If, like me, you don't have green fingers, and your plants seem to grow spindly, discolor, and die, there is a way to have houseplants and more or less forget about them. Grow them in water.

Suitable houseplants for growing in water

As you can imagine, not every houseplant will grow solely in water. Cacti certainly won’t! The plants that I have been most successful with are:

• Spider Plants (Chlorophytum)
• Peace Lilies (Spathyphillum)
• Goosefoot Plants (Syngonium)

Can plants that have been grown in soil adapt to living in water?

It is possible to convert soil-grown houseplants to a water-only environment, and I have done this with several of my own. But you have to be prepared for the transition to be too traumatic on occasion, and your plant may die off in a most spectacular fashion. It is probably better to start with suitable, young, inexpensive plants. They aren’t so established, and will develop an optimum root system for growing in water. If a plant is expensive, or of sentimental value, leave it in the environment that it is used to - it is not worth taking the risk.

You need to make sure that you wash off all compost from the roots of plants you intend to grow in water. Otherwise, the roots will rot, the water become foul, and the plant will die.

Other benefits of growing houseplants in water

Plants grown in water-filled glass containers can look quite spectacular. Their root systems are able to be observed, and they are often as pretty and dramatic as the houseplants themselves. Striking or unusual clear receptacles will add to the overall effect, and have their place in light and airy interior design. Water-filled containers also help the atmosphere in your home from drying out. You are able to go off on vacation, without rigging up some kind of capillary watering system or relying on neighbours to water your plants.