MAINE, USA — According to the National Gardening Association, people spent over $2 billion on houseplants and accessories in 2021.
That's a lot of houseplants and maybe you're one of those people who contributed a lot to that figure. Your home is full of your green friends, but how do you incorporate them into the décor without it turning into a tacky jungle? Gardening with Gutner talked with an expert about how to make your plants go with the flow of your home.
"Right plant, right place," Danielle Perry, a horticulturist with design and construction firm Hayrunner, said as she showed a living room full of plants to Todd Gutner, host of Gardening with Gutner. "The first thing you want to access when you're looking at a room is the lighting."
Perry finds room with mixed lighting situations as an opportunity to bring in different types of plants with different leaf textures. Several plants that she used in the mixed lighting room were:
Colacasia - a statement plant that is not for beginners.
Octopus Tree - also a statement plant. Requires low light and is low maintenance.
Statement plants are big and are like furniture in the room, but grouping can make a large impact and hide things. Perry showed a group of ferns and succulents that hid some games and crafts.
"Another thing about groupings is having things at different levels. So whether that be with plants stands, furniture that you already have, or just putting something on the floor and then having something above it. It really helps to kind of create a nice dynamic flow and helps it look not too cluttered," the horticulturist suggested.
One plant Perry recommends is Pathos because it's hard to kill and is a great beginner plant.
So when you're trying to figure out where to put your plants, think about light, making a statement, groupings, symmetry, and don't forget about plants in your bedroom.
Most importantly, Perry emphasized that plants not only look good but are good for your mental health. They also purify the air you breathe in your living space.