A conservatory's light and airy environment can be the ideal place to grow a luxuriant display of plants and flowers throughout the year. With care it can become a haven of colour and scent to relax in.

Whether your conservatory is heated or not will determine the varieties of plants you choose. Also, the direction your conservatory faces will affect the amount of light and heat you receive from the sun.

South-facing - receives the hottest sun for the longest time - ideal for cacti, succulents and other plants that like a hot, dry situation.
North-facing - with low heat and light - best suited to ferns, ivies and other cooler loving plants. West and East-facing - ideal amount of sun and light for most plants. The east-facing gets the sun in the morning, the west-facing is sunny in the afternoon and early evening.

If you have heating you can use your conservatory to nurture your more tender plants during the winter months. You need to ensure the temperature doesn't drop too low, and remember to close the windows and doors in the evenings. If your conservatory has a glass roof it might be necessary to install shade blinds, to protect the more delicate plants from strong sunlight in the summer.

By growing plants in your conservatory and adding pots outside you will provide an attractive transition to your garden. Placing flower beds around the exterior walls, or even encouraging a creeper up can help to soften the outline of the conservatory and allow it to blend in more with the garden.