By: Danielle Clockel
Nothing breathes life into a space quite like plants. They’re colorful, lively, and many of them improve the quality of air in your home. At our studio, we have really embraced this concept! Let us introduce you to some of the plants we share our workspace with, and see if any of them might be a good fit for your home.
Phalaenopsis Orchid
Ah, orchids. So beautiful, so inspirational. Phalaenopsis is a pretty simple plant to keep happy. Make sure it gets good light, but not direct sun, as it will burn. Set this orchid on a windowsill with a view of trees or one that is covered by a sheer curtain; it loves soft, filtered light. Most importantly, stick to a routine. Most orchids do well with a shot or so of warm water once a week. And don’t be alarmed when its blooms fall, it’s simply done with that bloom cycle! Stick to the watering schedule and keep an eye on the leaves. If they’re healthy looking, your orchid should bloom again when it’s ready. Your patience will be greatly rewarded!
Sansevieria Cylindrica
Sansevieria is a succulent, which means it isn’t very high maintenance. It loves sunlight, but even if you don’t have a full sun window it should do pretty well. Just try to keep it out of a dark shady corner, that will make it sad. Its watering schedule is every other week at most, so you don’t have to panic if you realize you haven’t given it a drink in a little bit.
Pilea Involucrata
Aka the friendship plant. Aww! This is a great plant for beginners because it’s resilient and low maintenance. Water about once a week, or when the soil looks dry, and it’ll be a happy camper. It likes a bit of light but not direct sun, so it can go almost anywhere in your home that isn’t totally shady and dark (ours have been happy on desks, in bathrooms, and in the middle of the room). Also, you can take a cutting and submerge the stem in water for a while and you’ll see it begin to root. Once you see roots, you can plant this new friend in soil and watch it grow.
Bromelia
The Bromelia is a newcomer to our studio, but it’s definitely a favorite with its tall, lively red flower. Ours is in the storefront window, which gets a good bit of light but not full, direct sun (which would be too intense). It lets you know when it needs water, as the water collects in a cup at the base of the plant. When you see that it’s empty, fill it up a bit! Enjoy all this beauty while you can, the Bro is a love ’em and leave ’em type of plant, only flowering once. Luckily you’ll get a good four to six months of prime flower time from one of these, and once the bloom starts to die, the plant will begin producing “pups” or clones of itself. So you can pluck one of the babies and grow it into a new flowering Bromelia! The gift that keeps on giving.
More than just being beautiful, plants have their own personalities and quirks that help personalize a space. While not every plant is ideal for every room (or every person), there’s certainly one out there that’s a perfect match for you. Do a little research and a bit of hunting at local nurseries and you’re sure to find your soul plant!
