Category Archives: Conservatory Plants

Conservatory Plants, Conservatory Roof Conversions

Why Converting your Conservatory can Help Tropical Plants

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Have you ever visited the Eden Project in Cornwall? Walking around the rainforest biome is a source of endless inspiration for gardeners but did you know that many of the plants you see won’t do well in an average conservatory, particularly an older one.

The good news is that conservatory roof conversions can transform your growing environment into a far more successful growing climate for certain plants.

 

Which plants would benefit from a conservatory conversion?

1) Rubber. One of the most common plants that you might want to grow is the rubber plant. However, rubber plants are not fans of direct sunlight which is a problem if you have a traditional glass or polycarbonate roof. Modern conservatory roof replacements can switch your transparent roof for a tile-effect alternative. This includes insulation and does not require the extra foundational work required for a full conversion into a sunroom.
Without the constant glare of the sun, you should find that rubber plants are far happier and grow into more attractive specimens.

2) Banana. Providing you opt for the best species and bring them inside when the temperature drops below 14 degrees C, it is possible to grow bananas in the south west UK. But bananas don’t like extremes of temperature so if your conservatory shoots from boiling to freezing in an instant – as most old conservatories do – then your banana plants won’t thrive. Converting your conservatory will smooth out those extremes and you may well be surprised at the difference in your banana plants.

3) Bamboo. If you find that you are constantly watering your bamboo plants or see evidence of scorching at the edges of the leaves, it is a clear sign that your conservatory is too hot or that your plant is exposed to too much direct sunlight. As in the above examples, a conversion will sort out both of those issues in one go.

More and more people are realising that converting their conservatory roofs enables them – and their plants – to enjoy a more comfortable experience all year round.

Conservatory Plants

Titchmarsh Gives his Conservatory Plants Advice

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TV plant guru Alan Titchmarsh recently provided some sage conservatory plants advice in an article for the Daily Express. SWRCN have summarised the main points:

Titchmarsh’s Conservatory Plants Advice
  • Compromise Comfort and Luxury
    The first piece of conservatory plants advice from Mr Titchmarsh was to avoid the temptation to cram your conservatory with exciting exotics – at least without doing your homework. Many exotic plants require more than a mild climate and will struggle to survive the winter unless you are prepared to provide serious heating during the winter months. Other things to beware of, according to Titchmarsh, are lethal spikes, toxic saps and plants that attract lots of insects. One suggestion he made was to combine a few trees and shrubs with a single climber, citing Bougainvillea as a particularly popular plant at the moment (requiring frost-proofing only during the winter months)
  • Install Easy to Clean Floor and Furnishings
    Some exotic plants create a bit of a mess which is why another piece of conservatory plants advice from the UK’s best known gardening expert was to make sure your flooring and furniture can cope with everything from shed petals and leaves to sticky sap, pollen and spilt plant feed. In a nutshell, if you can’t wipe it down with a damp cloth, consider taking it out of harm’s way.
  • Honour the Olive
    If you’re looking for something popular, flexible and low maintenance, then you can’t go far wrong by getting hold of an olive tree, according to the BBC stalwart. Olives are a hardy plant and can be easily pruned and trained to fit your space. You might even be lucky enough to harvest some fruit – perfect to garnish your evening martini.

    conservatory plants advice olives
    Olives are a hardy and easily trained conservatory plant.
  • The Scent of Citrus
    With their large oval leaves and gently scented white flowers, citrus plants are an ideal way to add a zingy Mediterranean flavour to your conservatory. Titchmarsh does warn that citrus plants vary a lot in their susceptibility to cold, so make sure you do your homework to find out whether winter heating will be required or not.
  • Find Some Frost-Free Faves
    If you’re struggling for ideas about cold-resistant conservatory plants, Titchmarsh gave a list of some of his recommendations:

    • Abutilon hybrids – These upright flowering shrubs are from the mallow family and are known for their maple-shaped leaves.
    • Cestrum aurantiacum – An evergreen tree or shrub with  cheery orange flowers.
    • Constance Elliott – A hardy white version of the popular passion flower.
    • Passiflora edulis – This is the unmistakeable purple and white passion flower which will reward you with real passion fruits!
    • Plumbago capensis – An electric blue coloured wall shrub.
    • Trachelosperm jasminoides – An evergreen climber with distinctive white flowers.
  • Think Outside the Box
    A final piece of Titchmarsh’s conservatory plants advice is simply to do your botanical homework and then get creative. While it is always good to follow sound advice, no-one wants a carbon-copy of someone else’s ideas. Providing you follow the general tips above, there’s nothing wrong with taking a bit of a risk to achieve the effect you’re looking for – just as long as it doesn’t involve poisoning the pet cat with toxic leaves!

Plants and Conservatory Roof Conversion

Of course, it is easier to create consistent conditions for plants if you can control the temperature of your conservatory all year round. If your space ends up swinging wildly between hot and cold throughout the year then consider opting for one of Roofworx’s conservatory roof conversions. Roofworx South West are based in Torquay, Devon.

The full Daily Express article is available here