At Picazo’s Garden Interiors we don’t see indoor plants as just a trend in interior design. We see everyone engaging with plants and flowers in their daily lives as part of their indoor natural environment and that means we’re committed to the long-term health and beautification of your home, work and business, But how do you choose the right plants for your specific look, style and environment.
Having the right plants in the proper growing conditions and performing the proper maintenance to maintain them healthy is not as easy as it may seem. You will need to know certain requirements so that your health inducing plants can remain healthy themselves. Some plants like to be left alone and absolutely thrive on neglect. Others need to be nurtured and pruned often. Paying attention to how much light is required and necessary for each plant to thrive is important so having a suitable place for each set of plants is crucial. The watering and maintenance program is also very important, there are many plants that require watering often and some that will need only droplets every couple of weeks. Certain conditions may have an effect of the maintenance and care of the plants. If you have a high foot traffic area or if there are spaces that do not get visited often you will need to choose plants that are appropriate for those conditions and can handle the toxicity around them. Several plants require special needs and these needs actually allow them to live among us. Just be sure to match the right plant with the right environment so that you can have long lasting thriving plants.
Selecting plants for your light conditions.
It doesn’t need to be said, but we’re going to say it—plants need light. But, some plants need more light than others and some plants hardly need any natural light at all. It can be tricky to determine what type of light you have. A good rule of thumb is that most indoor plants will do best in spots with eastern or western facing windows (your phone probably has a compass if you need help determining which direction is which). This provides plants with enough indirect sunlight for a good amount of the day and ambient light for the rest of the time. Southern light is strongest and best for light-loving succulents like aloe plants. Most plants will scorch if placed in direct light i.e. Where the sun falls directly on their leaves.
There are several plants, however, that will adapt to all different levels of light and even thrive in dark spots where only ambient or fluorescent light is available. So if the beige and gray walls of your cubicle are seriously getting you down, there’s a plant out there that will successfully brighten up your workspace!
If your office or home doesn’t get much light, Choose plants such as in the Pothos family, heart-leaf philodendron, snake plant or Sanseverian, arrowhead vine, cast iron plant, dieffenbachia or Chinese evergreen that thrive on dim light. A great option if you’re looking for a plant that will flower in low-light growing conditions is the peace lily or Spathyphyllum. If you have bright, sunny spots in your home or business, try growing Norfolk Island pine, plants from the dracaena family, fiddle-leaf fig, spider plant, croton, jade, or rubber plant.
Which indoor plants require low light?
Indoor plants that need little light could be good fits for locations where light is more dim. Some plants that require low light are:
- Philodendron – A very common indoor plant that rarely attracts pests. It’s a hearty plant that is adaptable to various environments
- Pothos or Devil’s Ivy– A plant with colorful and vibrant leaves. This plant does great in a variety of environments, thriving in low light or in bright, indirect light.
- Dracaena– This is another popular indoor plant with long green leaves. This is one indoor plant you will want to prune if foliage gets too long.
- Peace Lily– This plant thrives best when the soil is moist, but not overwatered. If you want flowers to appear on your peace lily plant, move your plant to a darker room.
Philodendron
Pothos
Peace Lily
Give houseplants the right soil and care
As with any gardening, be sure to choose the right care and soil for the plants. A general indoor potting soil mix will be good enough for most plants. Plants like orchids and cactus will need special mixes, and you can find those in your gardening store, usually marked well so you know what kind of plants the soil is for. Cactus requires faster drainage and orchids usually grow on trunks of trees, so they need a lot of bark and little soil. Before you bring them in to your environment from where you have sourced them be sure to check for any pests hitching a ride under the leaves, on the stems or on the soil surface. One bug can infest all of your plants so very important that the installation of the plants is be with the proper techniques to avoid an infestation.
Which indoor plants are the easiest to take care of?
Below is a list of indoor plants that are easy to take care of:
- Sansevieria
- Philodendron
- Most succulents
- Pothos
- ZZ plant
The right plants for the right space
What plants should you choose? First, let common sense be your guide. In a smaller office space or busy environment, you probably don’t have room for a big palm tree. But an African violet or a colorful Anthurium or a tropical Bromeliad that produces colorful blooms, is easy to maintain, and takes up little space and will enhance the environment dramatically.
Which plants are considered indoor plants?
Plants that require a low amount of light and water to thrive are typically known as indoor plants. Below are a few plants that we consider as examples of common indoor plants:
- Dracaena
- Hedera Helix
- Sansevieria Zeylanica Superba
- Scindapsus
Design with your current environment in mind- Let plants Say Something About you or your business.
If you see a plant you saw in a magazine or catalog find out what it is and what it needs to grow. Look for plants that will blend with the equipment and layout of the office or building so that it provides a natural elegance and aesthetic look. Indoor plants aren’t just green and bring the natural life indoors they also come with many colors and styles, cyclamen, poinsettias and azaleas are a few plants that provide color during dreary winter and early spring months, and the leaves of the croton plant are glorious shades of red, yellow and orange year-round. There are plenty of options for adding a little vibrant color to your drab office or business. Mix up container sizes, colors and material, like copper pots, ceramic glazed pots or lined wicker-style pots. And don’t forget plant stands, shelves and other decorating ideas to help add some spice to your indoors.
Still need help?
Our goal is to make plant care easy through thoughtful plant choice, proper lighting assessment, and using the very latest in horticultural technology. From conference room accents to large-scale living planters, Picazo’s Garden Interiors in Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga Ca. can help make your office space a healthier and more productive work place. Our installations are clean and careful; our professional team takes precautions to protect your floors and furniture during the installation. We are invested in the long term success of our work, and our horticultural team is always available to address questions and concerns if they arise. We’re also prepared to provide regular plant care through our maintenance plans for our clients that need a helping hand.
Simply answer a few quick questions, and we’ll send you a free personalized Indoor Plant Plan with our recommendations just for you!