Green up your gaff
immerse yourself in nature – indoors and out – with these simple expert tips
Climb the walls
‘Using wall-mounted planters brings walls to life,’ says Tiffany Grant-riley of @curatedisplay. ‘Trailing varieties include Senecio, Peperomia Rontundifolia and Pothos.’
Stage a show
‘Plants in the centre of a garden, where light can stream through the leaves and petals, give the wow factor,’ says Emily Hillier of Emily Hillier Garden Design. ‘Here, evergreen architectural plants, such as Trachycarpus fortunei and Cordyline australis, combine with purple alliums. Crocosmia “Hellfire” and Canna “Durban” will pick up the colour of the chairs.’
Be tactile
‘Think texture,’ says designer Ula Maria, author of Green: Simple Ideas For Small Outdoor Spaces (Mitchell Beazley). ‘Rough, smooth, matte or glossy – combinations of plants create a distinctive atmosphere, be it slick and contemporary or aged and characterful. Plants here include Euphorbia mellifera, Stipa tenuissima, Fragaria vesca and Deschampsia cespitosa “Goldtau”.’
Think big!
‘A giant indoor plant looks amazing and really helps to bring the outside in. Plus one large plant is easier to look after than several smaller ones,’ says Emma Sibley, author of Little Book, Big Plants (Quadrille). ‘One of my favourites is the Kentia palm, which is pretty tolerant. Water once every week or two in summer, less in winter. It’s a good idea to regularly mist the leaves to prevent crispy tips.’
Do your homework
‘The most important starting point with houseplants is to find out where the plant originates from,’ says Nik Southern of Grace & Thorn. ‘Is it the desert, or the rainforest? Once you know, do your best to emulate the plant’s natural environment in your home and you will see it thrive. Take succulents – they are desert plants so love the sun and, being drought-resistant, they store water in their leaves. So keep their habitat bright and sunny and water only sparingly.’
Branch out
‘Trees prefer to be in the ground but, with the right conditions and given extra care and attention, they can be happy for a number of years in containers,’ says Butter Wakefield of Butter Wakefield Garden Design. ‘To thrive, big trees must get the right amount of water and nutrients and be planted with the right depth of drainage, subsoil and top soil. Sit the rootball about 5cm below the top of the container to allow for a top dressing of fine composted bark to help keep moisture in.’
Play dress up
‘Think out of the box – or in this case, out of the plant pot!’ says Igor Josifovic, co-author of Plant Tribe: Living Happily Ever After With Plants (Abrams Books). ‘Plants don’t need to always be displayed in a regular plant pot on a shelf. Here, a branch has been used to hang Tillandsias, an air plant. Fixed with some wire, this mimics the plant’s natural way of growing. Place a branch like this in a corner to bring the natural vibe into your home.’
Take it easy
‘Don’t let the death of houseplants put you off having another go,’ says Rachel Marin from online store Patch Plants. ‘Everyone is capable of developing their green thumb. The best way to do it is to start with easy-to-please plants, such as Sansevieria [below], Sansevieria Zeylanica, Aspiditra, Zaioculcas, Zamioculcas Raven and Dracaena Fragrans. We call them “the unkillables”.’
Get the gloss
‘Dust the leaves of your houseplants once every month or two, or when you notice they aren’t glossy,’ says plant enthusiast Ron Goh of @mrcigar. ‘Dust will block the sunlight and slow it down. The plant also doesn’t look that healthy or cared for if it’s grubby. Leaf-shine spray is a good investment if you really want them looking great.’
Style a shelfie
‘When it comes to plant shelfies, the messier the better! Mixing different shapes, sizes and textures of plants creates a real jungle feel that we are currently drooling over,’ says Brandy Baker of House of Plants Lovers (find them on Facebook). ‘With such a variety of plants, keep the pots in neutral colours with the odd quirky one thrown in.’
Think creatively
‘In gardening there are no mistakes – even if you kill a plant – only experiments,’ says botanist James Wong of @botanygeek. ‘If I had never experimented, I would never have made this coffee “territable” (or should that be “tablerarium”?). I took a second-hand table and sat a very shallow aluminium tray (find them in pet shops; they are used to line animal cages) where the magazine rack is. I filled the tray with compost and planted it up with shade-loving, forestfloor species, such as Pileas and Selaginellas. It gives me joy.’
Shape up
‘Cacti add character, texture and a highly sculptural form,’ says Gynelle Leon of cactus shop Prick (prickldn.com). ‘Make a statement with one large architectural specimen or group smaller plants in odd numbers and in similar pots. Less well known ones include Astrophytum asterias, Echinopsis chamaecereus, Mammillaria elongata and Rhipsalis baccifera.’