good old aspidistra will do in quite deep shade. there is a variegated one too.

thank-you;
would it be possible to put in something else with it ~ could do bulbs???

ORCHIDS! Central heating's no good for them, so not over the radiators, but in a north window, fantastic. Keep tepid rainwater handy for watering them when they need it, and let them perform. Phil

ooh she might like one of those, not sure she has ever had one but they are so pretty, i would have to explain about the watering but im sure she would manage that.
thank you

Spider plants are the office standby that will grow anywhere. So is Mother-of-thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana) which grows new plantlets along the leaf edges. Mother in law's tongue (Sanseveria trifasciata) was a popular victorian parlour plant as it's tough and grows with little light.

Other houseplants which tolerate shady situations well are Dracaena marginata (sometimes known as Ti tree); Sanseviera (Mother in law's tongue); Dracaena fragrans; and Spathyphyllum (Peace Lily), though that prefers a brighter light in summer, but still no direct sun

thank you all! that should give me a good variety ~ may even put more than one of them in a larger pot?

There are some Ivies with lovely variegated leaves that will grow in very deep shade. One growing outside on my garage sized shed has made it's way into the shed which has only a very small window and has very low natural light levels and it is thriving.

This is the one

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31559373@N00/756343481/

There are others which have golden leaves all over

thanks anchorman, i like ivies, lovely shapes and colours, also trailing makes a different shape in with others.

Look for plants with purple backs to the leaves. This is a sure sign of plants that live in the gloom on the forest floor. Plants to consider could be from several genera such as Begonia (rex types), Maranta or Prayer plant, Saxifraga (S. stolonifera), some Peperomia's, Draceana (some), Tradescantia (some), Hypoestes (Polka Dot Plant).

The above plants mentioned are of course all fine too. There are loads more of course especially if a little extra humidity (gravel tray) is provided.

Along with Aspidistra, did you know that Aucuba japonica used to be grown as a house plant in Victorian parlours. Likes similar conditions too if not the drying out between waterings.

I grew a boston fern in a hanging macrame holder (with pot) in Canada and it grew well in low light....just needed a good soak once in awhile (due to central heating) and a regular misting. Might that work....doesn't take any floor space!

I also grew "baby tears" successfully. Hope you can find some plants that she will enjoy tending in her flat...it's a big change from having a garden to potter in.

many many thanks,
you are very knowledgeable fractal;
i shall now be able to go off to the garden centre armed with a list
i remember baby tears, its very sweet and ferns are lovely too ~ thanks whistonlass

A note of caution, though, Stickitoffee - if she's moved into sheltered accommodation, I know what those places can be like - rabbit hutches, basically. The enemy of most houseplants is hot, dry air, so bear in mind the plants need to be sited away from heat sources, and you may need to buy her a mister to keep up the humidity levels.

its true bamboo, thank you ~ i could get the mister and she could maybe keep one or two in the bathroom
to be truthful she is quite houseproud so i have to be careful anyway!!!

Not if there's no daylight in the bathroom,she can't...

oh dear. she could mist them in the bathroom ~ in the shower and then bring them out into a room with a view?

There is another way round it,Stickitoffee - if the air is hot and dry, a pebble tray might be the answer - this is a tray that sticks out beyond the pot by at least an inch, preferably more, all round, filled with attractive pebbles, and kept topped up with water so the pebbles are half in, half out of the water. Plant pot gets stood on top, not in the water - the water in the tray evaporates, keeping the air moist around the plant.

that is very helpful bamboo ~ thank you. i think it would look very nice too. can i put more than one plant in that arrangement?

If you mean in the same pot, depends on the plants you use - both the Dracaenas mentioned are best as specimen plants, but the Spathyphyllum and Mother in Law's tongue could be in a large pot together, along with perhaps some ivy, though all will need dividing eventually. Watch ivy in pots too - they do tend to take over if not hoiked out once a year and torn in half...

ok, thank you ~ im cutting and pasting all this information so i can take it along to the GC when i choose her plants ~ i would have been a bit stuck otherwise ~ many thanks

My Mum had a grape ivy she grew in a fireplace - and it got pretty big!! Cuttings took easily, so used to replace the parent when it started to take over the room. :-)

Grape Ivy, blimey, a blast from the past - Rhoicissus rhomboidea, but there's also Rhoicissus 'Ellen danica',the Mermaid Vine. All tolerate shady conditions well, but I recall best grown in a hanging planter, otherwise they need a frame for support. Now very difficult to find in garden centres...

i will let you know what i find! its a big GC! i think it won an award for its indoor plant section, although im sure the indoor plants now have a much smaller amount than they used to have

It's quite noticeable now that most garden centres and places like Homebase, etc., DO have much smaller houseplant sections - perhaps they're not so fashionable as they once were, but I've been looking for Fatshedera for ages, haven't found one in 3 years, used to be always in the houseplant section

Fashion rules in the indoor plant world as well as everywhere else, I guess.

You off to Webbs then,Sticki ? Hope you find something suitable for your mother in law..so much choice,reading all these suggestions ...:o)

i expect so bloomer!
fatshedera is in the shady section plants round here bamboo, i got mine in the cotswolds this summer, i love it.

Just goes to show what poorly resourced garden centres I have in my area, where its neither in nor outside, and you get 'we don't know what we're going to get sent' from the staff if you ask them to order it. It's like going into a cheap clothing store... except its not cheap. Wyevale, of course...

unusual for london to be not so good at resources. i must be very lucky here. the biggest GC near here grows quite a lot of its own plants ~ thats how it was set up, but also brings things in, they are good at advice too. their shrubs are guaranteed for 5 years ~ not bad!!

Hi there i have just taken cuttings of good old fashioned coleus and they are beautiful colours they seem very easy to keep and are such stunning plants the foliage is wonderful colours. Also they work well out doors so you could always nip a bit off for your borders, i also have an umbrella plant which is also a good one it seems to be quite robust and is very pretty to look at . jewells :)

they sound lovely jewells, i remember my mum keeping coleus, i think in the fireplace!!??
i notice you live in suffolk ~ my youngest son lives there and has recently bought a house ~ not so far from newmarket/bury st edmonds, they seem to have quite sandy soil and face south. they bought the show home so there are a few shrubs that have grown too large in the back garden ~ such as bamboo which is coming up everywhere! what do you do with bamboo to keep it under control?
thanks for the suggestions ~ they are great.