INDOOR PLANTS
Adding greenery to home decor
Technically, it may be spring out there but unlike Victoria, B.C., where residents recently celebrated the annual Flower Count, here in Montreal most trees still haven’t bloomed and even finding a patch of lush green grass takes some doing.
If you’re longing for some greenery, the thing to do is to add it to your home decor. A plant or two — especially the flowering variety — can turn out to be a small addition that has a big impact. There’s something soothing about being surrounded by living things, and there’s an endless array of varieties you can introduce at home, from low-maintenance potted houseplants to flowering ones, edibles, and many more. What you choose, and where you decide to place it, will ultimately determine just how green your thumb is.
“First, we ask where the customer is going to put the plant and what type of light the plants will receive,” said Benoit Godin, president and designer at Vertuose.
“After you find a good location, you want to know more about caring for that variety. We make little informational sheets for our clients to make sure that, after they go home, they know how to care for their plants. You need to know each type of plant and what they require, and that takes a little bit of time.”
Plants can go in virtually any room of the house, as long as it has the right type of light.
Sonia Liby, vice-president at Alphaplantes, said the best place, surprisingly, is in the bathroom.
“The humidity is very good for plants, especially ones like orchids,” she explained. “And when you have a window in the bathroom with orchids, it’s one of the first things you see to start off your day — a view with orchids. It’s beautiful.”
When in doubt about where to position a plant in your home, opt for floor plants, Liby suggested. Even in a more modest space, they can make a big impression.
“For other types, like hanging plants, it depends on the space, the environment, and how the space is used.
“Hanging plants are really better for offices, where floor space is limited. If you have a spot for one, it’s going to be nice, but usually we don’t recommend that because it breaks the harmony of the decor.” A hanging plant in front of the window, for example, will intrude on the view. They’re better suited within a grouping of plants in a corner of a room.
Edibles might seem like a good choice; they’re not only beautiful but can be used in cooking, too. Liby said, however, that they’re hard to maintain indoors. Herbs won’t last longer than a few weeks in indoor pots. But small citrus plants are a good option when you want to grow something inside that can be used or eaten.
Decorating with flora is not just about the variety itself — it’s also about the container in which it is kept. Too often, people choose a decorative pot or urn for a living plant, only to discover it rusts or leaks over time.
“The planters have to be practical as well as waterproof, and usually what is needed is a good installation service,” Liby said. “If you have a beautiful Chinese planter with the hole in the bottom and you don’t have the plate to put under it, we can install the plant with waterproof liners in the right size to make sure it’s well-kept. We will decorate the top with a quality moss so it’s easy to take care of.”
Finally, if you don’t trust your hand at maintaining something that is alive, preserved plants are a wonderful alternative because they require no hands-on work.
“Preserved plants are treated to keep their freshness; they can even be arranged so that they are hung on the wall like a frame,” Godin said.
Invite the outside in, and give your home an organic, serene feeling with the addition of greenery. You’ll take pride in maintaining the plants, and you’ll love being able to admire them. Do a bit of research to ensure you’re getting the right variety for the environment in which it will be kept, and you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labour for years to come.