When people think of houseplants, I think most people immediately picture tropical plants like philodendrons and other big-leaved, decorative plants. But especially in the spring, I think it's nice to move your garden indoors with a few pots of flowering annuals. You can get a jump on the garden season this way, enjoying their color while they last and without worrying about long-term health issues and keeping them alive.

In fact, it might be best to think of these pots as long-lasting cut flowers.

Picking Flowers for Your Indoor Flower Display

In the most general sense, anything you can grow outdoors can also grow indoors for at least a few months. If you're partial to impatiens, for example, you can easily have a pot of them inside in a sunny window. The same is true for petunias, begonias, primrose, pansies, marigolds, and other flowering plants.

In general, growing "outdoor" plants indoors isn't complicated, providing you follow a few helpful tips:

• Use fresh soil. Even if you're only planning on keeping the arrangement alive for a few months, it will look better and last much longer if you use fresh potting soil. Once the soil is spent, simply throw it into the spring garden when you turn your soil for the season.
• Fertilize. A single dose of controlled-release fertilizer when you plant is a good idea. Although the labels on these products say they last for six months, they are often spent after three months (depending on your watering habits), which is just about as long as you can expect your arrangement to thrive.

• Use an attractive container, and don't forget the tray! After all, this arrangement is destined for indoor viewing, so get something nice. But be aware of the drainage holes underneath and potential damage to your furniture or floor. You'll probably be watering your indoor flowers more often than some of your sturdier houseplants.
• Don't plant too deep. Flowers and annuals should be planted so their rootballs are even with, or slightly above, the soil level. Flowers that are planted too deep die.
• Provide with as much sun as possible. Most of the flowers you'll choose to grow indoors will naturally want as much sun as possible. Pinch off spent flowers to promote flowering.
• Provide adequate water. Indoor annuals will likely require more water than your regular houseplants to look their best. Watch your plants carefully for signs of wilting or drooping, and don't be surprised if you find yourself watering twice a week.

Arranging Flowers for Indoor Displays

Your indoor flower arrangement can be anything from a simple pot of peonies to a more involved display. When you're picking plants to go together, think about their colors (obviously) but also their growth rate and need for water and sun. You don't want to put low, slow-growing plants in with fast-growing flowers or drought-loving cacti in with subtropical flowers.

You can also mix in trailing plants such as ivies or even pothos vines (which are pretty common houseplant in their own right). When you're designing your container garden, put your tallest plant (the specimen) in the center of the pot, then fill around the margins with smaller plants. If you're using trailing plants, alternate around the rim with trailing plants and smaller flowers.

Some seasonal flower combinations that go particularly well together include:

• Mixed bulbs, including tulips and hyacinth, with primrose for a spring container.
• A summer display with petunias and foliage begonia.
• Mix together flowering plants such as begonias with foliage plants like coleus.

Your imagination is the limit!