For any keen plant enthusiast, an orangery can provide an extra dimension for gardening. There are many varieties of plants and flowers that can thrive in these conditions, including many tender and exotic plants.
In a year when most people have been confined to their homes due to the pandemic, an orangery or conservatory has been a place of refuge, and there has been a rise in the number of people who have taken to indoor gardening to introduce a verdant atmosphere into the home. An orangery can help extend this connection to the outside world.
Modern glazing technology can provide more flexibly for choosing plants that will thrive in the ambient temperatures in an orangery all year round. Climbers and shrubs can help add to the decor, bringing the room to life, and helping purify the air, as well as providing heavenly scents.
Plants can play an important role in the interior of an orangery or conservatory, bringing the external world inside and adding colour and vibrancy to the decor. The interior walls are ideal for growing colourful climbers and provide living art.
Plumbago capensis is a South African plant that is perfect for conservatories. It has branches that resemble vines, with a profusion of blue phlox-like flowers.
Bougainvillaea is a must-have climber that is ideal for orangeries as it thrives in the summer heat and can tolerate the winter cold. It flowers during the summer in a variety of colours – purple, pink, and orangery-amber.
Morning glory plants produce funnel-shaped blossoms in white, blue, purple, red, and white. The flowers are saucer-shaped vines which, as the name suggests, open in the morning time. They will thrive in full sunlight.
Topical Plants
As interior design trends change, some plants become more fashionable and on-trend. The minimalistic style can attract designer style plants or living walls. Cacti, succulents, and palms are easy to maintain and work very well with this trend.
Sedum morganianum is a particularly fun plant, full of overlapping, succulent leaves on trailing stems.
Phoenix canariensis is a fast-growing palm which can easily be potted and grown in an orangery environment.
Traditional Plants
Orangeries are traditionally associated with citrus plants due to the ideal conditions for their growth. A citrus plant will provide colour, scent, and of course, fruit throughout the year, which is rewarding and very satisfying. These plants will require regular feeding from spring to autumn.
Meyer Lemon is a hybrid citrus fruit which is a cross between a citron and a mandarin. Best grown in loam-based potting compost in full light.
Citrus madurensis is a pretty orange plant that grows into a small tree. It keeps fruit and flowers on the plant for most of the year.
Victorian orangeries are a very popular choice for extending homes and with them comes a unique space that brings the outside in. If you are looking to transform your home, contact us for more information.