5 Ways To Decorate With Leafy Houseplants

Midwinter is a quiet time in the garden, so why not green up the home instead, by using plants as interior decor?

- Alice Spenser-Higgs

Green is the interior colour of the year and decorating with plants couldn’t be more natural or trendy. Indoor plants are making a huge comeback, for many good reasons. They purify and improve air quality, energise a dull room, and are easy to move around or mix and match. Best of all, plants are an affordable way to revamp a room without disruption.

Here are five ways to decorate with houseplants

MAKE A STATEMENT

Use a large, graceful or spiky plant to fill an empty space or a dull corner in the living room, and put it in a container that also enhances it. Let the plant fill the space, without being crowded or cluttered, so that there is a good air-flow around it. Indoor plants that are suitable for this are bamboo palm, Ficus, Dracaena and Sansevieria varieties, and kentia palm.

Care: All these plants like bright, indirect light. Allow the soil to almost dry out between watering. In spring and summer, feed once a month with a nitrogen-based liquid fertiliser to encourage new leaves. Mist spray the leaves during very hot and dry weather. If the leaves become dusty, wipe them with a damp cloth; this keeps the pores open and maintains healthy leaves.

Our pick: Bamboo palm (Dypsis lutescens) is a natural humidifier, which is a bonus in winter. It needs a warm room, and will do best if the pot is placed on a gravel-filled tray that keeps the base out of the water but maintains a humid atmosphere.

REVAMP THE FIREPLACE