Fabulous flowering indoor plants

You don't need a garden to enjoy homegrown flowers. Given the right conditions – usually lots of light, regular feeding and just the right amount of water – there are lots of houseplants that will provide you with an array of colour throughout the year.

Reggie the bird of paradise plant is as stunning as indoor plants get. Put him in a bright spot and he’ll erupt in gorgeous orange and purple flowers. He was given the name bird of paradise because his blooms look like little exotic birds. You'll need a lot of room for this big guy, but he deserves it.

Fleur the anthurium is a showstopper. The first thing you'll notice about her is her huge red flowers. Although, actually, those red parts aren't the flower. The red part is called a spathe and it exists to attract pollinating insects. The flowers are on that yellow cone in the middle of the spathe. The best thing about Fleur is she flowers all year.

Pippa the peace lily is a flowering plant that thrives even in lower light. She's used to living in semi-shade and can happily tolerate those darker corners of your home, but if you can put her somewhere that gets a bit of sun she should reward you with elegant white flowers.

Vivi the lemon tree gives you colour on two fronts. In late spring, she'll grow little white blossoms, which not only look pretty but are very highly scented. Those blossoms then become plump yellow lemons throughout the summer. You can put Vivi outside at the height of summer, but she'll also do very well as a year-round houseplant if you put her in a bright spot.

Jethro the lipstick plant, or aeschynanthus japhrolepsis, gets its common name from its curious flowers. When they first appear, they look like small red lipsticks, then turn into scarlet trumpets. He’ll usually start flowering in early spring if you put him somewhere with lots of light. Even when not in flower, the dense, vivid green foliage on this hanging plant looks gorgeous.

Otto the hoya has really unusual flowers. He’s sometimes known as the wax plant, because his blossoms have a waxy look. You’d be forgiven for thinking they’re fake flowers, but we promise you they’re absolutely real. His flowers are not the only pretty thing about him. We love his green and cream variegated leaves on soft pink stems.