How to nail the foliage trend in each room of your house
“Houseplants can have enormous impact in a living room because there are so many areas to display them,” says Kara.
“Follow the fashion for hanging planters - in macrame, metal or marble - and attach them to the ceiling to create a ‘green screen’. Or invest in a set of open shelves, fill with potted plants to make a room divider. Quirky containers for foliage - such as vintage hampers will inject personality into a setting”
How to display: Surfaces from mantels to shelves, windowsills and side tables are perfect homes for plants. If you have the space, go to town with a group of different sized, floor-standing architectural palms to create a focal point.
What to pick: Palms, weeping figs or finger trees are all conversation pieces. Choose plants in foliage colours to complement your ornaments or colour scheme, such as trailing plants, English ivy, chain cactus; or flowering plants such as flamingo flower, pink quill or vanda orchids.
“Herbs are an obvious choice, as they’re attractive, an invaluable cooking ingredient and their fragrance can mask odours.”
How to display: Try placing a large container of mixed herbs on a table, or plant individual varieties of herbs in matching pots and line them up along a shelf, a windowsill, or a work surface.
What to pick: Chives, coriander, mint, basil. They prefer a light, bright position such as a sunny windowsill and regular water and occasional misting. Ideally, buy plants from a garden centre as they’ll last longer. Asplenium ferns, echeveria succulents and moth orchids also thrive in kitchens with lots of light.
“Most bathrooms tend to fall into one of two camps: light and humid, or dark and humid. While light levels are obviously a key consideration when choosing plants for any space, with a bathroom you need to select humidity-loving plants above all,” advises Kara.
How to display: Arrange plants so they’re within your sight line when taking a soak in the tub or a shower. In a small space, choose miniature varieties and dot them amongst your lotions and potions.
What to pick: Cacti and most succulents are an absolute no-no. Orchids, ferns, aloes and palms all like humidity and can also tolerate fluctuations in temperature. Trailing plants work well, including spider plants; heart-leaf philodendron and chestnut vine. Foliage plants are a better choice for a dark bathroom as flowering plants generally need higher levels of light.