January 24, 2026
Jane Powell
It’s cold, and I miss my garden. I sound a bit whiny, but it’s true. There is only so much Netflix I can watch. My restlessness has caused me to start cleaning out drawers and closets!
Thank goodness for the houseplants scattered throughout my rooms. Giving them some much-needed attention has saved me from tackling the shoe closet.
Since I was already upstairs, I began with the air plants. Epiphytes – or air plants – don’t gather nutrients from soil, but from air, water, and particles around them. Some types grow on top of trees or other plants; think of orchids and staghorn ferns as examples that can attach to a tree or loose soil.
My air plants do not have soil and grow in small hanging glass terrariums, and others in a wooden bowl. This week, I gathered them up, filled the sink basin with water, and, after a good trimming of roots and outer leaves, I immersed them in the water.
I went on with my closet sorting and tossing.
About 30 minutes later, I drained the water, cleaned off the containers, and returned my air plants to the various sunny windows where they have lived the last few years.
Later, I’m off to the kitchen for a snack when I notice a few yellow leaves on the dining room Aglaonema Silver Bay tucked in the corner. This plant is content with low to mid-level light and seems happy with the very indirect light it gets from the windows. It is healthy and robust. A quick trim, and it was looking good. I also decided to give the leaves a spritz and a wipe to remove any dust.
Cleaning the leaves of indoor plants allows them to breathe easily and take in nutrients. Plus, who wants a dirty plant?
With my pruning scissors in hand, I did a walk-through of other plants and spent time tidying up any discolored leaves. I took this walkthrough one step further and grabbed a bucket of potting soil to” top off” the containers. I don’t fertilize in the winter months, but a bit of fresh soil always perks them up and gives the plants an oomph.
With the plants trimmed, cleaned, and the containers full, I began watering. Funny, I always water the plants in the same order. This project takes a few minutes with all the deck plants and containers tucked around windows in several rooms.
I do have a magic window. The one where the morning sun shines and kisses the plants at sunrise. This window is crowded. The foxtail fern, the fig leaf fern, croton, monstera, and a few others thrive in this space. The fiddle leaf fig is getting tall; I need to change the container stand to something lower. The croton is full and luscious with the golden autumn-colored leaves.
My biggest snake plant lives there, too. It may need to be repotted soon, but for now, it is just fine. I have another snake that lives in a darker room. It is healthy, but smaller. These plants are a good choice for rooms without much natural light.
The schefflera – or umbrella tree – in the dining room is being polite and not dropping many leaves. I know it is counting the days until it can move back outside to the covered deck and enjoy all that summer weather has to offer.
The kitchen side table is filled with plants, flowering cactus, aloe, mother of thousands, and a beautiful Anthurium with its heart-shaped red leaves.
When I piddle and fuss over the plants, I am happy. This is January gardening at the little house on a big hill. The closets and drawers will be on the list for another day. Now it is time to have that snack and a cup of tea.