The double-whammy of Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day both fall on the same day this year. Rather than crowding your home with equal parts roses and pussy willows, how about trying your hand at the nerve plant, which comes in brilliant colours to brighten up your festive season?

Did You Know?
The genus Fittonia was named after Elizabeth and Sarah Mary Fitton, authors of botanical literature.

Nerve plants are excellent candidates for growing inside terrariums. Two small leaved cultivars are used in this example, namely, ‘White Star’ (right) and ‘Forest Flame’ (left).

The nerve plant, also known as mosaic plant and snakeskin plant, is a popular houseplant known for its showy foliage. It belongs to the genus Fittonia. You might not have previously taken a fancy to this plant, due to the rather mundane range of cultivars that have been available for sale for a long time. But your opinion of nerve plants may take a dramatic turn once you see the range of new compact-growing cultivars, with their array of interesting and never-before-seen foliar characteristics!

The usual nerve plants have large green leaves, which are categorised into Verschaffeltii and Argyroneura groups with red and white veins respectively. 'Nana' is a miniature version of the latter with small leaves. Growers have now managed to 'widen' the colourful veins and breed varieties with leaves that are 'flooded' with the colour of the veins.

There also are new cultivars with irregular, serrated or wavy leaf edges. Some have leaves that are long and narrow which are arranged around the stem in a star-like manner. Gardeners are now spoilt for choice.

Other cultivars with pink veins will make excellent Valentine's Day gifts. 'Royal Flame' is one such cultivar with large leaves and wavy leaf edges. Notable smaller leafed cultivars in varying shades of pink include 'Pink Forest Flame', 'Zalm Forest' and 'Revolution'.

Red, the colour of prosperity, is the hue of choice during the Chinese New Year season. There are new Fittonia cultivars with intensely red leaves that rise to the occasion, such as 'Red Star', 'Tiger' and 'Forest Flame'. 'Jolly Josan' is a unique variety with leaves that have red veins against a gold background.

Some plants have white veins, to add contrast to the pink- and red-veined varieties. Look out for 'King's Cross' which features almost white leaves with serrated leaf margins. 'White Star' has small, narrow leaves that are also almost white in colour, while 'Raindrop' features small leaves with a touch of pink against white.

Native to the dim and moist understorey of Peruvian tropical forests, nerve plants are also highly suitable for growing inside terrariums. Coupled with an assortment of creative hardscape elements such as sticks, coloured straws, ornamental stones, and seashells, a very innovative display can be achieved when several plants are grouped inside a dish garden. These plants are also good for trailing over the edge of hanging baskets and window boxes.

With all these varieties of nerve plants available for your choosing, your home and garden can be attractively and tastefully coloured in the rosy hues of love and good fortune this February 14!

Care Tips for Fittonias Light - Filtered sunshine is required to keep fittonias compact and to retain leaf colouration. Avoid exposing the plants to direct sun. Remember to turn the plants regularly, to maintain a symmetrical growth pattern. Soil - Fittonias are best potted up with well-draining soil mix that is friable (i.e. fluffy and open), and concocted for container gardening. Water - Water fittonias enough to keep the soil just moist. Fertiliser - Coated, slow-release fertiliser pellets are usually sufficient for fittonias. Adhere to the manufacturer's recommendations for the amount and frequency, and apply well away from the plant stems. Pests & Diseases - Fittonias are usually problem-free, though they may be infested by mealy bugs. To avoid root rot, the soil should not be constantly wet. Propagation - Fittonias are easily multiplied by stem-cuttings. Coat the cut ends of stem-cuttings with some rooting hormone, to promote the rooting process.

All fittonias in this article can be found at HortMart by Far East Flora, located in HortPark - The Gardening Hub (33 Hyderabad Road Singapore 119578, Tel: 64735649).

By Wilson Wong & Pearl Ho

Jolly Josan’, with its auspicious foliage colours, is an excellent Lunar New Year festive plant. You can add interest to the arrangement by adding twigs that have been sprayed gold. ‘Tiger’ is a cultivar with deep red leaves that makes it suitable as a Lunar New Year display plant.

You can turn a ring of white-leafed ‘Snow Anne’ into a unique Valentine’s Day gift, by adding a couple of pink rose buds

‘Matrix’, a cultivar with vivid red leaves, contrasts attractively against a green ceramic pot.

You can combine two cultivars with different coloured leaves for impact. Shown here are ‘Zalm Forest’ which has pink leaves, and ‘Raindrop’ that has white leaves with a touch of pink.

‘Kings Cross’ is a unique cultivar with leaves that are almost entirely white, coupled with serrated green margins.