House Plants and the Atrium Garden
Although making architectural news today, the atrium house dates back to the Romans, who found a retreat from hot summers in the central courtyard of their homes to the atrium.
Today's atrium house differs greatly in many ways from its Roman antecedents.
But, like those ancient dwellings, it offers a private garden world to those who dwell in crowded urban and suburban centers.
In all but very warm climates, the modern atrium is ordinarily roofed and lighted by skylights, clerestory windows, or a plastic bubble.
Each of these can provide for ventilation during warm weather, with vents that can be opened when necessary.
The atrium need not be placed at the exact center of the house.
However, it should be positioned so that the main living rooms can share in the delights of a garden that winter cannot touch, a constantly green vista in all the months of the year.
Plants Suited To The Atrium More than in other forms of indoor gardens, plantings of an atrium should be chosen with due consideration for local climate.
In warm regions, you can grow almost anything in an atrium that will grow outdoors.
On the other hand, in colder growing zones, the atrium would, in all likelihood, be operated as a cool greenhouse (night temperature in the 50s, day temperatures in the 60s), thus ruling out heat lovers such as the amaryllis, and slowing down growth of house plants preferring warmer house temperatures.
But choices are still vast.
Such broadleaf evergreens as camellias, azaleas, and gardenias make excellent choices, and all can be kept to desirable heights with pruning.
Grass is not a good choice for ground cover, since it requires mowing.
But periwinkle, pachysandra, ajuga, dichondra, ivy, and many others make a green carpet that takes little attention other than watering.
A good-looking, minimum-care, atrium garden is easy to grow if the gardener relies on smaller shrubs and trees (not deciduous varieties, which require a period of cold and dormancy), ground cover, and foliage plants.
As with outdoor gardens, it is easy to have splashes of seasonal color with container-grown flowering plants that are easy to lift and replace when period of bloom has ended.
Simplify watering chores a great deal by adding a water outlet to which a garden hose can be connected.
An atrium garden also needs floor drains for excess water.
A path of brick, flagstone, or gravel offers easy access to all of the planted areas.
Today's atrium house differs greatly in many ways from its Roman antecedents.
But, like those ancient dwellings, it offers a private garden world to those who dwell in crowded urban and suburban centers.
In all but very warm climates, the modern atrium is ordinarily roofed and lighted by skylights, clerestory windows, or a plastic bubble.
Each of these can provide for ventilation during warm weather, with vents that can be opened when necessary.
The atrium need not be placed at the exact center of the house.
However, it should be positioned so that the main living rooms can share in the delights of a garden that winter cannot touch, a constantly green vista in all the months of the year.
Plants Suited To The Atrium More than in other forms of indoor gardens, plantings of an atrium should be chosen with due consideration for local climate.
In warm regions, you can grow almost anything in an atrium that will grow outdoors.
On the other hand, in colder growing zones, the atrium would, in all likelihood, be operated as a cool greenhouse (night temperature in the 50s, day temperatures in the 60s), thus ruling out heat lovers such as the amaryllis, and slowing down growth of house plants preferring warmer house temperatures.
But choices are still vast.
Such broadleaf evergreens as camellias, azaleas, and gardenias make excellent choices, and all can be kept to desirable heights with pruning.
Grass is not a good choice for ground cover, since it requires mowing.
But periwinkle, pachysandra, ajuga, dichondra, ivy, and many others make a green carpet that takes little attention other than watering.
A good-looking, minimum-care, atrium garden is easy to grow if the gardener relies on smaller shrubs and trees (not deciduous varieties, which require a period of cold and dormancy), ground cover, and foliage plants.
As with outdoor gardens, it is easy to have splashes of seasonal color with container-grown flowering plants that are easy to lift and replace when period of bloom has ended.
Simplify watering chores a great deal by adding a water outlet to which a garden hose can be connected.
An atrium garden also needs floor drains for excess water.
A path of brick, flagstone, or gravel offers easy access to all of the planted areas.
Source...