Retro Houseplants Get a New Look

Remember the ubiquitous Boston fern, the baskets of Wandering Jew vines and the Swedish ivy trailing from macramé-hung pots? Thanks to innovations among breeders, those oldies have evolved into exciting, modern

The Indoor Gardener: Reconsider Fabulous Ferns

If you hear the word fern and shudder over 1970s flashbacks of macramé planters, its time to reconsider this humble houseplant for decorating your home today. Ferns come in many shapes and sizes, from the delica

Indoor Gardener: Orchids Bring Beauty to Decor

Orchids were once much less commonplace than they are today and were considered a true luxury. In fact, in Victorian times, the term orchidelirium was coined to describe the frenzy of orchid collectors. Today, y

Pro Photo Styling: Say It With Flowers

Flowers add instant life and color to potentially flat interior design shots. But theres more to styling flowers than simply picking up a bunch from the florist — the difference between a store-bought bouquet pl

8 Space-Savvy Gardens

For most city and apartment dwellers, having any type of outdoor garden space is a luxury. While the lucky few have a balcony or patio, most have to deal with a fire escape or the occasional flower box to grow a

Book to Know: Bringing Nature Home

Celebrate the beauty of nature this Earth Day by bringing it into the home. A 2012 book, Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature, by Ngoc Minh Ngo (Rizzoli New York), provides page after pag

Air Plants Go Easy on Indoor Gardeners

Air plants, a category of plants formally known as epiphytes, get their name from seemingly living on air. Although they appear to require nothing in the way of water or food, air plants actually gather their nu

Dig These Decorative Planters

A houseplant breathes life and energy into a home, but it is its vessel that gives it style. A weathered terra-cotta pot makes a potted herb look as if it hails from southern France, while a slick, ceramic plant

Bowl Over Guests With a DIY Air Plant Terrarium

Not everyone is born with a green thumb, myself included, but I still love the presence of plant life in my home. Faux plants are not my style, so I opt for living varieties that have simple needs and low mainte

Weirdly Wonderful Planters Give Stuffy Style the Boot

Freshman gardeners sometimes think they need to do everything correctly — like buying new state-of-the-art tools, planters and soil. The secret that veteran gardeners know is that creative gardening can be done

Palm Trees Take Interiors on a Tropical Vacation

The palm tree is one of the most beautiful objects in the natural world, in my opinion. Its positively sculptural: stately trunk, shapely leaves, sharp lines.And then there are the associations we have: warmth,

Great Houseplant: Holiday-Blooming Cactus

Just because this plant enjoys the spotlight around the holidays, dont forget to enjoy it year-round — its striking form and foliage are difficult to find in any other plant. You might be wondering why Im writin

Gardens Under Glass: How to Make Your Own Terrarium

Terrariums have been popping up all over the place, from design portfolios to home store catalogs. What’s the attraction? It’s simple: convenience and style. Terrariums require little watering, take up little sp

See the Amazing Orchids Unfolding at a New York Garden Show

Theres a moment in the 2002 Charlie Kaufman film Adaptation, which is based on Susan Orleans book The Orchid Thief, when the toothless orchid hunter wades through chest-high swamp water in search of a rare varie

Reinvent It: Grow a Mini Vertical Garden in Printing Press Drawers

After renovating the living room in her San Francisco condo, Stephanie Van Dyke wanted a living wall to add some life to the large, open space, but she experienced some frustration at first. Most of the ideas I

8 Houseplants You Cant Kill

Well, I suppose Im not really telling the truth here. You can indeed unintentionally kill these houseplants — but only if you love them to death. So if you are one of those gardeners who say, I cant grow housepl

Mother-in-Laws Tongue: Surprisingly Easy to Please

I grew up in a midcentury modern house that boasted a very large pot of mother-in-law’s tongue, and it took me years to actually appreciate the plant and own one myself. Today, I have a nostalgic affection for m

Garden Alert: 22 Plants to Keep Away From Pets

Plants and pets arent always a perfect combination. A surprising number of plants, including landscape and houseplant favorites, are toxic and even lethal if Rover or Fluffy decides theyre edible. Below are just

Create Your Own Shangri-la With Bird of Paradise Plants

If youre looking for a great houseplant to give your decor a tropical flair, Strelitzia, commonly known as bird of paradise, wont disappoint. While its often incorrectly referred to as a banana plant (it is a co

Easy Decorating: Turn Over a New, Tropical Leaf

A vase of large tropical leaves may be the perfect solution when you crave some easy-care green. These leaves can last for weeks and come in a variety of shapes and styles. Palm fronds are breezy and beachy, and