PREVIOUS ARTICLE
PHOTO BY Todd Selby FOR CUP OF JO
I would love to have plants in my house. Right now, we have a few flowers but that’s it. What types do you have, dear readers? What grows nicely indoors? Ferns? xo
(Photo by Todd Selby)
Home Inspiration: Plants
Subscribe
35 Comments
I’m TRYING to cultivate my own green thumb, with some success. My favorite house plant so far, bar none, is my figgidy fig. It’s been featured before in West Elm, so it looks great with decor with a modern feel to it (although I’m sure it’s not limited to that). I really like my rubber plant too, but I’m finding it’s more sensitive to overwatering (woops!) I’m learning…
viney ferns are the easiest.
its impossible to kill spider plants and they get big.
wandering jew- weird name but gorgeous and easy plant.
geraniums also live well indoors if you give them enough light. and they will flower year round…
i say the more plants the better-
but if you have cats stay away from any kind of lily-poison…
Ah, Jo, plants are my weakness. I have plants all over my house — philodendrons, palms, and orchids — but last year created a dedicated Room of Plants. It’s sort of like a Green Room, but without the special guest stars and trays of deli meats.
The floor is (cheap) saltillo tile from Home Depot, so it doesn’t matter if it gets inadvertently watered — a lot.
I put in a medium-sized fountain meant for the outdoors, quieting the ungodly splashing to a dull trickle with the clever placement of river stones beneath the runoff; the sound is pure spa, and the constant water evaporation creates humidity that makes the plants happy.
I ordered plant shelves (from Gardener’s Supply Company, I think — they ship them, you put them together), a glass-tiled bistro table, and two chairs.
Bought 30 plants wholesale (ask an interior decorator or real estate stager where to go in your area — I’m in LA and went to Rolling Greens in Culver City).
I put shade-loving plants farther away from the windows, sun-loving ones closer, and let long dangly plants dangle from the top shelves down. I put delicate ferny ones around the base of the fountain, so they’re misted without my help.
I water once a week, no more, no less, using a pump of liquid plant food purchased from a local nursery. I remove dead leaves as soon as I see them, as they draw energy from the plants.
This room is the light of my house, and my husband and I enjoy pancakes, tea and the paper in here on Sundays!
I have a nice little mostly enclosed patio/room – and I have good luck with peppers, lavender, and geraniums (they’re really hearty). I’ve recently broadened out to include things that I hear do well in colder/darker seasons – namely Cyclamens. They’re really cute & pretty easy to grow. I also recently acquired an African Violet – they do really well in the house.
Good luck!
Peace lilies are really great. They produce a flower every now and then and are near impossible to kill!
judy rosen. look at her happy house!!
Succulents! And herbs in pots on my kitchen windowsill.
I want orchids too :)
I have a “ponytail plant” and “wandering jew” which both are low maintenance, look amazing and have survived a few moves. I also have rosemary in my windowsill which is fabulous.
I have a little bonsai tree that was a present and I’ve managed to keep it alive for almost a year now.
philodendrons & succulents are my answers to easy-care house plants. no matters how neglectful i get some weeks, they keep coming back. and they (especially the leafy philendrons) look great & green too!
I have the Thumb of Death. I can’t even grow a pot of grass for my cat to nibble on.
you must check out my recent post on terrariums. They are so fun!!
Plants are “feel-good” additions to any space by creating positive living energy. Watching them thrive and grow connects me with nature. They are not only obviously eco-friendly (reduce indoor pollution etc), but make great “pets” when you have no others! (:
Spider plants are superduper easy to care for… plus they multiple with lil spiderlets on the ends that can be replanted in some damp soil– they make great gifts.
I have about 10 houseplants. My most successful one is a “money tree” (Not to be confused with monkey tree) that I got from Ikea. Put it next to a window, water it weekly, and it will thrive.
If you love ferns they grow GREAT in the bathroom. Mine is practically a rain forest with all of the ferns and orchids.
Ivy, lots and lots of ivy…Oh, and african violets on my kitchen windowsill.
over the past few years i have been obsessed with just planting fruit pits. i had lots of luck with mangoes (have 4 plants now!) they will start to grow within a week if you just stand the pit up in some dirt, water, cover with plastic wrap and mad sunlight. careful husking out the seed though, i learned my lesson the hard way…
I have a branchy rosemary in my kitchen window planted in a white Ikea pot. I only water it when the soil feels stiff, and it is so happy year-round. Anytime something brushes against it, the kitchen smells lovely. Plus, I always have the right herb for my potatoes and chicken. I clip little branches from the top so that the bottom grows fuller.
Jades, spider plants, flag plants (or peace lilies) and cactus have all managed to not die in my care–which I think means they’re pretty hardy.
i have a spider plant, aloe, small tomato plants, and morning glories.
aw you should get some. i have a rabbit foot fern, which i like so much because they dont get out of control like the bigger ferns and are delicate. i also have two english ivy plants (that i got from ikea for like zero cents!) because its classic looking, simple and fast growing. i try and stay away from flowering plants because i have no luck getting them to bloom again, ie my jasmine that i dont think ever bloomed and my fickle african violet.
The plantsilluminate any environment, my I am charmed with to them and I have several in our house.
The indoor plants produce psychological effects and improve the state of mind. And in addition they remain very pretty.
The potus, the Filodendro, or the crotón are good options that need little care and grow very rapidly.
Also you can prove with some type of succulent, that are beefy, with original forms, and also they need under maintenance.
I wait serve my commentary you.
Bye!
This comment has been removed by the author.
i love all types of sedum, but my main problem with house plants is that my cats seem to like eating everything! maybe i should surrender and grown only wheatgrass and catnip?
orchids and african violets :)
Succulents galore! They’re my favorite, for sure. And one really weird cactus because my boyfriend is from Arizona and I thought it would make him less homesick:) They’re so easy to take care of and look awesome.
My favorite is my burros tail, (http://flickr.com/photos/shespeaksoceans/2360204270/).
I have succulenbts and cactus… I love them beacuse required a little bit of water and lots of light! And some of them have beautiful flowers!!! I have some pics in my flickr account if you want to see them.
I like wheat grass because it grows in an organized fashion and you cut it like you’re cutting hair (and then I use the cuttings in my morning smoothie or to feed my neighbor’s cats); I also love stag ferns! Those plants are cooooool.
I love plants – I think they should be incorporated into interiors more – at least in magazines. My fav-all time hearty plant is Pothos – it doesn’t even need sunlight!! I have one in my no-window cubicle – http://www.denverplants.com/foliage/html/PothosGold.htm
My plant friend also said Janet Craigs, Aglaonemas, and Snake Plants are good indoors with low-light situations. Great post!
OOOOooh, I can’t wait to see all the comments! I have been wanting to have some plants in our home, too, but I have no idea where to start.
I am a voracious indoor gardener myself. Tropicals of all kinds are good indoors because they can withstand the heat year round. Philodendrons are the most foolproof houseplants, all they need is weekly watering!
I recently devoted a whole kitchen wall to my plants, take a look, http://emersonmerrick.blogspot.com/2008/09/back-to-cooking-school-2008-kitchen.html
I love ferns, orchids, jade plants, money tress, ivy, and if you have enough life, orange trees! I also mix fake with real …ie fake orchids mixed in with real ferns…
I have several orchids. They can be a little finicky, but you get the hang of it. The blooms last forever! I also have mums around the house for fall.
I’ve been adding plants to our home like crazy. And they keep dying, so I am of no use. But the one thing that I have kept alive for 8 years is a pothos. They don’t need a lot of light. They can be neglected of water for a long time and still come back.
More to Love
