I need to put some plants around my flat to brighten it up any ideas? with a preference to not much looking after (I don't mind singing to them but I know they'd last a day if I did that)!!

I am a fan of orchids - I know they are expensive and I must warn you they are addictive but they just go on flowering.

I grow the ones with rounded fat leaves which are quite fleshy - Phaeolio... they are also called Moth Orchids... I have tried the ones with strappy leaves and the ones which look like pansies but with no sucess... but I have several of the others but the real tip is in selecting them in the first place - look for firm leaves which stand proud of the compost with a minimum of two flowering stems... they love warm rooms out of full sun - I stand mine on the windowsill behind nets and they do well - try not to water the crown and if you do mop it up otherwise it will rot... then its just a case of watering every 2-3 days - but if you forget its not a worry as they are very tollerant... sometimes mine go as long as 2 weeks without suffering any damage... the trick to keep them flowering is to know when to cut the stem back to the top most nodule... if this is done before the last flower starts to fade then within a short period of time a new branch will spout out and it will be flowering in no time.

I can honestly say that one of my orchids has been in flower continuously since last November and is still going strong...

The other plant I would choise is gernaniums - I would start with something easy like a bedding plant - try to cadge one off a friend or acquire one when the Council change the bedding display over for the winter... if you like this then there are many specialist ones to choise from - some easier than others... I have never had much luck with a type called "rosebud" but it is doing really well on the patio... just water when they are looking droppy and then just a little - otherwise you will kill them with kindness... they can flower all winter long if you let them or otherwise cut them hard back in the autumn to keep them in check.

Try one of the scented leaved varieties in the kitchen this winter and when you have one of those smells just brush the leaves - it is better than any airfreshener...

All sounds wonderful, I've always loved looking at orchids they are beautiful, I'd never thought of buying them purely cos they look like they need lost of looking after, clearly not but then if they did need it wouldnt matter if they last as long as yours do!

great ideas thank you v much :D

The only thing to remember about them is not to overwater. Its a splash now and then... if you do overwater then just leave them on the draining board to drain... I have an orchid at work who had decided not to have flowers on the new stem but to have offsets instead... I am just waiting for them to get a little bit bigger before I will cut them off and pot them on... three for the price of one can't be bad can it?...

Hi Molly,

Have you ever thought about lillies? I think they are an absolutely wonderful bloom; very subtle and not overpowering in the slightest.
If you really are averse to looking after your plants, how about a Japanese zen garden? They require minimum effort and look stunning in a contemporary setting.

Louise