6 houseplants you must grow now
From the wonderful Waterdrinker in the Netherlands
One of my favourite places in the Netherlands is Waterdrinker, which is effectively a giant cash and carry, where garden centres from across Europe come to shop for plants! You can place your order online, or come in person, and fill a giant trolley with exactly the plants you want to sell in your store - dammmn it makes me so itchy and want to run a garden centre myself!! Maybe one day…
I was very honoured to get a personalised tour by Ed Mol last week. Part of his role is to source the new plants that are sold there.
I hadn’t realised how many brand new varieties, many of them exclusive to Waterdrinker, were on the shelves. So here’s a showcase of some of the most unique houseplants that Ed has been hunting down…
Hoya calycina ‘Stargazer’
When I was younger and my grandma used to have two different Hoya as houseplants. She had Hoya carnosa with big waxy leaves, and delicate Hoya bella, which she often grew in a hanging container. They were relatively unusual, but now we have hundreds of Hoya to choose from; they really are a popular genius.
This cultivar defo caught my eye, for the giant waxy leaves, which makes it super handsome. It wasn’t until I had a little Google today, that I’ve seen how spectacular the flowers will be when they arrive…
Buy it here.
Philodendron melanochrysum variegata
Variegation is always sexy (there, I said it), but I actually hesitated with this combination. Having bronze within the mix made me initially think the leaf was turning brown, LOL, I have to be honest!!
Philodendron are super collectible, and the plant hunters are still bringing us some cracking varieties.
This particular one is quite rare, but Eastern Tropicals has them in stock from time to time.
Peperomia ‘Creme Brulee’
‘Crème Brulee’ is such a cool little houseplant, in a colour combination not seen with indoor plants. I really love the marbling, and the golden colour scheme.
I was puzzled when I first saw this plant, it almost looks like a type of Begonia semperflorens, but alas it’s a Peperomia! Super cool.
Again, this one’s fairly tough to get hold of, but try checking Grow Tropicals periodically.
VIP subscribers can read on for a stunning banana-yellow leaved plant, and a bronze begonia that’s to die for!