From Cacti to Olive trees, plants are an unmistakably trendy, home accessory. With unprecedented versatility and a vast range to choose from you can style your home without the fuss with just a few leafy accents. Easily matched with just about anything, plants should most certainly be on the top of your shopping list when it comes to giving your home a spot of rejuvenation.

Hanging Horticulture

If you’re looking for an interesting way to style these green features, then look up! Hanging plants are not just for the garden, by creating your own hanging planters you can give your room a bohemian look while improving your air quality and sticking to a small budget. Choose intricate plants such as ivy and orchids for an extra dimension and a layered affect. Simply tie rope around some stylish pots and hang above a kitchen island, along the bedroom wall or from the mantel piece and voila: a naturally transformed room without the fuss.

A Taste of the Tropical

Perhaps your living room needs an influx of pizazz or a simple boost of vitality. With a selection of cacti or succulents you can achieve a sophisticated and sleek look while giving your home a touch of the tropics. Cacti and Succulents are also the easiest houseplants to take care of, requiring little to no attention or watering. Accentuating any bathroom, bedroom or kitchen, these little wonders look great and fill any spot that might seem a little neglected.

Go Big

If there’s an empty corner of your hallway that you feel needs a little more love, or perhaps the kitchen is looking a bit bare then invest in a leafy feature and transform any space from drab to fab. Whether you’ve just moved into your first home under shared ownership in Sussex or you’re a first time buyer in London with a sleek city apartment, a tall coconut palm or Yukka tree could be just what your home needs to really feel like home.

Make an Entrance

Your entrance is the space in which you are welcomed into your home so decorate it in a way that rids you of stress and brings you positivity from the moment you walk in. A bonsai by the door or a palm on the porch can give your home a feeling of serenity and bring your interior to life with just a single detail. You can also experiment with houseplants in pots too, choosing geometric designs for a more edgy look or a selection of white pots for an eclectic clean appearance.

So, no matter what style your home may be or the size and look you are going for, decorating with greenery will most certainly give your home an energy that is sure to reflect on to the people who live in it.

Spring is in full swing, which means that there are many spring cleaning jobs that need to be done! Most of us don’t give much thought to our houseplants except to water them, but did you know that they need cleaning, too? All plants benefit from a good clean every once in a while, and it’s incredibly easy to do and only takes a few minutes! By not cleaning your plants you run the risk of bugs and disease, which can lead to dead plants. Check out our tips to find out how to deep-clean your houseplants!

Remove Old Leaves

Get rid of old and dead leaves often to keep them from suffocating your plant. If you see any lifeless stems, cut those off as well. For plants such as ferns, you need to cut the stem right at the soil line. Don’t forget to also remove any dead flowers to encourage new ones to grow.

Cleaning Small Plants

To give your small houseplants a good clean, flip them upside down, holding them in place to keep the soil from falling out. Dip them in lukewarm water and move them around a bit, making sure all the leaves have been rinsed properly. Place them outside to drip dry before bringing them back inside.

Cleaning Large Plants

You can clean your large plants such as palms in the shower. Always use lukewarm water to prevent the leaves from spotting. When you’re finished, place them outside to dry. You can also give the leaves a good clean by wiping them down with a damp cloth. Support the leaves with your hand while you’re cleaning them to prevent them from cracking.

Cleaning Fuzzy Plants

If you’ve got plants with fuzzy leaves, you can easily clean them using a soft toothbrush. Clean from the base of the leaf to the tip to get rid of dust and dirt.

Photos: Bliss Tree, Install IT Direct, The Self Sufficient Living.

Aside from starting my own homestead and learning how to propagate hens and chicks, I have also taken an interest in growing succulents! Succulents are plants that have fat, fleshy leaves. They don’t need to be watered that often, since they store water in their leaves. Many succulent varieties come from dry areas of the tropics and deserts. Some succulents even have health benefits, such as aloe vera and the common houseleek.

(Common Houseleek)

Since all succulent varieties have similar needs, here’s how to take care of them:

1. Succulents need bright light. To figure out whether your plant is receiving enough sunlight, check the leaves. Some succulents will scorch if suddenly exposed to direct light. The leaves will usually turn brown or white as the plant dies out. A succulent that is not receiving enough sunlight will also start to stretch. It will have an elongated stem and widely spaced leaves. To fix this, you can prune the plant and provide it with adequate sunlight.

2. Succulents are actually pretty good at handling the cold. Since desert nights are cold, succulents thrive when nights are colder.

(Succulent cuttings)

3. Water your succulents regularly in summer, but in the winter, limit watering to every other month. Succulent plants are dormant in the winter. When your plant is over-watered, they are soft and discolored. To save it, you can check the roots. If they’re brown and rotted, cut away the dead parts and repot the plant into drier potting soil. You can also take a cutting and propagate the plant. To do this, take a sharp knife and cut away the part of the plant you would like to propagate. This could be a stem, or a leaf. Allow the cutting to dry for 24 hours until it forms a scab. Then, simply plant the cutting cut side down. You should see roots start to form in a few weeks. If you are under-watering the plant, it will stop growing and start to shed its leaves.

(Succulents in vintage teacup)

4. Succulents should be potted in a fast-draining potting soil designed for cacti and succulents. If you can’t find that type of potting soil, you can create your own by mixing a normal potting mix with perlite to increase drainage.

5. As for fertilizing, you can fertilize your succulents like any normal plants, but limit it only to summertime. Do not fertilize succulents in the winter.

(Purple Echeveria)

Photos: Cactus Jungle, Succulents and Sunshine, Hirondelles Blog, Etsy.