Indoor greenery grows just as nicely

Even in the midst of the dog days of summer, it's possible to enjoy a variety of plants and beat the heat at the same time.

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Just head indoors.

"There are a number of house plants that people can grow with minimal care," said Adrienne Colvin, of Martina's Flowers and Gifts, in Martinez.

"One of them is the Spathithyllum, or what most people refer to as a peace lily," she explained.

According to Colvin, caring for this plant is about as easy as it gets.

"The leaves will start to droop to let you know when they need a little water, and this plant does very well in very low light," Colvin said.

Coming in a close second when it comes to an easy-to-care-for plant is the pothos family, which is currently available in four varieties.

"The long, trailing pothos grows incredibly well," Colvin said.

And there's good news for those who think they cannot grow an indoor plant.

Colvin has conducted her own independent research and has concluded that this plant is kill-proof.

"Many, many years ago, I remember doing a science project where I fed one pothos water, another Coke and a third a Pine-Sol and water mixture. They all survived," she said.

The vines of a pothos can get long, up to about 10 feet.

"This plant also roots very well, and it is very easy to start another plant from its clippings," Colvin said.

With diverse foliage ranging from dark green in the Chinese evergreen variety, to variegated leaves in the silver queen and king variety, "the Agleonema family is also easy to maintain," Colvin said. "They fare well in low light, even the faint light that often filters into a foyer."

Although these houseplants have the advantage of not being hot and bothered by warm temperatures, they still need their share of water.

"Just be particular when you water these plants," Colvin said. "You can water them until the water runs out the bottom, just don't let them sit in the water, or it will cause root rot."

If you have a number of these plants throughout your house that need to be watered, a quick way to fully hydrate them is to "stick the container in the shower, then after it drains, put it back into its pot," Colvin said. "The plant won't take in any more water than it can handle."