The story below is from our September/October 2019 issue. For the full issue Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
A few tips and the ideal houseplants for tricky spaces and those with brown thumbs.
Houseplants, which had largely disappeared from home design in the 1990s and early 2000s, are having a moment. “There’s been a resurgence in interest among young people coming into our garden center, which has been a really fun thing,” says Barb Nelson, manager of Townside Gardens in South Roanoke.
Millennials have embraced the idea of going green indoors, which can add personality and affordable, organic texture to a room. A plant can be the perfect finishing touch in a bathroom, on a bookshelf or in a bare corner.
However, it’s important to find the right plant for your space in order for it to thrive. Does your home have very low light? Are you a frequent traveler, and therefore infrequent waterer? There’s a plant for every need and experience level.
Read on for expert advice on how to choose and care for plants in your home with confidence.
Ideal Plants for Low Light
North-facing rooms or rooms with very small or no windows are considered low light rooms. If your room is windowless, try to leave lights on as much as possible for the plants, or rotate plants into the room for a few weeks at a time before moving them back to a room with natural light.
Some good bets for low light conditions that you can ask for by name:
Pothos
Pothos has glossy, heart-shaped leaves, and can trail down a bookcase or shelf for a dramatic look. It tolerates low light and periodic watering, so it’s a great starter plant for first-timers.
ZZ Plant
This plant has waxy, oval leaves and grows upright. It adapts well to low light and infrequent watering.
Ferns
There are many varieties of ferns, each with their own distinct look. Ferns are good low light plants and they enjoy humidity, making them perfect accents in a bathroom.
Best Plants for Travelers
If you travel often and leave plants unattended for up to two weeks, high maintenance plants might become over-dry and drop leaves. But some plants thrive on being watered infrequently, and will look just as good after being ignored for a time.
Succulents are the “it” plants of the moment, partially due to their low-maintenance needs, says Emily McCahill of Bay & Branch. McCahill designs custom succulent and other plant arrangements for clients.
“I can’t think of another type of plants with as many varieties as succulents,” she notes.
Succulents
They can be upright and spiky, low and rosette-shaped or with fuzzy, velvety leaves. Arranged together, as in one of Bay & Branch’s creations, they can make a stunning centerpiece or focal point. All succulents are low-maintenance, but ask your garden center about best varieties for your room’s lighting.
Snake plant
A popular plant also known as Mother-in-law’s tongue or Sansevieria. This spiky upright with variegated leaves can get dramatically large, and adapts well to many indoor conditions. Unlike your mother-in-law, it won’t get angry if you mostly ignore it.
Orchids
While they look delicate, orchids are surprisingly hardy. The Moth Orchid, or Phalaenopsis, is a popular variety because it thrives in most homes. Overwatering kills more orchids than underwatering, so make sure the soil is completely dry before watering again.
Brown Thumb Picks
If you wince when someone gifts you a plant because you kill everything green that comes into your clutches, fear not. There are plants that have such a high threshold for fluctuating light, humidity and watering frequency that they can survive almost anything you throw at them. But if you heed one or two tips, you’ll be on your way.
“Don’t water little bits every day, but give the plant a good soaking when the soil is dry, which you can test with your finger,” says Nelson.
Remove the plant from its decorative container, soak it in the sink, drain it completely until no more water runs out the bottom, and then put it back. Don’t let it sit in a container with water in the bottom or the plant can rot.
Chinese evergreen
This plant’s dark green and silver patterned leaves aren’t fussy about different light, humidity and watering conditions. If in a well-lit room, it will sprout pretty blooms.
Spider plant
This arching, trailing plant has a retro vibe about it, and was popular in the 1960s and 70s. When it’s happy, it will sprout “baby spiders” for you. If you want to get really retro, hang it from the ceiling.
Cast iron plant
This one lives up to its name, enduring low light, changing humidity and various temperatures. Long, oval-shaped, pointed dark leaves are as close to fuss-free as you can get.
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