Herself's Houseplants

I recently ran across an interesting article in a Maine newspaper about how to set up a houseplant area for the first time. If you’re just now discovering houseplants you may want to give it a read.

Few items do more to spruce up a space than a house plant.

They soften the surroundings, adding rich colors, lively shapes, and a purity that can be sensed in an instant.

House plants bring the best parts of the outdoors in, and with the variety available, can be made to match any room.
You can really have an indoor landscape,” said Susan Babb of O’Donal’s Nursery in Gorham.

The first step in constructing your own at-home atrium is to decide where you would like to place the plants. The conditions of a spot — the temperature and amount of light available — will determine what kind of plant will flourish. Generally, plants that require a lot of light need a window with southern exposure, said Babb, while shade-loving varieties need a northern window. . . . [ read more A helpful guide to houseplants]

The Indian newspapers often have interesting stories on house plants, here’s one I ran across recently.

Whether you like them hanging, climbing or branching out in all directions, there’s a house plant to match your taste, budget and, most importantly, interior decorating plans.

“Targeted use of house plants can accentuate your style and create harmony,” says the Luebeck-based Julia Sickermann, an interior decorator.

An avant-garde look, for example, would be dominated by cool designs and elegant materials such as stainless steel, leather and high quality plastics.

“Avant-gardists will tend to pick strong plants that grow especially large,” says Klaus Wagener, a world champion florist from Minden. . . [ read more Use house plants to suit your taste ]