As a rule it will be found practical only to place comparatively small plants right in the window spaces. Too large plants get in the way and they also restrict the amount of light entering the room. Small plants next to the glass need to be turned so that they get equal amounts of light on each side and so grow straight. The best way is to give each plant pot a quarter turn each day.
Do try to bear in mind the fact that humans come before plants. If any plant interferes with the comfort or convenience of any person in the home then it is in the wrong place. If any plant occupies a permanent position for so long that it builds up behind it a little residue of dead leaves, dust and even dead flies, then once again it is in the wrong position, for this is an invitation to disease. On the other hand, don’t tuck away a plant so that it is difficult to see and enjoy properly or so that it is difficult to tend and water, for this will mean that it will be neglected.
Once you get to know your plants you will be able to decide yourself which plant will be suitable for growing in the living room, which for kitchen, bedroom or perhaps bathroom. You will have to decide on the basis of such decorative factors as suitability, colour and texture, space and on such horticultural factors as light intensity, warmth, relative humidity, space and ease of handling.
Cold and dark halls
In many homes the hall is inclined to be rather dark, cool in winter and possibly subjected to icy draughts when the door is opened for more than a few moments. These limitations determine that only a comparatively tough plant can live and flourish and that one must select with care and knowledge any plant destined to spend more than a week or two at a time in such a situation. Fortunately, certain plants will accept poor conditions for a limited period so long as a longer spell of good conditions follows; in other words we can set them down in a cold and dark place and enjoy them there for a brief period, so long as we remove them to a place with better light and greater warmth for a period of recuperation. Other plants will so resent this chop and change behaviour that they will give up the ghost at a very early stage.
Of the group of easy plants listed earlier, araucaria, aspidistra, ficus and some of the hederas would probably exist in the cold and dark, all of them doing better if they could have an occasional holiday in the light and warmth.
From the humanitarian point of view, however, why should a plant, any plant, be placed in a situation where it will be subjected to almost intolerable conditions and where it will hardly be seen ? Much better surely to place a dried flower decoration, an engaging lamp or an eye-catching picture in such a position.
