Dear Sibe.

We have just finished building our conservatory at the back of our house. What plants or flowers could you recommend for me to place in here? It does get a lot of light and can get quite hot. I haven't had much luck with the plants I've purchased so far!

Our Gardening Expert replies:

Hello!

This is quite a common problem - a south facing or sunny conservatory which gets simply too hot for plants (and sometimes people!) in summer. You certainly need to choose plants carefully for this type of situation. There are other things, though, that you can do to make it more bearable, such as installing a ceiling fan - the large slow moving types give the best effect - and interior blinds to give some easily adjustable shading in the hottest weather.

Another thing you could consider is to install a water feature to increase the humidity - very important for many plants.

There are quite a wide range of plants which would do well in these conditions, but if your conservatory is not heated over winter some of these will require extra protection as they would not appreciate temperatures approaching freezing.

Here are a few suggestions:

Firstly, Nerium oleander- a tall growing plant and very attractive despite its poisonous nature (so don't eat it)!

Next, the Bird of Paradise Plant, Strelitzia reginae. This grows up to about a metre high and does need a minimum temperature over winter of about 10°C when the plants should be kept nearly dry until spring. It has really attractive bird's head like flowers in summer.

Citrus trees and bushes also require warmer conditions over winter - minimum temperature of about 10°C (50°F) should do, though these will do very well in your conservatory over the summer. Citrus plants can end up in quite large pots as long as you increase the pot size gradually when repotting each February. Be sure to water regularly in the summer. An occasional spraying of the leaves with clean tap water will be well appreciated by the plants and will also tend to deter attacks by Red Spider Mites. Over winter the plants need keeping barely moist.

Lastly, don't forget the good old pelargoniums (or geraniums as they are often incorrectly called). These make really attractive flowering displays through summer and are also reasonably hardy as long as they are kept dry over winter. There are other types as well as the usual bedding pelargoniums: Zonal and Regal types also look quite attractive and there are many scented leaf varieties as well.

Good luck!

Sibe.

Looking to extend? Read Building a conservatory and Decorating a Conservatory for some tips.