Perennials as Houseplants: Lavandula Angustifolia as One Example

Before the cool winds blow, it is a great time to capture a few favorite plants from out in the garden and pull them indoors to enjoy as houseplants. We sometimes do this with tender perennials that thrive in our summer temperatures but cannot tolerate deep freezes. But we also can do this with hardier favorites, for the sole reason that they will look nice in our living rooms and kitchens before we return them to the garden in spring.

This moving of plants seems straightforward enough. Why would a “how-to” ever be warranted? But I have tried this for several years now, and I think there are a few pointers worth mentioning. So, if you are ready to take some strong and fragrant Lavandula angustifolia from the garden bed to a windowsill perch in your living room or a Japanese Painted Fern from your woodland garden to an entryway table, here is what I have learned:

1. Choose plants that do not have hard-to-handle root systems. Lavandula angustifolia and other Lavenders, lots of the ornamental herbs, Heuchera, low-growing Sedum… all of these have roots that are very manageable.
2. Choose plants with attractive looking foliage or with great fragrance. (I mention Lavandula angustifolia because it offers both.) Even those plants that enter the home with blooms that form a ball of color will drop their flowers eventually. This makes the attractiveness of the foliage very important.
3. Take in plants that are less than mature. While I am mainly focusing on perennials here, there is value in capturing an annual or two for indoor use. I like to do this with small Begonias. But when I tried to pull in a couple of annual Impatiens which had grown massive over the summer, dividing them left them scraggly and a real mess. Lesson: The largest plants are not always possible to pull in, even when they are divided.
4. Unusual is good (think Black Mondo Grass for Halloween displays). Still, it often makes sense to select perennials that seem like logical houseplants. Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender) has foliage that would seem much more in line with what is expected of a houseplant than does, say, Ajuga.
5. Choose plants that will not pose problems to your pets. My grandmother grew Portulaca (an annual in her region) indoors as skillfully as she grew it outdoors. But she did not have pets to disturb it (or to be disturbed by it). The ASPCA and other organizations have plenty of website references to plants that are cat- and dog-friendly. Choose these plants rather than those you must guard carefully.
6. Prepare for an acclimation period during which the outdoor perennial may look weary as it adjusts to its new environment. Lavandula angustifolia is so strong, it is unlikely that it would ever look weary. But other plants may droop at first and experience an adjustment period. Just aim to get the right level of light, and water your plant less than you would outdoors.
7. For a plant that is less hardy than Lavandula angustifolia, consider potting up your plant, keeping it outside in its new pot on a patio table for a few days, and then pulling it in. This allows it to adjust to the container and then to the indoor environment. 
8. Finally—and this should not turn you off, by any means—gently shake your perennials to ensure no pests enter your home as you take in your new “houseplants”. Have I had a beetle or a spider come indoors on a plant? Sure. I survived the shock, but I wished I had given my plants a good shake and a careful once-over before I took them in. With a plant that has foliage that is fuller than that of Lavandula angustifolia, I would suggest putting the plant on an outdoor table after you dig it up and using a flashlight to inspect the hidden spots among the leaves before you pot it up. Then check it again before it makes its trip indoors. 

I have a feeling you might try this method of pulling in perennials to use as “houseplants” and still find yourself purchasing new houseplants—those that we think of as traditional houseplants—as you always have. Personally, I think the best looking indoor displays use a mix of plants, and some traditional houseplants such as Alocasia, Pothos, Philodendron, and Peperomia should be part of the mix. But when you see some summer beauty—Lavandula angustifolia, as one good example—on a table in your living room or on your kitchen countertop, I am pretty sure you will be pleased that you preserved a bit of summertime for your own pleasure during autumn, winter, and spring.