One of the best uses for a sunroom is the ability to enjoy flowering plants all year-round. In the dead of winter, when there is hardly any sun for days on end, and snow piles up outside, you can adjourn to the sunroom and enjoy the flowering hibiscus or grow a whole variety of orchids.
The blog at Build Direct lists eight plants that thrive in a sunroom that includes hibiscus and orchids:
- Hibiscus
- Orchids
- Passion Flower – This tropical species doesn’t survive the winter in most American gardens, but they do just fine in a sunroom as long as they’re potted in oversized pots.
- Boston Ferns
- Spider Plants – one of the easiest plants to grow indoors.
- Begonias
- African Violets
- Peace Lily
The beauty of having flowering plants in a sunroom is the color, the smell, and the satisfying of gardening skills during the winter.
Many of these plants tolerate being indoors very well. You will want to check if they like the direct sun or slightly shady conditions. Do they like a humid climate or dry, and do they tolerate cold? Some don’t thrive below forty-five degrees. Some can go all the way to freezing for short periods without harm.
Did you know you can grow vegetables in your sunroom?
SheKnows’ Anna Burke writes that nine vegetables grow very well in a sunroom.
- Lettuce greens. Lettuce is surprisingly easy to grow and does not take up much space, making it an excellent choice for a sunny window.
- You can enjoy small to large carrots, depending on the depth of the pot, all year long.
- “Spicy and delicious, arugula germinates quickly and grows even faster.”
- “Like arugula, you can harvest the bigger leaves and leave the small ones for a later harvest.”
- Easy to start. If your grocery store sell scallions or green onions with the roots on you are in business. Cut off the greens to the bulb and plant.
- “They grow quickly, they require very little space, and they are absolutely delicious.”
- No more year of the green tomato. Tomatoes grow very well placed in a sunny window.
- “Ginger is an attractive plant that looks a little like bamboo.”
- Not a vegetable, but goes well with all sorts of dishes. “Dwarf lemon trees make beautiful houseplants. They also provide full size, juicy lemons.”
Even More vegetables
Natural Living sees and raises Anna Burke by offering instructions for growing even more vegetables including:
- Bell Peppers
- Potatoes
- Beans
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
- Chives
- Mint
- Basil
In summary, the sunroom not only is a warm place to enjoy the outdoors while sipping tea flavored by your own lemons on your natural indoor wicker sunroom furniture, but a place where you can garden speaking softly to your flowers and veggies.