What type of plants for an out of reach window sill?

[green thumb]

Hi, we have a window sill in our house approx. 3m above floor level which we would like to put plants on.

The window is quite large (2.5m x 2.5m) and ideally we would like to put a big ferm or other big green leafy plant up there. However access is difficult and the window gets a lot of sun (facing SE). Do you know of any suitable plants that can handle infrequent watering and lots of sun. Someone suggested cactus but I'm not keen on spikes.

Also is there watering device for this type of problem. The sort of thing with a resovoiur that can be replenished via a simple pipe nearer the ground?

[gardening_guru]

Hello,

Here are some ideas for your windowsill, I have personal experience of growing most of these and have found them to need very little watering and tolerant of full sun. As a rule, any plants that have succulent or leathery leaves will do really well in the situation you have described.

Plants to consider:

Ficus elastica (Rubber plant)
Sansevieria trifasciata (Mother-in-law’s tongue)
Allamanda cathartica
Tillandsia group of plants (The Air plants) These literally live off the air, taking moisture from humid air and nutrients from dust particles.
Chlorophytum comosum vittatum (Spider Plant)
Why not consider growing some Geraniums here, (Pelargonium) They would love it there and need very little watering.
Schefflera actinophylla
The Crassula Genus of plants which includes plants like the Money Plant

Do you grow any orchids indoors? I am quite sure that Cymbidiums for example (probably the most common and easiest to grow type of orchid to grow in the U.K.) would really benefit from a summer being baked on such a windowsill, they would require very little watering and such treatment is a well known way to improve orchid flowering.

The key to success I think for you will not necessarily be the watering or the sunlight level but keeping the air moist around the chosen plants. It would be good if the plants were standing on trays of damp pebbles. This would increase the humidity around the plants) I can’t really help you regarding a watering system but I would be tempted to try and rig up a home made system maybe using a wick system absorbing water from ground level up to the trays of pebbles?

Hope I have set you on your way to the solution….

Regards, George.