Current design trends are all about extending the inside of your home outside and bringing the outdoors indoors. The expansion of outdoor entertaining areas and the use of indoor plants are reminding us to focus on how important it is to live close to nature. Chloe Warren, from The Greenery Sydney, shows us how…
Not only for design focus but also because of the many health benefits that being close to nature brings. I am a huge advocate for being close to nature and believe it nurtures our soul. Utilising indoor plants in the home has been proven to not only improve air quality but also increase our wellbeing by up to 60% (research conducted by RMIT, 2018).
Using indoor plants in your home can also be an easy way to add an element of style to enhance any aesthetic. It softens the room and effortlessly brings life to the space.
Don’t be scared off by not having a green thumb, there are a large amount of low maintenance indoor plants available such as the following options:
ZANZIBAR GEM
This plant thrives on neglect. Yes, you heard correctly. If you feel as though you would rather use fake plants, please just give this one a try first. It is a compact plant that produces thick stems with hardy, glossy green leaves. It definitely tolerates low light but can also survive a long time without water, I know this for a fact as it was one of my first ever indoor plants. I am sure it went more than two months without a single water and didn’t suffer at all.
EPIPREMNUM (POTHOS)
Aka Devils ivy is a fantastic low light plant that is very easy to care for. If you have a dark bathroom, this trailing plant will love the humid environment. Place it in any area for a lift of colour and to make it even more versatile it can be left as a trailing plant to hang down or across shelves, but it can also be trained up a totem if you are looking for something with a bit of height.
SANSEVIERIA
Aka Mother in law’s tongue or snake plant are so hardy that they will grow in full sun and in low light. How versatile and adaptable are these amazing plants! They are also great air purifiers so make a great addition to have in your home.
To make life even easier, choose self-watering planters, they are available at most garden supply stores and will require less maintenance from you by holding its own reservoir of water below, allowing the plant to draw up moisture as it is needed.
Once you have tried these low maintenance plants and realise they aren’t too hard to care for and that having a green thumb isn’t so hard after all, it won’t be long before you are out on the hunt searching for more plants to add to your home. It may be time to go on a search for your statement piece.
Making a statement with a feature plant doesn’t always mean it has to be large, it can be an element of intrigue with an interesting or unusual plant that makes it stand out. Statement pieces work well in the central living areas that are frequently occupied by members of the family and guests. To decide what will work best in your space, first decide if your space allows you to go big and bold or if you would prefer something small to medium that will spark interest with its point of difference. There are such a huge range of plants that you can keep inside the home and they aren’t all as hard to care for as you would think.
Here are some of our favourite indoor plants that we would use as features for styling in the home and our hot tips to go with them:
SCHEFFLERA AMATE
Also known as the Umbrella tree, the Schefflera Amate is a bold statement piece, featuring large glossy green leaves. It is more disease resistant and hardier than the smaller leaf variety- Arboricola. This beautiful feature plant is much easier to care for than the fiddle leaf fig and we can expect to see more of them popping up in people’s homes. The Amate will thrive in bright, indirect light but will tolerate medium light conditions. Do not overwater these beautiful trees, they do like a good watering, but they definitely need time to dry out in between.
FIDDLE LEAF FIG, FICUS LYRATE
The ‘IT’ plant that seems to never go out of fashion. By now, I’m sure we have all heard about the Fiddle leaf fig. The statement plant that everyone is keen to have and keen to master. Once you know a little bit about plants, the Fiddle leaf fig really isn’t too difficult to look after. Keep it in a bright place that doesn’t get direct sunlight and water moderately. Sounds like most indoor plants, right? Well it is, but also keep it away from draughty areas such as hallways, entrances an air conditioners and keep the leaves clean by wiping them down regularly when dusty.
MONSTERA ADANSONII
This stunning vine can be a little harder to come by, although it seems many house plant enthusiasts and interior stylists are eager to get their hands on this one sooner rather than later. It can be a fragile plant as the leaves are quite delicate due to the large number of fenestrations (holes) it can have; however, it is more tolerant of lower light conditions and is easy enough to care for when the time is taken to understand its requirements. They are a talking point that don’t require a lot of space to stand out, they will grow as a long vine so can be hooked along a wall or shelf, but their stunning leaves will always grab your attention.
OLEA EUROPAEA
Olive trees make such a beautiful statement in rustic, modern and bohemian styled homes. They don’t thrive indoors, so it is best to be able to get a size that is easily moved outdoors every few months or one that you are happy to then plant outside after four to five years. Looking at your preference of design in your home will help you choose the style of pot or planter you need. There is a huge range to choose from and don’t feel as though you are limited to only indoor pots, outdoor pots can be utilised inside by adding an internal drip tray.
Use these helpful tips to assist you in choosing the right planter:
- What is my interior design style? Modern, Rustic, Industrial, Scandinavian, Zen Luxe, Bohemian, Mid- century, Coastal etc.
- What planter ties in with my interior design style? Brass, Concrete, Timber, Handmade pottery, Woven baskets etc.
- Have fun with it, keep plants in their plastic nursery pot and place them inside their decorative planter so that you can easily change things around and restyle your plants.
- Remember that bringing plants into the home shouldn’t be a stressful task, take your time with it and choose the ones you feel you can easily care for and enjoy the growing and caring process.
CHLOE WARREN is a plant cultivator from the Yarra Ranges, Victoria and the founder and director of The Greenery Sydney. Her passion for indoor plants made her determined to share her enthusiasm here in Sydney, by providing people with the high-quality plants they desire and the knowledge they need to keep them thriving.
Photo by Prudence Earl on Unsplash