Plants are here to stay. More than a simple decoration, plants have become unique pieces that integrate organically into the space, becoming in many cases the main element, where all eyes converge. Bringing plants home is a simple task but one that requires some prior preparation. It is true that you can go to a nursery and return with the first plant that you thought was cute, but if you want it to survive and be part of the place where you want to place it, it is better to apply some tricks to make the process a success. Pay attention to these 5 ways to introduce plants into your home, and be prepared to choose the species that best suits your home and lifestyle.
We
all know the sad story of that person who gets excited about a plant, takes it home and despite all the effort, the plant slowly dies without remedy; what's more, you can be the protagonist of this anecdote. The problem here isn't that you have a curse that causes everything you touch to perish, but that you've skipped the first step: knowing your space. This is the only way to ensure that the plant that enters your home survives and develops happily. Before ordering plants, make sure to follow the steps below:
- Check the lighting in the space
Sometimes it is confusing to establish whether a place has direct, indirect, or little light. There are several tricks. Go at noon to the place where you want to put your new plants: the living room, the terrace, your bedroom, wherever. Raise your hand and let the shadow cast. If the shadow of your hand is dark, has sharp and well-defined edges, then we are in front of a space with good lighting. If, on the other hand, the shadow is light, with blurred edges, then there is little light. Check if the sun hits directly at that point at any time of the day or not.
Another indicator is the orientation of the room. If it's to the north, the light will always be indirect but if it's to the east or west, it can be direct or indirect bright, depending on the side of the wall. Normally, a meter in front of the window is indirect bright, as the sun does not fall on the space. Away from the window (about 3 meters, for example) is little light and throughout the window it is direct.
- Be honest with your lifestyle
This part is one of the most important to choose the ideal plants. You must be very honest with your lifestyle, your customs and even who you share the space with. When looking for plants, be aware if you have pets, if they can play or bite the plants or if you have small children, as some species are toxic if consumed but there are many others that are totally safe.
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Are you a
person who travels a lot? Do you spend the day away from home? Are you forgetful? Are you one of those who exaggerates a little with care? All of these details are important, because they will determine the type of plants that will work best with you. If you travel every month or are away from home for several days, you can't have a high-maintenance plant. You need plants that require little watering or rely on certain elements such as self-watering devices.
- Define your goals
Why do you want to introduce plants into your home? Maybe you're looking to add a little life to your spaces, maybe you want to create a little green corner where you can take refuge for a drink while reading in the evenings. There are those who want to redecorate a terrace with plants, while other people want plants that improve the environment and the air they breathe.
It's important to define what your goals are, as this will make it easier to establish a plan to acquire the perfect plants for your space. If you are looking for an interesting decorative piece and a new hobby, you can get a bonsai and the matter is solved; But if you want some impact, you can start creating vivid tableaux with succulents. Imagine it, think about it, and then create a plan that you can execute.
Once
you're very clear about the environmental conditions of your space and your goals, it's time to start thinking about how you can integrate those plants into your home. There are those who start by buying a single plant and then gradually increase their collection, while others prefer to make a comprehensive purchase to create the look they want precisely.
These are some ideas that you canapply to integrate plants into your spaces, the idea is that you can make them part of the decoration and even create new areas inside the house in which plants are the center of attention.
1. Take advantage of vertical space with vivid paintings
One of my favorite trends are living paintings, because they are the perfect option for those who have a natural decorative element but don't have space or simply don't want to alter their current decoration too much, adding furniture for plants or changing the arrangement of objects. As they are hung directly on the walls, it makes creative use of vertical space.
The living paintings are a collection of plants, almost always succulent, that are mounted on particular supports on the walls. They look like paintings, but they are beautiful vertical gardens. Also known as living walls, they can be a way to purify the environment, improve air quality and transform the character of the place.
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You can buy the supports, made of wood and/or aluminum, they are lightweight and you can find them in the shape and size you prefer. For watering and fertilizing, sprinklers are used and if they are small, you can lower them to water in the traditional way and then hang them again. Succulents or other low-maintenance plants are often used, so it won't be a problem to keep it radiant and happy. In addition, beautiful compositions are created that will surprise you with the shape and harmony of the plants. Learning how to make them is simple and is a magnificent and relaxing pastime.
2. More is More: Plantil Maximalism
One of the
great fears of those who are new to the world of houseplants is to saturate the place with plants. Those who defend the minimalist aesthetic may be outraged by maximalism, because it is its opposite: here the goal is to create a dense, opulent space, full of plants and greenery. Created in the 1970s under the concept of urban jungles, maximalism aims to reproduce the jungle environment inside the home.
Urban jungles arenot unreasonable, as jungles are characterized by being enclosed canopy spaces, thanks to tall trees that protect the plants that grow at the bottom and that can be easily reproduced at home. You can have as many plants as you want, in fact if it looks a little chaotic and messy it's better, because it evokes that organic disorder of natural spaces. You can incorporate shelves, tables, or furniture, better if they offer different levels.
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You can create your green spaces full of plants in any room where you have enough light. You can combine them with walls in neutral colors, which allow the green and the colors and shapes of the leaves of your plants to stand out. Group them according to their species, take advantage of the walls, hang them from the ceiling and flood everything with their foliage. There's always a corner for yet another plant. You'll be amazed at the result and how beautiful and relaxing your home will be.
3. Use Feng Shui
If you are the type of person for whom energies and the way spaces flow is the most important thing, then you can use some of the precepts of Feng Shui to introduce plants into your home. This ancient discipline seeks to organize all the objects in the house in certain positions in a way that stimulates the flow of positive energy and avoids or balances the possible discordant energy that may be in the space.
Feng Shui is a very exact discipline and you would have to locate all the baguas in your house if you want a precise distribution, but if you intend to improve the movement of positive energy, then you can approach this from a slightly more general perspective, using only the cardinal points of your home. In this way, plants that feed the element of fire, such as flowers, should be placed in the southern area of the house. This will improve your ability to face problems and solve them.
In the east and southeast, where the wooden element predominates, plants will be placed to improve the economic aspect. Here a cute Jade would do wonders for creativity, economy and social relationships. In the living room and entrance of the house you can place plants with rounded leaves, which allow the flow of energy and increase fortune and luck.
There are plants like lucky bamboo that you can place anywhere in the house, because they balance the 5 elements, harmonize negative energy, and attract prosperity. If you can, place it in the bagua of wealth or work. The Pachira is also a good addition in the baguas of money, fame and health but never in the area of marriage. Do you want to work on serenity and harmony? Use orchids to add color and enhance love. Place them in the room. Do you want a plant for the kitchen? You can use citrus trees or aromatic herbs with rounded leaves.
4. Use windows
Windows are privileged spaces for plants, as they offer them one of the elements they require to grow happily: light in abundance. If you don't have a garden, balcony or terrace, you can take advantage of the windows to have those species that require direct sun or a lot of light. In fact, your windowsill meets all the environmental requirements for plants to thrive. In addition, they decorate your apartment even from the outside.
If you have naughty pets or small children who won't leave plants alone, having them in the windows is the solution, as they will be out of reach. You can install window boxes that face outwards, plant seasonal flowers, or any other perennial. Succulents and cacti are a great option, as they are full sun and you can create compositions with very interesting shapes and textures in planters. It is possible to put plant stands that are inwards, hanging from the windowsill, or put a planter with several pots inside.
For those who like hanging plants, you can hang pots of ferns, ivy, tradescantias or other hanging plants on the curtain bars, framing the window. Do you want an option for the kitchen? You can put crossbars in front of the window and hang pots with aromatic herbs, almost like a vegetable curtain. With a little imagination you can place your plants in front of the window.
5. Fill Up on Flowers and Colors
I'm of the opinion that everything is better with flowers. If you are one of those people who likes to have fresh flowers in vases indoors, replace those vases with pots with flowering houseplants. While they may not be as eye-catching at some times of the year (although this depends on the species), you'll be amazed by the soft and delicate beauty of these plants. In addition, its green leaves, with different textures and sizes, are also part of the appeal.
We ship plants to all locations, you can see more options here.
African violets are hardy and bloom almost year-round. Anthuriums are gorgeous and go great with minimalist interiors; just like the Peace Lily, which will always delight you with its delicate white flowers. Tilandsias have amazing flowers in shades of red or purple. The Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana is beautiful and easy to care for. Hydrangeas, latticees, begoñas and gerberas... the variety is wide. As if that weren't enough, you can play with combining the colors of the flowers with your decoration, complementing or creating contrasts. Nature is the best complement to any decorative style.