One of the many joys of having a conservatory or orangery is that you can fill it with the plants you love, especially over the winter months.

But your extension can and should be so much more than just a parking place for plants which are vulnerable to frost. With the right choices, it can become an indoor winter garden – and you won’t have to spend a fortune to keep it heated to the right temperature.

Thanks to the heat from the house, warmth is trapped quite well in conservatories. In milder winters and parts of the country, i.e. in most conservatories in Worthing and around, the inside temperature stays around freezing on cold nights, even unheated. For longer cold snaps, consider a fan heater or oil-filled electric radiator.

Many plants require a temperature of at least 4.4°C and you can keep the temperature and the heating bill sensible with a thermostatically controlled electric fan heater.

Clean first

For a start-off, clear everything out of your conservatory so that you are making the most of the weak winter light. You also need clean windowsills, floor and shelves. It’s also a good time to make sure you have spotless windows, inside and out. Once everything’s dry, you can start replacing items of furniture and putting in plants.

Tender patio plants for overwintering

Lightly prune woody plants like oleander, acacia, brugmansia and abutilon before you bring them in, so that they are smaller and more shaped. At the same time, take off yellow or dead leaves and wipe pots. Stand them in big plant-pot saucers and arrange small plants on the shelves of your conservatory.

Temporary winter-flowering pot plants will really brighten up your conservatory tables, shelves and windowsills.

Permanent plants in your conservatory

Larger climbers trained to go around the roof or plants in raised beds should be tidied and pruned as necessary. (But if they are still flowering, hang fire for a few weeks.)

Winter exotics

These can look almost subtropical at their best! Even on very cold nights, little heat is needed. One idea is the evergreen shrub correa, whose nodding bell-shaped blooms last into the spring.

Hardy foliage plants

These, again, create winter showcase displays without much need for heat. If space is tight, go for evergreen alpines. Meanwhile early spring flowering shrubs like camellia add splashes of seasonal colour and will bloom earlier than normal if kept under cover.

Finally, remember to water plants as little as you can bear over the winter to prevent rotting.

Equally, ensure humidity stays low and try to open windows where you can, and use a fan heater to dispel moist air. Don’t feed plants over the winter – but keep an eye out for pests like greenfly which can breed all year round under cover.