Greenery can bring the outdoors inside during cooler months
The warm weather may have decided to linger longer this year, but soon it will be time to pack up the patio and cosy up indoors. For those who want to bring a little Mother Nature inside, houseplants have been enjoying a resurgence in popularity, meaning more choice at garden centres and at florists that offer interesting, mantle-worthy specimens that go beyond the standard African violet.
Take a look at Instagram and there are multiple accounts of inspiring houseplant décor photos with account names like @urbanjungleblog, @thejungalow and @thepottedjungle. But we’re not talking about a few potted plants in these rooms.
The word “jungle” is taken quite literally here. Avid indoor gardeners are creating lush, indoor sanctuaries by strategically placing and hanging houseplants among their hip, impeccably styled stuff.
The bonus is a lot of these leafy greens that are being used to decorate also purify the air. Boston fern, spider plants, dracaena, Mother-in-law’s tongue and sansevieria, among others, are all champions in NASA’s Clean Air Study. They naturally remove toxins, such as benzene and formaldehyde, from the air.
Pascale Harster of Harster Greenhouses has also seen demand for this trend where there are less flowering plants used to decorate and more greenery. Cactus and succulents fall into this category, as well as Crispy Wave, a sculpted fern and natural air purifier that the Flamborough, Ont.based grower secured the rights to in North America. The greenhouse is also growing one of the latest plant crazes, Pilea, which Harster describes as “very minimalist,” for a 2018 release date. Google the plant and it looks like something you’d find in a Dr. Seuss book.
For those who are dubious about their green thumbs, it may be wise to start small, rather than going for a whole collection all at once. Lowmaintenance succulents and air plants are a great start.
And there is a plethora of interesting vessels for plants these days, from hanging terrariums to burlapwrapped terracotta. Living wall kits allow you to hang your plants like artwork on the wall. And of course self-watering containers are a great because they release the water when the plant needs it. Keep an eye out for this invention for both indoor and outdoor use.
If you want to add a splash of colour to a room, miniature versions of common houseplants, such as cyclamen, kalanchoe and poinsettias, have become popular. They are likely good impulse purchases because of their cuteness factor, but also great host gifts — even though John Oliver, host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, recently said houseplants aren’t a gift, they’re an assignment.
And according to surveys, people think miniature plants are easier to maintain than bigger varieties, even if that’s not necessarily the case, says Florence Vaux of MOREL Diffusion, a France-based company that specializes in cyclamen production. Cyclamen make great houseplants because of their long-lasting bloom time and vibrant colour options. “It is like chromotherapy during the winter months,” she says.
MOREL Diffusion shows its line of Smartiz miniature cyclamen in bigger arrangements, such as a centre- piece, and in trendy pots that could be used as placeholders at a dinner party.
Of course if you have plants still growing out in your garden in the fall, you can bring some indoors to keep them going throughout the winter. Bring pots of herbs indoors (if they haven’t gone to seed) and make a kitchen windowsill their new home. Other annuals, like colourful coleus, are a shame to toss, and can be brought indoors to keep them warm over the winter.
On her site, GetBusyGardening.com, Amy Andrychowicz recommends bringing plants inside before the cooler weather hits — if you leave it too late, plants could drop their leaves. She also provides thorough instructions about how to debug your non-edible plants to ensure you aren’t bringing any houseplant menaces inside with you.
If you have pets and you’re starting your houseplant collection from scratch, it’s important to do a little research before you buy, as some houseplants are toxic to cats and dogs. As far as plant care goes, different plants are going to have different light and watering requirements. Read the plant’s tag and ask for ad- vice.
“Don’t fuss too much,” says Harster. “Usually people kill the plants because they water or fertilize them too much. Sometimes you can forget about them a little bit and they’ll thrive on their own.”