How to decorate with house plants

Perhaps you love the idea of adding a little indoor greenery to your home, but are not sure how to pick, pot and care for your plants. Here are a few beautiful and easy to maintain displays to decorate your home with.

Images via Pinterest.

Put a towering tree on wheels

The large, leathery leaves of a tall fiddle-leaf fig can fill an empty corner. Make an oversize plant mobile so you can easily roll it out of the way for hoovering or to protect it from too much sun. All you need is a piece of precut bluestone from a landscaping cente set on a wheeled caddie. This dark, cylindrical pot creates a modern profile and keeps the focus on the fig tree; its relief work echoes the “carved” leaves and adds one more luscious texture.

Care: Moderate light. Keep away from bright afternoon sun. Let the top inch of soil dry out, then water thoroughly.

Dress up supermarket flowers

Combine three shades of African violets in a curvy urn. Cover with sheet moss to add a cosy feel and to help hold in moisture.
Care: Direct morning light. Protect from bright afternoon sun. To water, lift the moss so you can soak the soil. Keep the soil moist all the time; try not to get the leaves wet.

Place a humidity-loving Orchid in a sunny spot

Phalaenopsis are fans of light and humidity, so they do well in a sunny bathroom. Because they come potted in a fast-draining medium (a mix of peat, charcoal, and bark), they can be a challenge to keep hydrated-water seeps out the bottom quickly. To trap moisture, set the pot on gravel in a low glass cylinder; as water evaporates, it will be caught by the glass and reabsorbed by the orchid. Choose a plant with bright, shiny, firm foliage and only a few of the lowest flowers open.
Care: Direct morning light. Protect from bright afternoon sun. Allow the top half-inch of medium to dry out before watering again.

Topiaries for a relaxed, classical feel to your room

Lollipop-shaped Muehlenbeckia feel classical but still relaxed. Since these topiaries don’t need direct sunlight, they can live in the middle of a room, away from windows. Set them on a narrow table or console behind a sofa as an organic room divider. A galvanised tray is perfect for catching water, protecting your furniture, and bringing polish to the grouping.
Care: Indirect light. Water whenever the surface of the soil is dry to the touch.

Pack plants into one container for instant lushness

Volume and a sleek pot keeps a low display from looking like something in a dentist’s office. There are five dracaena (from the supermarket) repotted into this cone-shaped planter, creating an abundant, exotic feel. Against matte black, the striped leaves look dramatic and exciting. Arcing over, they “break” the edges of the mod container, so the effect is clean but not rigid. When shopping, pick dense plants with glossy foliage. A modern saucer, plus a slab of marble (check stone centers), adds panache.

Care: Indirect light. Let the top inch of soil dry out, then water thoroughly.