tips for decorating your house with indoor plants

If your idea of decorating with houseplants is to let a small, lonely succulent languish on your coffee table for years and years, we support you! Let that little guy be your pride and joy. There’s no right or wrong way to fill your abode with green, growing things (unless they’re of the icky mouldy variety). But if you’re keen on upgrading the look of your home or workspace, houseplants are a relatively inexpensive, low-stakes way to do it (much easier than buying furniture or tearing down a wall, for example). 

Here are a few ideas to inspire you: 

play with height and space Popping a big plant on the floor is great, but if you want to bring out your botanical A-game, display your plants on surfaces of different heights.  It’s nice to have something fresh and green to look at no matter your eye level, whether you’re nestled on the couch or just walking in the front door. Try out different shelving units, plant holders or multi-level plant stands to add dimension to groupings of larger plants. Also think about how plants will fill the empty spaces where nothing else will fit. For example, you could hang a plant over your shower rail, or arrange pretty cuttings in small jars to fill the tiny spaces on your bookshelves. For a wild, rambling, Grey Gardens-esque look, let a syngonium trail from a pot down to the floor.(@allorabloom via Instagram)
(@sophiesgaff and @home.of.green via Instagram)

group plants with their besties Why stop at one mini jade plant when you could have three? Plants look extra lush when they’re all hanging out together in one space. If you’ve got one variety you love and you’ve managed to keep it alive, use it all over the house in groupings. There’s no need to force yourself to buy a fiddle leaf fig if you’ve developed a special love for money plants. Show them off all together in a single money plant garden. For a Palm Springs-inspired home garden, group similar plants such as succulents and cacti in a large container.

(@yun_plants and @britt.sarahjean via Instagram)

green your walls Take down your blue-tacked posters and replace them with living art: a vertical indoor plant display. This works especially well for folks who’ve run out of floor space. There are heaps of different ways to do this, but you can start by nailing shelving units to a wall and filling them with potted plants instead of books. Staghorn ferns, which grow well on timber boards, are super-fun additions to a gallery wall.(Via @tellyourplantfriend/Instagram and @naturescolours/Instagram)

bring in extra help If your nan has mailed you some surprise birthday dosh, consider putting it toward a few folks who know a philodendron from a ficus. They can help you choose indoor plant varieties that suit your space, factoring in things like humidity and access to natural sunlight, which will make your plant babies thrive. If you live alone, it’s also great to have people around to help you shift furniture and heavier pots. You can find side-hustling gardeners for quick jobs on Airtasker, or full-time plant-styling pros like Plant Mama. Your fave online nursery, such as Natures Colours in Sydney, can also make suggestions on a group of plants that work well in your space. show them some love We’ve all heard the old wives’ tales that plants love it when you chinwag with them, but they also appreciate it when you take the time to make sure they’re looking their best. That means wiping the dust off their leaves, spraying them with water to make them look extra hydrated and pruning any dead or sickly leaves messing with the look of your home. Pop over here for tips on keeping them healthy, too. 

try out dried plants and flowers If you’re overwhelmed by the prospect of caring for a home full of plants, add dried herbs or florals to the mix. A vase full of dried native flowers, such as eucalyptus or proteas, requires no maintenance beyond the occasional dusting. They can balance out the green of your living plants, while looking super-duper pretty. Pop over here if you’d like to try drying your own. 
(@botanical_tales via Instagram)
(Via @chabert212 on Instagram)

These tips and tricks were brought to you by natures colours, a nursery and gift service delivering lovely green things to homes and offices in the Sydney area. If you fancy sending Sydneysiders an oh-so-pretty plant, or looking to get some plants delivered in Sydney, head over to their site for more info.