After last week’s home reveal, I have received tons of questions about the plants that I used in that space. I’m here and so, so happy to answer those questions. For those of you who don’t give two shits about plants… you should. First of all they really do make a space look better, you can’t kill them if you pick the right plants, but more importantly they help with your health. Read this article for more deets. I have learned so much through the years about indoor/outdoor plants. Today I want to focus on the the four plants that I use the most indoors. Almost every client asks me to bring an organic aspect into their home and this is by far my favorite way. Here are the four plants that I used in my own home, as well as, the home reveal from last week.
African Spears & Sansaveria
African Spear Plant (Sansevieria cylindrica) is an extremely hardy plant that looks elegant and light with leaves that grow straight upwards. It’s a great plant for a contemporary, stylish home. It tolerates both deep shade and direct sunlight and can survive for months without being watered. Place it wherever you wish in your home and do not water it too often. A little water once a week is fine, and if you forget to water it for a month or two, the plant will still survive.
If you want the plant to grow and develop new shoots, place it in a bright position and regularly add a low concentration of fertilizer when watering throughout the summertime. Avoid saturating the potting medium, however, as that could cause the leaves and roots to rot.
The room temperature should not be below 15°C for extended periods, but a few nights’ dips down to 5°C will not cause any problems.
(info from Easy Care Plants)
Pencil Cactus
A pencil cactus needs very little care and can even be neglected if it is planted and situated correctly. The soil must be slightly gritty and well draining. The container to use could be an unglazed pot which will allow excess moisture to evaporate. Pencil cactus is easy to grow. It will need water approximately every two to three weeks in summer but no water in winter. Allow the plant to dry out between irrigations. Care must be taken when caring for a pencil cactus to avoid the sap. Even eye protection is necessary because the pencil cactus plant produces a toxin that can cause an anaphylactic reaction. In most cases it can be cleared up with antihistamine but occasionally more severe reactions occur and are difficult to clear.
Succulent Planter
As cute as they are, they are a little bit difficult to maintain. Choosing succulents that prefer low lighting will make a big difference in the success of your indoor succulent garden. For example, Haworthias and Gasteraloes are two genus of succulents that do especially well indoors.
When succulents are indoors it’s often hard for them to get enough sunlight. They generally need about 6 hours a day.
You’ll want to keep your plants as close to the window as you can, but be careful not to let them get sunburned if the light from the window gets too hot. This tends to happen most with south facing windows.
(Info from Succulents and Sunshine)
Fiddle Leaf
Water your fig tree when only the top inch of soil is dry. Test this by sticking your finger in the soil. Pretty soon you’ll figure out about how often you need to water. Keep in mind that this may fluctuate based on seasonal humidity, etc.
Keep your fiddle leaf fig in bright, indirect light. In other words, you want it to have a lot of light, but not sunbeams falling directly on it.
Because of their large surface, fiddle leaf fig leaves tend to collect a lot of dust. To keep the plant healthy (dust can block light absorption), wipe dust off with a soft cloth.
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