Bringing the outside inside
Indoor
gardens are a thing. From sweet potted shrubs and plants to full-on live
vertical walls and floor-to-ceiling trees, people want greenery inside their
homes that is alive and full of life to add an element of freedom, health and
vibrancy
If you think this trend isn’t for you because you struggle to keep pot plants alive, fear not, we have some fuss-free, minimal effort, yet stylish suggestions for you to try.
Oh fig
We bet if you take one look at any popular interiors Instagram feed or Pinterest board you’ll see a fiddle-leaf fig tree (Ficus Lyrata) sitting in a corner looking pretty. And for good reason, these trees are the perfect indoor plant because they require such a little bit of maintenance and look so perfect in a basket. They’re slow growers so don’t get despondent if yours doesn’t shoot up like Jack’s bean stalk in the first week, but they can grow up to 12-15m in height and most importantly are not high maintenance!
Baskets
Before you drag an old plastic pot and drip tray in from outside, look around for a hand-woven basket that is not only a handy (and clean) home for your new indoor plant but also a décor feature. There are so many styles, colours, shapes and sizes around, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Consider a collection of different sizes, with different plants in each one, and cluster them together in a corner or to fill up an unused or dull area. We love to support local designers and artisanal crafters wherever we can and luckily for us in KZN we are fortunate to have access to talented weavers and basket makers right on our doorstep –just head down to the Durban beach front to see what we mean!
Decorative pots
As with the baskets, nowadays there are some incredibly beautiful pots to choose from, that come in a range of patterns, prints and styles. KZN-based, Seed Store, are relatively new to the market but are producing bold, trend-led pots, that alone are a feature in any home. The brilliant thing about incorporating pots into your home is that you can really tailor them to suit the style of your home as well as the type of plants you want in your home. You can also constantly move them around to give any room an instant, and affordable, update.
Vertical walls
If you’re really serious about bringing the outdoors in, maybe a vertical wall is something you’d consider. They look amazing and are a really vibrant statement but we would recommend getting a professional to do this as there are a host of technical elements to consider, not least irrigation! We love this kind of feature in a very open space with lots of natural light flooding in for that very naturally outdoorsy feel.
Fake it til you make it
If keeping plants alive really fills you with fear, we can tell you that fake plants have come a very long way since your Great-Granny’s day! Durban-based Silk by Design offer a massive range of faux plants – from single leaves to potted orchids - that are as close to the real thing as you’re going to find. The only maintenance these plants require is a casual dust every now and then!
Follow East Coast Radio House & Garden Show on Facebook and Instagram and browse through our Pinterest boards for more home décor and gardening inspiration.