As a senior projects manager for Ambius (ambius.com), a company that provides plants to offices, Denise Eichmann knows her greenery. She offers several tips on houseplants:

• Peat-free compost is suitable for all indoor plants.

• Variegated plants — those with leaves with white edges or white flecks — often need more light than their green cousins.

• Plants acclimatize slowly to different surroundings by changing their leaf orientation and structure. Try not to move them around; they might not adapt as easily as you think.

• Prune plants regularly to keep them from becoming leggy.

• Don't dump leftover tea or coffee into plant containers. The sugars left in the compost make it an ideal breeding ground for bugs.

• Use trough planters as natural screens. They reduce noise and are useful as barriers.

• For information on houseplants and their care: plantcare.com, gflora.com or urbanext.illinois.edu/houseplants.