Maybe you remember a visit to Grandma's house, when you were young. It seems that some of our Grandma's (mine especially) had a knack for growing houseplants. There would be a Philodendrons trailing from the cabinet near the window, maybe a Wandering Jew and it's beautiful purple colors somewhere else, an old Geranium in a cracked clay pot on the window sill, a sweet potato vine on top of the fridge and some dried up cacti on a shelf. She might have had plants on all her window sills with coasters underneath to keep from damaging the wood. Little starts of other plants in a jar filled with water. Leaves of African Violets just starting. We've come a long way since then. Sometimes we group our plants all together now for a very attractive look. A focal point for our homes.Grouping your plants together has a practical purpose as well: It makes it easier for you to care for your plants when they are all in one place. A grouping like this also gives you the option of adding a lighting feature to provide perfect growing conditions for your plants.Location, Location, Location. Different plants have different growing needs. Don't forget that plants are living things that have specific needs in order to thrive.... sunlight, filtered light, shade, moisture, fertilizing etc. If you're going to group your plants together you'll have more success if all the plants have the same light requirements.
I have a grouping of flowering plants in my dining room in front of a window. The window faces south...the front of the house with a porch in front of the window. I have great success with most plants here. I have an old black wire double shelf, that I found at an antique shop to use. There are blinds, so I can control the light. My little canary is near the plants...she likes the bright light too. Right now I have my Poinsettia, Clivia, African Violet, Paper whites, Amaryllis, a jar with a Hyacinth growing, and a couple of succulents. They all seem to like this location. When they stop blooming, they will go downstairs under the lights in the basement and I'll bring up the next blooming plants.
Speaking of Paperwhites....Mine are growing in a low dish filled with stones. I put water in and then a week later, when they started growing, I added a shot of gin. I have read that this stunts their growth, so they don't get too tall. I'll let you know if they keep growing taller. Right now...they are perfect. Yesterday, I smelled something in the house that I couldn't identify. My nose led me to these Paperwhites. I thought that I used to like their scent, but now...I'm not quite sure. I thought that I may have to take them downstairs early. Today the fragrance has lessened, so they get a reprieve and can stay upstairs.
I was wondering how you display your houseplants? I think that it would be fun to show how we decorate our homes with these treasures.
Balisha
