Indoor Greenery

Gorgeous Indoor Greenery

Words: Pattie Pegler Images: Dorothy McLennan

From plant swaps, to pricey peace lilies in malls and tiny, rooted cuttings on Facebook’s Marketplace –we’re all going crazy for indoor plants. But it’s not the first time this trend has come around” says Darren Tillett, collection curator for the conservatories at Christchurch’s Botanic Gardens.

“House plants were always popular in the 60’s and 70’s but with the changes in interior trends in the 80’s and 90’s to more modern and sometimes minimalist styles, house plants were seen as Grandma plants, ”says Darren. “Moving into the 2000’s interior designs changed, outdoors were being brought indoors in fabrics, wall coverings and certainly with plants.

”Bringing the outdoors in is a key goal for Ben Murgatroyd, one half of Christchurch’s indoor plant specialists, Monstera And Men who provide and maintain plants for many local hospitality and retail outlets. “I think in general it’s people reconnecting with nature,” he says of the current trend. “Young people are upset with the state of the world. So if you can create a little oasis at home, well, why not?”

Choosing Your Plant

Why not, indeed. There are plenty of stunning sources of inspiration and information online and the array of indoor plants available is amazing – think about your own space and what is realistic. Do you want something that will stand tall or something that will trail? Do you want foliage or do you prefer flowering plants? And if you’ve got a pet be aware that several common plants such as aloe vera and peace lilies can be toxic to cats and dogs that like a chew.

“My advice is not to buy the first pretty indoor plant you see,” says Darren. Indoor plants often require conditions that are not natural to Canterbury he explains. So they rely on us to create them in our homes – most need varying degrees of warmth, light and humidity all year round to thrive and achieving that can be tricky. “Luckily we now have access to so many very easy, almost kill proof plants which are widely available,” says Darren. He suggests three good ones for newbies are Mother-in-Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria); ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia);Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) so called because it is incredibly hardy. Ben says spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are a ‘great starter plant’. Whilst Boston Ferns and Ficus Trees are very trendy at the moment and of course, Monstera with its big green, glossy leaves is the “absolute classic” he says. Be aware that some indoor plants like Wandering Je (Tradescantia Zebrina) have a limited life and after two or three years can get very long and spindly. At that point take some cuttings from your plant and start again.

Staying Alive

Of course, many of us have unwittingly killed a houseplant despite the best intentions. So what do we need to know? Well, surprisingly, too much light can be an issue. All too often we pop our plants on the windowsill or some sunny spot but it’s not always what they need. “A lot of plants come from under the canopy in the outdoors. So they prefer being in the back of the room.” explains Ben, who installs and maintains plants for businesses all over Christchurch.

Overwatering is another common problem for indoor plants. According to Ben it can be better to let the soil dry out between waterings rather than keeping your plant in permanently wet soil and it’s essential that the plant is in a pot that can drain. “In summer you may want to water once a week, in winter even less so and things like air conditioning and the humidity level in the room all play a part” says Ben. Again, it comes down to understanding the specific plant and the conditions they prefer, so do some research before you start stocking up.

And don’t forget nutrition, stuck in pots inside plants need to be fed so find a good, liquid fertiliser for indoor plants, Ben uses an organic compost tea. Fertilising can vary with the seasons – as a rule of thumb most plants will need more frequent fertiliser during spring and summer as they grow and of course, if you’ve just repotted into good quality potting mix that will contain the nutrients your plant needs for the first few weeks. Bringing the outdoors in can be a lot of fun. Just choose plants that work for you and your space, sit back and enjoy.