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Flowers & Foliage for a Bright North Window

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | October 28, 2009 12 Comments

Last updated on December 2nd, 2011

A north window needn’t be dull. Here, Tolmiea, Davallia fejeensis, pachysandra, philodendron, wax begonias and African violets all flourish in my bright but sunless kitchen window. Click to enlarge.

What, exactly, would I grow in a north window that receives not one hour of direct sun, but stays bright for most of the day? Almost any foliage plant will thrive there. For flowers – and I must have flowers – there are African violets, wax begonias and impatiens. Florist’s plants, too, if fully budded and ready to bloom, can provide long-lasting color. Or, sun-loving plants can be brought to the budding stage under fluorescents, and then moved to the window as they bloom. The following list, arranged in a seasonal-sequence, shows the glorious possibilities for the sill and frame (and, if you have them, the shelves and brackets) of a bright but sunless window garden.

September-October

Frame (all seasons). Philodendron scandens or Grape Ivy, Cissus Rhombifolia

Sill. Ageratum (lifted from the garden); ferns (Boston, Rabbit’s Foot, Asparagus); pachysandra cuttings, rooted in a handsome China bowl; Chrysanthemums and Asters from the florist.

Shelves. Impatiens, Wax Begonias, African Violets, stems of philodendron in colorful glass vases.

Brackets. Maranta, Tolmiea menziesii, Hedera helix, Tradescantia

November-December

Sill. Narcissus paperwhites, forced in bowls of pebbles and water; ferns, pachysandra. For the holidays, arrange Poinsettias, Paperwhites and African Violets on a bed of evergreen boughs.

Shelves. Miniature poinsettias, impatiens, African violets, kalanchoe

Brackets. Maranta, Tolmiea menziesii, Hedera helix, Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncate)

January-February

Sill. Azalea, ferns, pachysandra, forsythia branches, forced in a big vase, primroses (Primula obconica, P. senensis), Chinese Sacred Lily forced in pebbles and water. Pots of tulips and hyacinths obtained from the florist.

Shelves. Primula malecoides (the “fairy” primrose), cyclamen, wax begonias, kalanchoe

Brackets. Maranta, Tolmiea menziesii, Hedera helix, Ceropegia woodii, Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgessii)

March-April-May

Sill. From the florist: Easter lily, gardenia, gloxinia. Ferns, pachysandra, caladium. Forced branches of apple, crabapple.

Shelves. African violets, wax begonias, impatiens, coleus. Also, any of the myriad shade-tolerant annuals available from the florist or garden center at this time.

Brackets. Maranta, Tolmiea menziesii, Hedra helix, Ceropegia woodii, Oxalis

This list, of course, is by no means complete. But I can only write of the plants which I have grown myself, successfully, in a bright, north window.

Related Posts:
November Brilliance: Schlumbergera Truncata (Thanksgiving Cactus)
Setting Up a Window Garden
Indispensable Vines
African Violets: My Easy, Always-In-Bloom Program
Tender Bulbs in Pebbles & Water
Irresistable Flowers to Brighten the Indoor Winter Garden

Indispensable Vines
Photo Gallery: Autumn Vistas

Comments

  1. 1

    Tom says

    October 28, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    Mr. Jacobs, I just found your site on yahoo. GREAT information.

  2. 2

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    October 28, 2009 at 6:22 pm

    Tom – Welcome! I'm glad you find this site useful.

  3. 3

    Holly says

    October 28, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    Kevin, its good to know that paperwhites will bloom at a north window, because that's exactly where mine are!

  4. 4

    roger says

    October 30, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    I hope that as the season comes along you will provide us photographs of all the different combinations you have just described for window sills and frames.

  5. 5

    Samantha says

    October 30, 2009 at 4:44 pm

    Kevin, you mentioned primroses for a north window. I love the fairy primrose – so beautiful and fragrant. Do you raise yours from seed?

  6. 6

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    October 30, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    Holly – I order my primroses already in bud from a local florist. But all primula can be raised from seed; you just have to start the seeds very early in the spring if winter bloom is your goal.

  7. 7

    Gayle says

    October 30, 2009 at 9:13 pm

    I didn't know that impatiens or wax begonias could be grown indoors! Is it too late to dig mine up from the outside garden? Frost hasn't hit them yet.

  8. 8

    Gardenlady says

    October 30, 2009 at 10:51 pm

    Here's one for a bright (or even not so bright) north window: Aspidistra elatior. I have it in a very dim window, and although it grows slowly, it does grow. And it is absolutely no trouble at all. Very decorative, too.

  9. 9

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    October 31, 2009 at 2:57 am

    Gayle – nice to meet you! Impatiens and wax begonias make marvelous houseplants. My advice is not to dig up the plants at this time, but to take tip cuttings from them. You will find directions for rooting these in the August archives.

    Gardenlady – Thanks for reminding me about Aspidistra. I have not owned one for many years. I do remember that it was very beautiful, and that it tolerated the heat and dry air of my NYC apartment. Hence its nickname, “The Cast-Iron Plant!”

  10. 10

    Gardenlady says

    November 10, 2009 at 12:27 am

    That's right! I think it was christened “Cast-Iron Plant” in the early 1900s, because it was one of the few plants that would tolerate the new fangled convenience called “Central Heating.”

  11. 11

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  12. 12

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    April 11, 2014 at 7:44 am

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