I used to think “the more the better” with plants. Basically, anywhere I had space and light for a plant, I would try to include one. I just loved growing plants. This resulted in an indoor jungle, which may appeal to some, but it ended up getting a little too much for me in the end. Nowadays, growing plants is still one of my passions, but I’ve combined this passion with discernment and an emerging eye for aesthetic appeal. I like to think that I have the plant care aspect of this down pat, but my skills in arranging plants in rooms for aesthetic purposes (while still ensuring that the plants can thrive) are still in their nascency. As such, I’m not an expert on decor, but in this article, I’ll be sharing some beautiful photos and products which I find exciting, along with some tips or suggestions for decor which we can garner from the images.
1. Hang up your trailing plants
Okay, so maybe not everyone is down to put holes in their walls. Try hanging plants from sturdy curtain rods, or mount them onto the wall with those removable mounting adhesive strips. You could also put them on tall shelves and allow them to trail down. Anything that allows your plants to cascade down like a waterfall of green can add a lot of interest to your space. In rooms with bright light, try a string of pearls. For those with medium light, use a pothos plant, and in low light, use a philodendron (though preferably one without variegation, like a micans).
2. Put your propagations in test tubes
On this page, The Sorry Girls teach us how to DIY a whole bunch of stuff. My favourite is this test tube propagation station. It’s chic, minimal, and you can mount it to a wall, too, if you want an extra wood textured element to tie in with wooden furniture around the room. I’ll be posting soon about which plants can be grown in water.
3. Height, height, height!
I found the image above on Pinterest, but the stands on it are actually available on Etsy here. This is not a paid promotion, it’s just me deciding that the plant stands look cool, and that I would totally get them. If you have tall plants to create height, that’s great. However, you can also create height without huge plants. Use plant stands to display your plants. In fact, plant stands allow more effective use of space, as plants can be stored vertically, meaning you can put a pot at the foot of the stand, underneath the plant on the stand. One way to maximise use of the stands in this way is to grow a mining plant at the foot fo the stand and allow it to climb the legs of the stand as a trellis.
4. Wardian cases
I saw this case on Pinterest, but it’s made by a company called H Potter. I can’t say I know much about them, and once again, I’m not being paid to promote. I’m simply letting you know where I saw it in case anyone wants to buy it. That being said, if I were to buy a product like this, I would wait until COVID-19 related quarantine restrictions are lifted to see if it’s possible to pick it up instead of getting it delivered. The panes of glass are quite big, and will likely break in the mail, even if labeled fragile.
Plants that grow well in these include:
- syngonium podophyllum
- calathea/maranta
- Scindapsus pictus
- English ivy
- air plant
- Alocasia
5. Use mirrors
It is a well known fact that people use mirrors in interior design to create the illusion of space and depth. Using mirrors with plants is great, because it doubles the amount of foliage you see in the reflection, thus creating a fuller appearance for plants placed right in front of the mirror.
That’s all from me, folks! Get decorating!
Plantboye 