This Month in the Garden: Indoor Gardening-8 Ways to Decorate with Houseplants

This Month in the Garden: 8 Ways to Decorate with Houseplants

Did you know that having a few houseplants in your living space can help improve concentration, enhance productivity, and boost your mood? Yep, and scientists believe the reason why is twofold: First, because plants help to freshen up the air and eliminate harmful toxins, thereby making you feel all-around healthier; second, because nature and greenery have long been proven to help us destress and unwind. In addition to helping you feel your best, houseplants also bring vibrant color, earthiness, and texture to your design scheme. So, if you’re in the market for some natural, serene décor that boosts your mood, then look to the succulents, herbs, ferns, and flowering houseplants!

1. Hang Them from the Ceiling–Macrame hangers, wicker baskets, and hooks are awesome for showcasing your very best houseplants, especially the ones that tend to cascade and climb (look for philodendron or hoya), spilling out over the sides of the pot and dancing in midair. This creates a mesmerizing look overhead and keeps your plants off the floor or furniture, as well as away from any pets or kids. Just make sure to hang them in a fairly sunny room and to always take them down to water.

Hanging Houseplants (Photo Credit: Shutterstock)

   2. Stagger Them on a Ladder–Many of our favorite houseplant decorating ideas involve repurposing or reusing old, discarded items, and why not? It’s an affordable, eco-friendly way to showcase all your gorgeous specimens. The idea of repurposing an old ladder as a plant stand, creating a tower of greenery that extends all the way to the ceiling is an exciting one. Just make sure it’s sturdy (you may have to add boards for stability) so it doesn’t waver when you move things around or water.

       3. Place Them on an Old Ironing Board–Much like the old ladder, the antique ironing board serves as a budget-friendly option for lining your plants up next to the window. Often available at estate sales, flea markets, and antiques stores, old wooden ironing boards provide ample surface area with more sunlight than your typical side table or desk. Keep your eyes out for colorful houseplants for sale to counter the rustic, antique wood. If you can’t find an old ironing board, stack up a few old fruit crates or transform drawers into cool vintage planters for the same antique effect.

3     4. Use Them to Flank the Front Door–If you’ve got a little room to spare, why not invest in a few large houseplants in floor pots? Some of the more popular large indoor plants include yucca, ficus, jade (they can get surprisingly huge), and all sorts of palms and pines. Planting two indoor trees in sturdy, matching pots and using them to flank the entryway, creates a bold threshold that totally sets the stage for the rest of your décor.

Floor Plants (Photo Credit: Shutterstock)

 5. Use Them as an Enduring Centerpiece–While fresh floral centerpieces are so beautiful; unfortunately, they are short-lived, and those brightly colored blooms barely last a week before they start to wilt. On the other hand, a live centerpiece endures year-round (as long as it gets enough sunlight on the dining room table) and keeps everything looking fresh and lively from one season to the next. Elaborate succulent gardens, terrariums, and cactus vases are a few great potted centerpiece ideas.

 6. Let Them Pepper in Some Color–Green is the name of the game when it comes to houseplants, and the idea of turning a sun-room, den, or office into a veritable jungle is pleasing to the senses, but color can be fun too! Look for easy-care flowering houseplants in hues that complement your home décor. Annual geraniums, impatiens, begonias, and calla are wonderful for growing indoors and are can be transplanted outside when it gets warm. Orchids are a very popular flowering indoor plant, offering relatively easy care, especially when using the ice watering method. Orchids should stay inside throughout the year, though.

  7. Set Them on the Windowsill–The windowsill is the locale of choice for your small, sun-loving indoor plants, especially herbs, succulents, and cacti. You can turn your windowsill display into a miniature herb garden and grow all your favorite flavor-adders, like rosemary, mint, cilantro, parsley, oregano, and basil. This is always ideal in the wintertime when fresh herbs are out of season and expensive to buy from the supermarket. Just make sure they’re planted in well-draining pots, preferably by a window in the kitchen for easy access while cooking

Windowsill Plants (Photo Credit: Shutterstock)

    8. Easy, Adaptable, Affordable Décor-There are few home-décor items out there that are quite as adaptable, cheerful, and versatile as the houseplant. By adding a few ferns to the foyer, you can soak up a ton of distinct benefits, from enjoying the natural beauty of nature to purifying the air and creating a sense of peace. And, once you get the hang of keeping them alive, it isn’t as hard as you think…you’ll be hooked.

Author Bio: Grace Quarer oversees Park Seed content development from Park’s headquarters in Greenwood, South Carolina. Before joining Park Seed, Grace managed garden content for a large national chain of home improvement stores. Grace grew up in a gardening family, but it was marrying into a farming family that introduced her to seed starting for home gardeners and professionals. Her hobby is teaching friends and her community how to sprout, grow and cook as a proud part of the “farm to table” movement.

I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden for February. Be sure to stop by on the 1st. of each month for This Month in the Garden, as I share gardening tips, information and horticultural adventures! Linking with:  Floral Fridays, Macro Monday 2, Friday Photo Journal, Image-in-ing Weekly Photo Link-Up and Dishing It & Digging It.

~As Always...Happy Gardening! ~

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2020. All rights reserved.