Indoor Garden Design Ideas
What plants you choose to grow indoors – and how many – will depend on your space and home decor. You might choose one or two plants to enhance your indoor spaces, adding color and texture to the rooms in your home. You may also choose to grow edible plants because you like to have fresh herbs for cooking.
Whatever your motivation to grow plants indoors, here are some ideas to keep in mind to make your indoor garden more enjoyable and easier to maintain.
Group Plants with Similar Needs
When you grow individual plants placed strategically throughout your home, it’s fairly easy to keep track of their maintenance requirements. If you choose to place a collection of plants together for decorative effect, it’s easier to maintain them when they all have similar requirements.
For example, if you have a bay window with a wide windowsill you’d like to fill with plants, all the plants will share their preference for whatever light levels the window will provide. What can vary is how much water each plant will need and how often; which ones prefer to dry out between waterings and which ones need their soil kept evenly moist.
If you’re just starting with indoor plants and aren’t yet familiar with the different varieties, it’s easier to keep track if all the plants in one group have the same watering requirements. That way you simply check on all of them regularly. The plants might be different sizes and not all need watering on the same schedule, but at least it’s easy to remember they all need the same conditions. It can get confusing if you have one or two plants in a grouping that need to be kept evenly moist while the rest like to dry out between waterings.
Some plants – such as tropical houseplants – prefer lots of humidity while others, like succulents, are adapted to more arid conditions. Depending on your indoor space, you may need to use a small cool-air humidifier for your tropical plants.
Tips & Ideas for Combining Plants
Houseplants have become a popular element of interior design. Interior design magazines and blogs are full of beautiful houseplant displays that seem to blend effortlessly with the decor. Creating collections of plants on a side table or placed throughout a room in your home is a little like being the curator of a museum; you need to carefully choose all the pieces to create a cohesive look and eye-catching displays.
Decide on a style: When you bring plants into your home, decide what look and mood you’d like to convey; a rich, lush setting with tropical houseplants or clean, sleek minimalism with succulents.
Group plants with similar looks: When creating a grouping of plants, choose plants that have a similar look. Blend tropical-looking plants with attractive foliage in different shades of green and varying textures. For an interesting collection for a sunny windowsill, create a grouping of succulents or cacti to take advantage of the bright sunlight.
Group in Odd Numbers: When grouping small numbers of plants, use odd numbers, 3 or 5, for a more natural, balanced, and relaxed appearance. Even numbers feel more formal and rigid. This applies regardless of the size of the plants.
Complementary containers: When choosing containers for your plants, be sure they all blend well together and with the rest of your decor. Choose a similar color palette and style.
Mix heights and textures: When creating groupings, add variation and visual interest with different plant and pot heights. Place plants at different levels to draw the eye around the room: on the floor, on a tabletop, on the windowsill, and hanging from the ceiling. Use plants with different types of foliage; some spiky, some with glossy foliage.
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