Decorating My Home with Beautiful Houseplants
Houseplants bring life to any room - and in any season of the year.
I love container plants, and whenever I am home I always like to keep a collection of interesting specimens on my enclosed porch or in my kitchen where I can see them every day. Most of my potted plants are kept in the greenhouse, so they can be maintained properly. Earlier this week, my gardeners brought in a small selection of potted Rhipsalis, Dracaena, Haworthia, button ferns, Echeveria, and other succulents.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I feel so fortunate to have such an amazing collection of extraordinary potted plants. Not only do houseplants enhance the overall appearance of a space, but they’ve also been known to increase creativity, reduce stress, and eliminate air pollutants. My gardeners, Ryan McCallister and Brian O’Kelly, brought this selection of plants to decorate my Winter House porch.
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- Whenever I decorate with plants, I use silver, copper, or glass plates, purchased from tag sales or antiques fairs, under the pots to catch any water. I find them more decorative than the clay saucers that come with the pots.
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- Ledebouria Socialis plants are geophytic succulents from the subfamily Hyacinthaceae. It is also known as Silver Squill, Violet Squill, Wood Hyacinth, and Scilla.
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- It is a popular bulb succulent that makes an excellent houseplant with its thin leaves and green and silver leopard print pattern.
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- Senecio is a succulent plant grown for its decorative foliage. Senecio is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family that includes ragworts and groundsels.
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- The leaves on succulent Senecios are generally thick and fleshy. They can be deep green, bluish, or even striped, but there is considerable variation in the leaf shape. Some are round, some are banana-shaped, and some stand upright.
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- Echeveria is a large genus of flowering plants in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to semi-desert areas of Central America, Mexico and northwestern South America. Echeverias are some of the most attractive of all succulents and they are highly valued by plant enthusiasts for their gorgeous colors and beautiful shapes.
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- The leaves are also fleshy and have a waxy cuticle on the exterior. Often the leaves are colored and a firm touch can mar the skin and leave marks. The echeveria plant is slow growing and usually doesn’t exceed 12 inches in height or spread.
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- Succulents are best planted in clay or terra cotta pots with proper drainage holes because the vessels dry quickly, and prevent water from building up.
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- Succulents grow in so many different and interesting formations. I often bring succulents into my home when I entertain – guests love seeing and learning about the different varieties.
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- If you like growing plants, but don’t really have the time to care for them properly, I encourage you to consider growing succulents. Succulents are so easy to maintain and are able to survive prolonged drought because they store moisture in their fleshy stems, roots, and leaves.
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- This is a button fern – a dependable plant that grows well indoors with little care. Button ferns are small compared to other fern varieties – they only grow 12 to 18 inches tall, making them ideal candidates for small spaces.
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- It has arching fronds densely covered with small, round leaflets that grow more oval in shape as it matures.
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- Dracaena has strap-like leaves that emerge in a fountain-like cluster from a thick woody stem. This plant can grow as much as six feet in height when grown as a potted plant. In outdoor settings, it has been known to grow up to 20 feet.
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- Dracaena’s narrow foliage may be completely green or may include stripes or edges of green, cream, red, or yellow.
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- Haworthia is a large genus of small succulent plants endemic to Southern Africa. Like the aloes, they are members of the subfamily Asphodeloideae and they generally resemble miniature aloes, except in their flowers, which are distinctive in appearance. Hawthorias thrive in bright indirect to direct light.
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- The plant is characterized by its rosette-shaped, tightly packed leafy clusters. Some are firm, tough, and dark green, whereas other species are softer and even translucent. Those of the firm, dark green variety are typically dotted with white spots and can turn a rich hue of purple-red when exposed to full sun.
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- Also on this porch – a potted rhipsalis, native to the rainforests of South America, the Caribbean and Central America. Rhipsalis is a cacti genus with approximately 35 distinct species. I have many types of rhipsalis growing in my greenhouse. Rhipsalis specimens have long, trailing stems making them perfect choices as indoor hanging plants.
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- Here’s a closer look. Also known as chain cactus or mistletoe cactus, the thread-like succulent stems on the cactus are narrow, green and in can grow several feet long.
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- Kalanchoe is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, mainly native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. This one is sitting in the corner of the porch near my desk.
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- The leaves are fuzzy silvery green with serrated edges. Kalanchoe grows quickly and can tolerate extended drought. It is a popular house and office plant.
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- The next time you want to decorate a space or spruce it up for entertaining, consider using houseplants – they are sure to liven up any room. What are your favorite container plants?
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