Decorating with plants: how to bring the outdoor indoor

Nowadays people are more aware of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, which includes walking regularly in the outdoors to inhale fresher air that helps us relax and live longer. Decorating with plants is a trend that has recently increased as well, as more homeowners wish to bring into their interior a reflection of that outdoor lifestyle. I honestly think that nature has given us one of the best decor element we can wish for and we should definitely use it as much as possible. 

Which are then the right plants to choose for our home and, how to use them?
​I will summarise the properties of my favourites here below and how to locate them into your home.

Monstera deliciosa

One of the most popular indoor plants, originally from Southern Mexico, it is easily recognisable thanks to the heart shaped leaves some of them fenestrated. This tropical plant requires some attention to grow well indoors: you must change vase as she grows and keep the soil moist. She likes lots of natural light, although not direct sunlight. When growing, she will need a moss pole to sustain her. Autumns and winters are her dormant periods, while in spring and summer she flourishes.

This plant is great to decorate any room although as she grows, you will need lots of space. Monstera has also incredible benefits for our health as she helps to purify the air guaranteeing a healthier environment in your home. If you have children, you can put one in their bedroom as fresh oxygen is  really important for them.

Ficus lyrata or Fiddle-Leaf Fig tree

Another beautiful and very common interiors plant is the Ficus lyrata. This plant is also very easy recognisable with her large leaves and vertical growing. You can find it often in offices too and in smaller versions. Like Monstera, this plant need brightness but not direct sunlight. You may water it when you feel the upper level of the soil dry. 
You can use it as decor in any room of your house, its elegancy will make a very nice impression on any guest of your house.

Scindapsus pictus or Money plant

​This plant is originally from Southern Asia and it has 25 variants in the same genus. This one above is a Dutch variant, however one with all green leaves is very popular in Europe too. It is a smaller plant than Monstera or Ficus lyrata, therefore it will require less space as it grows. Her leaves, in this Dutch variant, has the unique characteristic to be bicoloured. As it grows, the leaves will start going down towards the floor level. It is very nice located on the top of a shelf, cupboard or closet, where it will have the space to grow down. The maintenance is the same as the previous two plants, although Money plants are fine in little darker areas too.  

Anthurium

Known for its waxy, heart-shaped flowers with a prominent stamen in the center, this plant needs to be watered every one to two with occasional fertilizing, so they're not low maintenance, but not high maintenance, either. 
It is a very common and lively decor plant that, with her flowers, can give so much warmth and colour to your house. Her perfect size makes it very smooth to locate in any room you have. On a small round coffee or side table, it will look wonderfully thanks to her round shape. 

Peperomia argyreia or Watermelon Peperomia

This is a smaller plant with very beautiful leaves, also bicolored. This plant requires watering twice per week and like all others she doesn't like a dry soil and direct sunlight. Her dimension is ideal for small balconies or rooms, as it is not as big as the previous mentioned plants. When growing it will get larger as the one in the picture, but not more than that. 

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As I wrote in the beginning,  this is just a little summarise as there are so many beautiful plants for our interior.
If you care for them, they will be not only great decor elements but also life companions. It's always a joy seeing them growing and blooming, knowing that you are taking care of them in the right way.

For any question about plants for interior of for a consultancy you can leave a comment to this post or contact me at: interiorbyambrosi@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading!