Welcome these 4 garden plants indoors this winter, as they double up as leafy houseplants

Winter brings with it harsh, freezing weather conditions, and it's something many plants in our gardens simply can't survive. So what better way to protect them than to bring them indoors and enjoy them all season long?

While you're sorting your garden out this season, you've probably noticed that some of your plants are already starting to feel the effects of the cold, wet weather. And while many tender plants need to be taken indoors this season, there are a few that enjoy more than just overwintering. Instead, they'll happily live in your home until the warmer weather arrives.

That's right, gardening guru Ish (@gardening.with.ish on Instagram) has shared the four garden plants that can thrive indoors and happily hide away from the winter weather.

Although you may already know how to protect your garden from frost and rain, some plants simply won't survive the drop in temperatures. But that doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to them just yet.

"Save your plants from winter frost by using them as house plants over winter. Some plants actually work really well as plants you can grow indoors, too," begins Ish.

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1. Geraniums and begonias

Geraniums are fantastic garden plants as they flower pretty much nonstop and really liven up your space. And begonias are one of the very best flowering houseplants you can have in your home, so it's no wonder Ish recommends the two.

"The first on my list are geraniums and begonias, whilst they’re not hardy outside and the frost will definitely finish them off. You can actually use some varieties as houseplants, whether it be your standard or even some of your hanging ones," Ish explains.

"They’ll stay quite well in indirect sunlight and don’t let the soil dry out, as a result, they’ll be fine. But the cool thing is you can even plant them back up in spring and keep them going, almost like perennials," he adds.

2. Fatsia Japonica

As one of the best garden plants every plot needs, you might recognise these stunning leafy plants. Well, the good news is that you can even enjoy them indoors over winter.

"Next up is the fatsia japonica, now not many realise this, but the fatsia japonica not only does well in a shady area in the garden with a little bit of moist soil, but it can actually tolerate a slight bit of drought, meaning it does quite well as a houseplant," points out Ish.

He recommends placing them in indirect sunlight and says, "You can use your traditional ones and even the spider web variety, and they do really well, give them a nice decent-sized pot to grow into because they can get quite large, and they’re easy to prune too, so they’re not going to take over your house."

3. Ferns

Whether you've got these as patio container plants or sprawling on a raised rockery, ferns are truly stunning additions to any garden. And they're just as fantastic for inside your home, too.

Showing his own fern plant, Ish starts, "Now you can probably see this fern is done for the season. Here it will die back and will grow back anew in the garden."

"However, smaller varieties of ferns actually do really well as houseplants as well. Shade-loving plants don’t mind being houseplants, but just remember, don’t overwater them and keep them all claggy because that’ll attract flies. We don’t want any of that in our house," he continues.

The last thing you want is to be wondering how to get rid of tiny black flies swarming your home, so it's best to keep watering to a minimum.

4. Cordyline

Cordylines have quite a reputation as one of the toughest plants for the tough places in your garden. So it's no surprise that they can quickly adapt to life inside your home.

"My final choice is the cordyline, and in fact, most palms actually work really well as houseplants. Again, they're drought-tolerant, don’t mind indirect sunlight, and as a result, they’ll absolutely thrive. If you give this a nice airy space as well, they look really good," states Ish.

Ish finishes by warning against overwatering. Whilst you may know how often to water your indoor plants, you must be careful with these garden plants, especially.

"So there are a lot of things you can use in the garden directly indoors as houseplants, but remember, never overwater them because that’s how you get fungus gnats. Keep them fairly happy so they don’t go dry, and they’ll stay perfectly fine just like the rest," he says.