THERE IS LITTLE more frustrating than finding what seems like just the right houseplant for your home, only to put it in place and helplessly watch it wither and die.
But with a little bit of planning, careful selection, and perhaps an app like SmartPlant to help, you can easily fill your home with beautiful, thriving greenery and foliage – the right plant in the right place will be a delightful feature. So, which types of plants work best in which spots?
There’s an old wives’ tale that says plants in the bedroom will suck all the oxygen out of the room while you’re sleeping. Thankfully, this really isn’t the case, and there are many plants which might help you get a better night’s sleep. Plants produce oxygen by photosynthesis throughout daylight hours but there are a few which are good at producing oxygen at night time too.
Peace Lily and Golden Pothos (aka Devil’s Ivy) are good options, and thrive with indirect light and away from draughts – ideal for a bedroom.
The autograph tree and aloe vera are also great absorbers of carbon dioxide at night time and do well in indirect light with little watering.
Even if your bathroom has a southerly aspect, it will still most likely be dimmer than other rooms if it has a frosted window or privacy blinds. Plants which like indirect light and high humidity will do best in a bathroom, and plants which prefer to be misted rather than watered will have the added benefit of being really low maintenance.
I’ve found that my sweetheart vine, Boston fern, and spider plant are all doing really well in my small, north facing bathroom and all three look great in both hanging and standing positions.
A really fun kind of plant to try out in bathrooms is tillandsia, or air plants. These plants have no roots and absorb water and nutrients through their leaves. They look great in little hanging baskets or holders, or just left loose adorning shelves, and only need regular misting and an occasional bath to thrive.
Being a high traffic area, a hardy plant will be great, and something which tolerates fluctuations of temperature will be even better. Jade plants tolerate draughts, but will need a spot with a bit of sun. Dracaena plants work well in most light levels and aren’t a bit delicate – the leaves will easily withstand being brushed up against by passers-by.
A hanging plant will add interest to a hallway without cluttering up walkways or floor space; a trailing ivy can or Tradescantia are both very easy to care for.
Fatsia japonica are really resilient and do well in low light, and the big, glossy leaves add real drama to a scheme.
I love to grow edible plants in the kitchen and dining room – it’s so satisfying to grab a handful of home-grown fresh herbs to add to your cooking, or some tender greens to throw into a salad. Some of the easiest herbs to grow are basil, mint, rosemary, and sage and will all grow well from seed or a cutting indoors.
Leafy greens are a great way to encourage kids’ green fingers, as you will start to see shoots within ten days or so and they are edible in just a few weeks. Cress, sorrel, spinach, and rocket will all grow well in a shallow container on a little compost and will tolerate most levels of light – cress will even grow on damp kitchen roll.
Leafy greens won’t like full hot sun all day though, so avoid a south facing windowsill in the height of summer and keep them well watered in hot weather.
This depends on whether the window is south facing or north facing. For a southerly aspect you’ll want something which really enjoys full, strong sunlight. A yucca plant is tall and slender so it won’t block the light coming into the room, and it loves a really sunny spot. Venus Fly Traps also enjoy full sun, provided you keep the soil nice and moist.
On the other extreme, for north facing windows a plant which thrives in low light and tolerates cooler temperatures will do best, such as the ZZ plant. Another option for a chilly windowsill is a terrarium – the glass container will protect your plants and create a mini greenhouse effect. Many of these come pre-prepared or as a kit so you can create your own bespoke indoor garden.
On a final note, if you’re looking for something that will do well in north or south facing windows, low light or full sun, humid or dry rooms, and tolerant of heat and cold, then you really can’t go too far wrong with an echeveria.
This is the ultimate all rounder of houseplants. Available in an array of leaf styles and colours, these gorgeous rosette shaped succulents take more effort to kill them than to keep them alive. They are really easy to propagate (just snap off a leaf and rest it on fresh compost to make a new baby plant), and they make a striking and unusual feature on any windowsill or table arrangement.
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