Acts of Comfort: Bring on the plants!
When I was little, my grandmother had a conservatory in her house. It had slate floors and tiered rows of plants and a little brass atomizer for misting the leaves. It was the greatest privilege to cross the kelly green wall to wall of the living room (where we weren’t really allowed), to pass the suite of white quilted upholstery, to enter the humid air of the greenhouse and mist the plants.
At home, our dining room was like a jungle. 3 walls had a brown and white floral wallpaper (it was the 70s after all!) and the fourth wall was covered in floor to ceiling mirrors, in front of which my mother had arrange dozens of plants, which were doubled by their reflections. The effect was immersive to say the least.
Despite this clear foundation in the impact of plants in decor, I’ve never been much of a plant person. I tend to choose them for how they look and not the light they need, and they inevitably die. (Thinking in particular of a huge and sculptural jade plant in my Brooklyn apartment).
Much has been made lately of the positive benefits of bringing plants in, so for earth day I thought I would turn to my resident plant aficionado for some advice. Lauren has rounded up some favorite plants and planters, and answered a couple of my questions about her personal plant history.
Pairing Plants with Planters
Petite: Set of Five Cacti with Terrazzo Planter or Black & White Gold Plated Planters or Colorful Face/Head Planters
Hanging: Fishbone Cactus with Striped Hanging Planter and/or Air Plants with Brass Spora Hanging Planter or Large Footed Bowl
Sculptural: Succulent Cuttings with Puebla Marble Planter and/or Pencil Cactus with Archie Pot
Leafy: Maiden Hair Fern with Large Black Torrent Planter and/or Rubber Plant with Sahara Brass Planter
Easy Care Plants That Come with Planters
All of these plants are easy to care for and are separated into categories depending on your needs. The only plant that requires moderate care is number eight, the fiddle leaf fig. This is one of Lauren’s favorites, so we had to include it!
Good for Low Light: One, Two, Three, Four, Five & Six
Large Plants: Seven, Eight, & Nine
Pet Friendly: Ten, Eleven, & Twelve
Herb Garden: Thirteen
Q & A with Lauren
You're a self-proclaimed plant person. Have you always loved plants?
Yes, my parents had Kumquat trees in our backyard growing up and I remember loving that. My grandmother lived on a lake in Texas and also loved gardening and had beautiful blue Azaleas and Hydrangeas. Hydrangeas are still one of my favorite flowers today and I used them in my wedding decor/bouquets.
Do you remember the first plant you got for yourself?
My first plant was a Majestic Palm that I had in San Francisco for 14 years! I gave it to my friend before I moved to Minnesota along with all of my other plant babies. I was 20 years old when I bought the palm and I put it in our living room.
How many plants would you guess you have now?
Around 50. That includes all of my air plants and I have plans to purchase probably around 10 more this spring/summer.
What is your favorite, less-usual way to incorporate plants into your decor?
Terrariums and gluing plants to either branches or drift wood. One of my favorite plant shops/florists in San Francisco, Utsuwa creates amazing terrariums and unique plant decor. In fact, Utsuwa was the florist at our wedding. Hiro made all of the bouquets and center pieces and I still have a very special piece he made for our guest book table.
Do you have favorite sources, local and online?
Wagner's, Etsy, Greenery NYC, The Sill, Amazon, Bloomscape, and Water & Light. Personally I have not purchased any of my plants from anywhere online, since I prefer to pick out the plants myself at Wagner's or Leitner's Garden Center. For unique planters, I love Holistic Habitat! I have a ton of planters from here and I like supporting small businesses. They also have great accessories and decor items.
How would you encourage the plant-averse to start bringing a little foliage into their lives?
Start with something small and simple. Succulents, an herb garden, a snake plant, ivy, money tree, or a spider plant. These plants are all virtually indestructible (except the herbs - depends on what you are growing, some can be tricky and finicky).
What is your dream plant (or dream plant scenario)?
I would love to have a green house AND plants all over my home. I pretty much do have plants all over our home currently but I'd like to have even more, especially larger plants and the greenhouse of course!
Want More?
For even more inspiration, or if you want to live vicariously through other plant lovers, check out the new book Wild Interiors: Beautiful Plants in Beautiful Spaces by Hilton Carter.
This is really an interiors book, which (naturally) appeals to me. The interiors are all over the world, and while all the spaces are very full with plants and the overall vibe is relaxed and boho, there is still a range of aesthetics represented. Categorically, I love design books that let us glimpse the homes or creative people with a knack for creating unique spaces, and that’s exactly what this book is.
Additionally, the back of the book has great information for implementing plants into your home, like lists of plants good for specific rooms and scenarios. All in all it’s a great place to start: get inspired, then learn how to bring the look home.
So: Are there plants in your future?