Indoor flowering plants bring a fresh, colorful atmosphere to your home, whether you live in a tiny apartment or a spacious house. Flowers make you feel relaxed and happy so having indoor flowering plants in your home raise your spirits and lift your mood as well as brightening your home. Here are a few of the most popular indoor flowering plants that you could have in your home.

One of the most popular indoor flowering plants today is the African Violet. Most of the African Violets you buy today are man-made hybrids, bred to introduce new colors and larger, showier flowers. These beautiful flowering plants are covered in blooms for much of the year, provided they are in an ideal position. They generally grow to just 6 inches in height and about 8 inches in width so they are perfect sitting on a windowsill or table near a window, out of direct sunlight. African Violets grow best in humus-rich potting mix and are happiest when watered with tepid water onto the soil. Avoid watering the leaves and flowers.

Chrysanthemums are another popular indoor flowering plant because they are colorful and stay in flower for long periods indoors. They thrive in normal indoor temperature and humidity conditions but need regular watering, keeping the soil damp. Most flowering chrysanthemums are bought already in flower and are treated as a throw-away annual. The flowers come in a wide range of colors from white, yellow and orange to pink and mauve. They will last for between 4 and 6 weeks if the plant is bought fresh, but these chrysanthemums rarely succeed in the garden if planted out. It is best to treat them as growing flowers and replace them when the flowers die off.

Cyclamen is another popular indoor flowering plant that is kept for one season, while it is in bloom. They originated from the Mediterranean Islands but many of the varieties that are now available are hybrids. Flower colors are white, pink and purple with new frilly petals and colored foliage being seen; the blooms will stay on the plant for an extended time. Cyclamen like a humid environment, so place the pot on a bed of small pebbles. Select a cool but light location out of direct sunlight and keep the soil damp but not wet. Water the soil rather than the plant. Cyclamen are best thrown away when the blooms fade.

Azaleas are a beautiful flowering plant and a popular bedding plant for home gardens. Azaleas are perfectly happy growing in a pot and can be brought indoors when they are in flower to be a wonderful indoor flowering plant. They do best in a cool place in the house, in good light but out of direct sunlight. Stand the pot on a bed of pebbles to increase the humidity and water to keep the soil moist but not too wet. Azaleas have roots close to the surface so be careful not to disturb the potting mix too much. When the plant finishes flowering, fertilize it with a specific azalea food and take it outside to rest in a cool shady spot, remembering to keep the soil moist.

When buying indoor flowering plants, look for plants with unmarked green leaves and several buds on the plant. This indicates that the plant is healthy and will continue to flower in your home for several weeks.