Here's how to get the most out of your houseplants

Plants are incredible things. Outside, they look just as fantastic when they’re manicured and structured as when they are wild and untamed. And inside, they filter and clean the air, send fragrance and aroma into your home, or simply add an element of style to a room.

Whether you are a new plant parent or a seasoned green thumb, you will recognise the benefits an d joy that a plant can add to a space, particularly when it comes to inside your home. And, while you can place whatever plant you want in whatever room you choose, there are some guidelines you can follow to get the most out of each plant for the purpose of each room.

To celebrate our collection of pots and planters, we want to share our plant rulebook so that you can create the beautiful (and beneficial) indoor jungle of your dreams and get the most out of your houseplants. 

In the current (read: crazy) climate of the world, home offices and workspaces are becoming the norm. So, it is important to carve out and create a workspace for yourself that will encourage productivity and promote mental clarity.

Having something living and breathing in the workspace can help you to concentrate. However, it is important to keep your workspace and your mind clutter free. Workspace plants can’t be too big that they impede the way you work or encroach on your eyeline, or you run the risk of becoming too distracted. For this reason, you might like to keep a small, green plant on the side of your desk or hanging above your computer.

Consider placing succulents for your tabletop and devils ivy, air plants or hoya plants for hanging. I also like jade plants because they are said to contain “chi”, or positive energy, and when it comes to the past 12 months, this is something of which we can all use a little more.

A living room is one of the most important rooms in a home, because it’s where you and your loved ones gather, unwind and connect. In these spaces, you can introduce statement greenery, because more often than not, you will have more room to play with than other rooms like your bedroom or kitchen.

It is important to consider how the plant will appear in the living room both vertically and as part of the floor plan overall. And, if I can offer any advice, it would be to embrace playfulness and scale. Don’t be afraid to go big! Vast, tall potted palms are perfect in the living space, because they can add life and colour to an unused corner in the room. And, if your living room doesn’t allow for a large pot, you might like to include smaller, more manageable houseplants like the rubber or cast-iron varieties that can sit atop feature planter stands.

Kitchens  

When it comes to your kitchen, any plants you introduce need to be both beautiful and inherently useful. The most obvious plant choice for your kitchen is herbs. Lots and lots of herbs! They are so easy (almost too easy) to grow and thrive in well-lit areas like (most commonly) the kitchen.

Not only do they smell amazing, but they can be plucked and pruned and used in recipes straight away! I like to plant herbs in small pots and have them organised in a little cluster on my kitchen island. The herbs on display in my kitchen usually include rosemary, mint and thyme. They look beautiful and smell irresistibly fragrant and delicious.

Alternatively, you might like to keep a small potted snake plant in your kitchen because of its ability to filter the air of some of the harmful toxins caused by cleaning products. Plants really are amazing, aren’t they?

It is possible, regardless of the size of your bathroom, to transform it into your own private tropical oasis. In the bathroom or laundry, any plants you include will need be those that thrive in a hot, humid environment and be able to tolerate low, indirect light. So, straight away, you can rule out any of those succulents and cacti you had your eye on (hint: save those little guys for your workspace).

While ferns fell out of good favour for a few decades, they have come back with a vengeance and are absolutely perfect for bathrooms. The maiden hair fern is particularly pretty especially when its delicate little leaves drape over the edge of a pot. And I love to include devil’s ivy in the bathroom for the same reason, especially when in a hanging pot in a corner above the bathroom vanity.

If you want to include a pop of colour in your bathroom (particularly if you are renting and the bathroom has been made all-white!) you might consider a collection of exotic orchids like a purple phalaenopsis or bright yellow potinara. They thrive in humid settings and, when cared for correctly, will produce colourful blooms each and every year.

You want your bedroom to be comforting and relaxing, a place for you to rest and rejuvenate. With this in mind, the greenery you select for this sacred space must promote a sense of tranquillity and calm. You might consider plants associated with aromatherapy like lavender or jasmine to boost your mood or promote a restorative sleep.

If fragrance isn’t your thing, you might choose something to improve air quality and oxygenate the room like a classic peace lily. Alternatively, plants like those of the Chinese evergreen family don’t thrive in a draft or any wind, so they’re perfect for a bedroom where the air is still and calm.

Please do not be afraid of artificial plants. It’s amazing how far faux flowers and foliage have come. There are so many high-quality artificial plants available these days so that if your environment doesn’t permit, you can still achieve the same aesthetic without the hassle of tending to real plants.

My tip would be to ensure you treat these faux plants with the same respect and care as their real-life counterparts: pop them in a pretty pot or planter just as you would a real plant, dust them regularly and even try covering with some dried moss or bark to make them look that little bit more realistic. It’s simple! Now you can sit back, relax and enjoy your own thriving wilderness in every room of your home.