What to grow:

As the weather gets colder and wetter and the hours of daylight dwindle, I’m turning my attention to the greenery inside my home.

This month, I’m shining a light on the humble houseplant – the different types easily available, what works best indoors and how to manage and maintain them.

Kicking things off I’m looking at the peace lily. An easy to care for houseplant that is said to be one of the most effective at naturally filtering toxins in the air and humidity in the home. These plants like to be in a warm space, exposed to lots of natural light – not in direct sunlight though. The soil should be kept moist, but not soggy, so recommend watering once a week, maybe more when the weather gets warmer. A peace lily has a number of dense, delicate thin-stemmed green leaves and can grow anywhere from 1-4 feet tall – depending on the cultivar you select. They will typically bloom twice a year, in spring and early autumn where they’ll produce distinctive, pretty white flowers.

Mother in Laws Tongue or Snake Plant is another perfectly low maintenance plant, that is famed for purifying the air – this one is recognised by NASA no less! Seen as one of the most effective natural filters of harmful household toxins.

The plant likes to be exposed to light, but not to be in direct sunlight, it does not require a lot of watering. Water once a month or when the soil is try to touch. These plants grow tall, firm green leaves, typically reaching heights up to around 4 feet high. They come in a range of cultivars, so do research which one would work best in your space.

With the above plants, they are readily available at all the garden homeware shops and some of the major supermarkets and are reasonably inexpensive.

Along with getting the watering right, remember to prune and remove dying and dead leaves to keep the plant healthy.

Green escape: Hermit Road Recreation Ground

A lovely green idyll, with a slice of suffragette history.

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again for the people at the back: I’m continually surprised by the array of green spaces Newham has to offer!

Not only does this park have a great little play area, it also has two very well maintained tennis courts, an outdoor gym with a range of equipment and a couple of table tennis tables.

Beyond the facilities, there is also a sizeable lush, grassy space to sit and relax (weather dependent!), a small wooded area, some raised beds and last but not least, a wonderful garden to explore – The Daisy Parsons Memorial Garden. It can be accessed through a pretty, ornate iron gate and is home to a wonderful variety of colourful roses. The garden is in memory of Daisy, West Ham’s first female mayor, elected in 1936. Daisy was an impressive woman who alongside becoming the areas first female mayor, was also at the forefront of the east end suffragette movement, campaigning tirelessly throughout her life for the rights of women. The garden is a lovely reminder of a local heroine and a beautiful tranquil spot to soak up nature.

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