In winter, indoor plants can add color and texture to counters and tabletops and help eliminate the winter doldrums. Lauren Bonar Swezey, a garden editor with Sunset Magazine, shares ideas on creating a designer look with indoor plants. Unusual foliage plants make a bold statement when displayed together (figure A). African mask (Alocasia amazonica) requires bright light and constant moisture.
Houseplants benefit from being grouped together: they create a miniature "forest" environment and provide humidity for each other (figure B). They also complement each other with their varied foliage textures and colors.
You don't need to be a florist to create a stunning display of foliage and blooming plants--it's easy to put together decorative containers. Line a container that complements your furniture with a waterproof liner before adding the plants, or use a saucer. Place indoor plants, still in their 4" nursery pots, inside the larger decorative container (figure C). You can display spring-blooming bulbs or flowering plants in combination with foliage plants using this method. The colorful Pentas lanceolata (figure D) adds interest to the winter indoor garden. Provide bright, indirect light, and keep plants constantly moist.
Orchids add a touch of elegance to your living room or entryway. The flowers are long-lasting--up to six weeks or more in ideal conditions. Dendrobium orchids are beautiful by themselves but are especially appealing when combined with the striking gray silver foliage of tillandsia. Tillandsia is easy to maintain: all you have to do is occasionally mist the foliage.
GUESTS :
Laura Bonar Swezey
Special Projects Coordinator, Sunset Magazine
Website: www.sunset.com
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