. The easiest type with repeating bloom is Phalaenopsis, or moth orchid. It is also the most easily available for purchase. I bought mine at my local supermarket three winters ago and it’s working toward its third bloom.

Josh’s Frogs

Josh’s Frogs’ Plant Department Manager, Tina Potter, offers up to 500 different types of plants on its website. “I’m always looking for low maintenance, no fuss plants. Some that come to mind immediately are Syngoniums. We always have some of these in stock,” she said. “The varieties we rotate in and out are ‘Confetti’, ‘Neon Robusta’, ‘Pixie’, ‘Cream Supreme’, ‘Bold Allusion’, ‘Green Star’ and ‘Princess’.

Potter loves them all for their great color, low maintenance requirements, and forgiving nature. “They don’t require a lot of light and do well in shade or part sun,” she explained. “They also are tolerant of being over watered or under watered which is huge for people who are just starting out growing houseplants, and might not have the hang of it yet.”

Philodendron and Pothos are others Potter recommends to anyone just starting out in houseplants. They’re also good for those who need to brighten up a darkish corner with some greenery.

The Hunt Continues

Growing plants indoors has become more exciting with increasing availability of plants. Find colorful houseplants at supermarkets, big box stores, and traditional garden centers, but here are ideas for more sources for buying plants as well as seeing them displayed. Shipping tender plants through the winter months is much more common thanks to packaging and two-day mailing options. And most public gardens and conservatories have plants for sale. Attend one of many orchid shows throughout the Midwest, or check out African violet, cactus and succulent, or herb society events.

In Search of Houseplants – Online:

1. Gary’s Out of Africa Gary S. Mikita; garymikita@cs.com 219-763-4861
2. Josh’s Frogs, 222 S Elm Street, Owosso, MI 48867
3. Selective Gardener, 6011 Martingale Lane, Brentwood, TN 37027 monique@selectivegardener.com

In Search of Houseplants – Brick and Mortar:

1. Bordine’s boasts four Michigan locations, including Rochester Hills, Clarkston, Grand Blanc and Brighton.
2. May’s Greenhouse 6280 S. Old State Road 37, Bloomington, IN 47401, Phone: 812-824-8630
3. Ray Wiegand’s Nursery, 47747 Romeo Plank Road, Macomb, MI 48044 Phone: 586-286-3655
4. Ted’s Greenhouse, 16930 South 84^th Ave, Tinley Park, IL 60487, Phone: 708-532-3575

In Search of Houseplants – Society Shows:

Orchids:

• Jan. 16 – 17, 2016. Grand Valley Orchid Society Show at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, 1000 East Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
• Jan 30 – 31, 2016. Madison Orchid Growers Guild – Marriott Madison West Conference Center, 1313 John Q Hammons Dr., Middleton, WI Contact: Terri Jozwiak 608-592-7905
• Jan 30 – 31, 2016. Orchid Society of Minnesota Winter Carnival Orchid Show at Como Park, Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Drive, St. Paul, MN Contact: Michael Dyda, 612-223-4059
• Feb 13 – 14, 2016. Greater Cleveland Orchid Society Spring Show & Sale at Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH Contact: Margaret Evens, 330-998-1798
• Feb 20 – 21, 2016. Miami Valley Orchid Society Spring Show at the Cox Arboretum MetroPark, 6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton, OH Contact: Michele Little, 513-423-8937
• Feb 27 – 28, 2016. Greater Lansing Orchid Society Show at Michigan State University, Plant & Soil Sciences Bldg., 1066 Bogue St., East Lansing, MI Contact: Doris Asher 517-332-0004 asherdoris@juno.com
• Mar 4 – 6, 2016. Greater Akron Orchid Society Orchid Show at the Donzell Garden Center, 937 East Waterloo Rd., Akron, OH Contact: James & Maria Bell 330-644-6887
• Mar 12 – 13, 2016. Illinois Orchid Society will host Amazing Orchid Odyssey at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL
• April 23-24, 2016. Michigan Orchid Society show will take place April 23-24, 2016 at the United Food & Commercial Workers Union Building, 876 Horace Brown St. Madison Heights, Michigan http://miorchids.com/

Herb, African Violet and Cactus and Succulent Societies:

• March 18-19, 2016. African Violet Society of Minnesota will host a show and sale March 18-19, 2016 at Northtown Mall, 398 Northtown Drive, N.E., Blaine, MN, Contact: Pat Mattson
• April 30, 2016. Webster Groves Herb Society Show at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, 10 West Lockwood, Webster Groves, MO
• June 25-26, 2016. — Henry Shaw Cactus and Succulent Society Show and Sale at Missouri Botanical Garden, Ridgway Center 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO, Contact: info@hscactus.org
• July 23-24, 2016. Cactus and Succulent Society of Greater Chicago July 23-24, 2016 at Chicago Botanic Garden