"Frank" wrote in message
om...
Hello experts,

I'm new to gardening and I'd love to learn. Here is california, san
francisco bay area, I guess zone 10/11? I do not have any yard space.
:-( I live in a condo which has a northwest facing balcony. I saw
beautiful camellia, gardenia and azalea/rhododendron in the stores
now. I'm very eager to try them. I've bought a 5gallon camellia Tom
Knudsen and replanted it in a 13" pot with the help of home depot
expert. I put it in my family room which faces southeast. I put it by
the window to get some sun. I checked books and found some saying that
it is an outdoor plant, some saying it can stay in the containor.
Looks like it is not good for indoor? I feel very upset.

My question is that if I put the plant close to the window so it gets
the sun through window and blinds, is this considered as "direct sun"
or "shade" or "filter sun"? Should I keep it in my family room for
some warm sun or should I move it to the balcony without sun exposure?
What are the choices?

I really want to add some colorful flowers at home. I don't like color
leaf plants. I have peace lily. What are robust flower bearing plants
that can grow indoor? Can I try to grow camellia, gardenia and
azalea/rhododendron indoor?

None of those plants will be happy indoors for more than a week or two.
Plants which grow easily outdoors in most climates will seldom make good
candidates for houseplants - it is too warm and too dry in our houses for
them to thrive. Put your camellia on your balcony - that sounds like an
ideal location for it - and visit a local garden center or store that
specializes in houseplants (not HD or similar). Explain your light situation
to them and they can help you select suitable flowering houseplants. One of
the most long blooming and low care flowering plants for inside are orchids.
If you select one that has a few open flowers and lots of buds, with the
right care it can bloom for months. Rather tricky to get them to rebloom,
but if you purchase at a place like Trader Joe's, they are inexpensive
enough for that not to be a concern. Gardenias can also be grown indoors but
they are considerably more fussy about conditions than orchids.

pam - gardengal