How to Decorate Your Home with Houseplants
So, you brought home some new houseplants, but aren’t sure where to put them? The good news is, houseplants breathe life into our homes, literally! So while there are many ways to decorate with them, no matter how you stage them or what color pot you put them in, live plants will improve air quality and keep your living areas lush.
For those of us who prefer our indoor plants to match the aesthetics of our homes, there are ways to stage plants so they not only look their best, but also thrive in the right conditions. Whether you are working with small plants, like succulents, or large plants, like the fiddle leaf fig tree, we can help.
Here’s how to put your eye for design and your green thumb to good use!
First—Consider Your Houseplant’s Needs
Different plants have different needs, and while houseplants fall under this umbrella because they can live inside, this doesn’t mean they will all survive in any location within the home. For example, the snake plant can survive in low and bright light, but the jade plant needs bright, indirect sunlight, and so it would not fare well in a darker spot of your home.
Pots, Hanging Planters, and Propagation Stations
Pots
Once you’ve determined your plant’s specific needs, you can figure out the best pot or planter to keep it in. Before you put that succulent in a glazed pot, keep in mind that succulents and cacti do best in porous terracotta pots where they’re able to dry out between waterings and won’t experience root rot. As opposed to succulents, monsteras can be placed in ceramic pots so long as they have a hole at the bottom for drainage.
Hanging Planters
While Potted plants are great, have you considered elevating your look with a hanging planter? Hanging planters can give you even more options when presenting plants in the home. Whether you’ve run out of shelf space, or simply don’t have a window sill that gets a lot of direct sunlight, hanging planters can fulfill your aesthetic and plant care needs!
Hanging planters come in various shapes, colors, and materials ranging from ceramic to macrame. While you can put just about any plant in a hanging planter, ones that trail, like String of Pearls or Golden Pothos, look especially nice as their foliage tends to spill over the sides of the container and hang in the air.
Propagation Stations
Propagation stations are a trendy new way to show off houseplants. Propagating a plant is the process of taking a cutting of an existing plant, placing it in soil or water, and waiting for it to sprout roots for future planting. You can turn any glass jar into a propagation area, or buy nifty already-made stations perfect for plant cuttings.
This way of decorating the home with plants offers a whole new perspective on the growing process. Soon after you place your cutting in water, its roots will quickly begin to take over the container. Be sure to change out the water every so often to ensure it remains clear.
The Rule of Three
In the world of interior design, the Rule of Three suggests that the best decor compositions are made in groups of three (or at least in groups of odd numbers). This might be something you apply to houseplants as you stage your home, too!
Here are some examples of how you can apply the Rule of Three to your houseplants:
Fill in the Gaps
One thing you can do with houseplants is use them to fill empty spaces. Let’s say there’s a corner in your living room that’s currently collecting dust—add a ficus, or perhaps a parlor palm!
Indoor plants make for great additions to shelves and coffee tables, but larger ones are best kept on the floor. If you do keep one at a lower level, be sure to check that it is safe for any curious children or mischievous pets. While we love the Peace Lily for it’s classic white petal, it is toxic to pets and people, making it one example of a houseplant you should keep out of reach.
Whether you use the Rule of Three or fill your shelves to the brim with plants, we hope you find these staging tips and tricks useful as you decorate your home. Please let us know if you have any questions about plant care or potting!