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HOME DECOR, OUTDOORS

Top Container Gardening Trends to Try

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With so many of us living in smaller spaces where outdoor gardening opportunities are limited or non-existent, container gardening is a big trend. It’s not just a matter of demonstrating that you have a green thumb. Container plants serve a range of purposes from providing food to cleaning indoor air and being living sculptures that make a bold statement.

Getting it right means choosing the right plants and the right containers to grow them in. A look at modern commercial planters will give you a hint of the current trends to follow. To be more specific, we take a closer look at what’s trending right now.

Urban Farming

Urban farming is a massive trend, and it extends to real commercial farming ventures based in derelict factories, on rooftops, or even in shipping containers. In its most basic form, urban farming is practiced by apartment dwellers who still hope to harvest fresh produce despite the lack of a traditional outdoor gardening space.

As with so many trends, how you do it is more important than what you do. Tacky plastic pots and high maintenance are out. Low maintenance and stylish containers, some of which automatically feed, water, and provide light for plants, are in.

Let the Plant and Pot Combo Do the Talking

While super-arty pots with at most a nod towards the plants they contain still have their place, choosing minimalist styling for pots and letting the plants themselves enjoy the limelight is a definite trend to watch. That doesn’t mean the containers aren’t an important part of the package, but you’re looking for clean, crisp lines and natural shades. The plant is the focal point, but the container is nonetheless the frame in which it is displayed.

Harmony is the key. Both the container and the plant work together towards the overall effect, and neither upstages the other.

Gardening with Sculptural Plants

While just about anyone can enjoy a potted Begonia or Chrysanthemum, longer-lasting foliage plants with sculpted growth habits are far more in the vogue. Sure, your granny (and secretly, you) love the flowers, but the durability of sculptural foliage plants mean that they’re a once-off purchase. As for their growth habits, they make a perennial statement. Ornamental grasses, grass-like plants,  palms, and succulents with bold, strappy foliage are super-popular in interior design.

Once again, the container serves as a frame rather than a feature in itself. Choose pots whose form will compliment the shape of the plants – and in this instance, you’re looking for snappy lines and angles rather than the more traditional, rounded pot shapes.

Vertical Gardens

If growing plants is something you can’t resist no matter how small your space is, vertical gardens let you pack in a lot of material in the space a feature painting would take up. But, a word of warning: while a vertical garden in its prime is a thing of beauty, it has in-between stages that are far from attractive. That’s especially true if you’re using a vertical module for growing veg. After all, there’s a gap between sown seeds and a cascading bounty of produce.

Consider using flat-growing perennial groundcovers with a cascading growth habit as a basis for a vertical garden. You can fit in your veg and herbs as fillers, limiting the visual impact of refreshing your food plants with new seedlings.

We Love Plants, But Containers are the Prime Investment

Plants in the home or office are a joy, but from a design perspective, choosing the right containers is the key to success. Simply put, if your plants don’t hide the containers, the container, rather than the plant, will be the make-or-break design consideration. Even the look of the most stunning plants will be spoiled by bad container choices – and the container is the longer-term investment. Choose carefully, and enjoy years of indoor gardening pleasure – even when you find yourself having to rethink  the plants themselves.

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HOME DECOR, HOME STYLING

How To Decorate Your Home With Nature Accents

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Nature accents is the home add a certain serenity. There is no more elegant and tranquil approach to decor than to incorporate nature itself in your interior design. Extending on the work of Outdoor Art Pros, there are limitless ways to bring the exterior into the interior tastefully. However, this doesn’t mean stuffing rooms with pot plants and reupholstering everything in brown. Subtlety is essential, and to that end, we have compiled a list of top tips to invigorate your home with natural accents.

#1 Natural Mimicry

In the name of good taste, we recommend you never implement any form of animal print in your home. This suggestion has nothing to do with a political statement or agenda but instead because animal prints are exceptionally bold and often overpower elegant details as a result. It is, not to put too fine a point on it, always tacky. If you do have any, we recommend replacing such prints with more subtle prints. However, this does not mean that patterns from nature can’t be added tastefully. A subdued floral design in your window treatments can go a long way. We recommend thinking creatively, though. 

Consider ways to implement more subtle patterns, like the elegant patterns of a delicate leaf or a subtle visual reference to the texture of a feather. Going beyond pattern designs, you may also consider natural textures used in striking ways. Woven raw hemp fibre material replacing conventional throws; Coasters of varnished woodcuts; raw pottery items used to replace standard vases. There is a lot of joy to be found in looking for unique and exciting ways to replace everyday items with attractive, natural solutions.  

#2 Extend The Nature of the Garden To The Interior

By this, we mean to say bring complementing plants and features inside that reflect your exterior designs. If you have a rock garden, try implementing similar textures in wall and floor treatments. Plants that thrive both indoors and outdoors can be used to create visual continuity.

Water features are one of the most appealing ways to bridge the disconnect between exterior and interior. A natural water feature creates a fantastic sense of tranquillity and relays a clear understanding of nature to any living space. Our absolute favourite water feature is the glass floor fountain. A translucent cascade of water, creating a subtle distinction between interior and exterior, placed to be an inspired conversation piece from all vantages. 

#3 Natural Forms

Few things communicate a sense of nature as vividly as natural forms. Natural forms refer to decor items mostly taken straight from nature. A lacquered tree stump as the base for a glass dining table makes for an extraordinary dining room conversation piece. 

Another example, a tree branch pendulum lighting is another truly breathtaking application. Our other favourites include sheer cut rock floating shelves and a shrub inspired floor lamp. There are few limitations if you set your mind to it. Look to inspiration from your garden, paying mind to ways that you could create pieces that reflect your garden in a personal sense. 

SHOP FAUX PLANTS…

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Guest Bloggers, OUR FAVOURITES

The 5 Best Houseplants to Grow Indoors

5-best-houseplants-grow-indoors

We are so thrilled to welcome our Guest Blogger – Marnie Bennett!

Houseplants are a great way to improve the look of any room in your home. They add a bit of nature to your indoor space and can make a room feel warm and inviting. There are also health benefits to incorporating plants into your house; they can remove toxins from the air and help protect you against allergens. If you’re a recent first-time home buyer or live in a condo in a busy Ottawa neighbourhood, you may not have the time or adequate space to grow an entire outdoor garden.

In this case, houseplants are a nice alternative. They allow you to satisfy your green thumb and still explore the benefits of home gardening without demanding all of your free time. These five plants are ideal for smaller spaces like apartments and condos where natural sunlight is often limited. They are hardy and difficult to kill which is perfect if you don’t have the time to care for a large outdoor garden or if you are new to home gardening and aren’t quite sure where to start.

  1. ZZ plant-

     

    The ZZ plant is a great choice if your new Ottawa condo doesn’t get a lot of sunlight. It can thrive in indirect light and only needs to be watered three times a month. It grows slowly so you don’t have to worry about it claiming a space for its own. It doesn’t attract pests which is a concern for a lot of first-time home buyers; after finally establishing yourself as a homeowner, the last thing you want is for pests to move in with you! The ZZ plant is stylish and exotic looking with beautiful glossy green leaves that will brighten up any room in your house.

  2. Snake Plant –

    The snake plant, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, is a very popular plant for those who have the tendency to unwillingly neglect their indoor plants. These plants are extremely tolerant and forgiving. Snake plants do best in the sun, but they can also survive quite well in the shade. They need to be watered every two weeks and prefer under-watering to over-watering. Many people choose this plant for its sculptural appearance and long, green leaves. As an added bonus, the snake plant converts CO2 at night so it’s the ideal plant for a bedroom. It has other health benefits as well such as removing toxins like formaldehyde and benzene from the air.

  3. Pothos –

    Many first-time homebuyers who quickly realize they have a less-than-green thumb opt for the pothos plant, also known as Devil’s Ivy. It is easy to care for and adds a warm, welcoming touch to any room. It is also adept at purifying the air from harmful toxins. It can thrive in low light and does well with a weekly watering. Pothos plants are ideal for hanging because they are a trailing vine that can grow up to six feet indoors. However, you can prune it to your desired length and shape if you prefer a smaller, more robust-looking plant. It adds a beautiful touch of lush greenery to your home and can be a great accent piece to your new Ottawa condo or house.

  4. Lucky Bamboo –

    According to Feng Shui advocates, a lucky bamboo plant has the power to bring peace, strength, and luck into a home (a great combination for first-time home buyers!). It’s an inexpensive plant and very easy to care for. It prefers low light or shade and you simply have to change the water once every two weeks for it to survive. If you notice the leaves losing their vibrant green colour, it may be getting too much sunlight. It adds a modern look to your house and an element of architectural design. With all of these benefits plus the power to remove negative energy from your home, the lucky bamboo plant is the perfect choice to explore your interest in home gardening.

  5. Peace Lily –

    If you want some flowers mixed in with your foliage, consider adding a peace lily plant to your home. This plant has long, dark leaves and elegant white flowers. Its compact size is a perfect fit for small spaces and it doesn’t require too much sun. If its leaves turn yellow, it’s best to move it farther away from the window. It also doesn’t need to be watered frequently and it will tell you when it needs re-hydration by bending its leaves downward. With its ability to purify the air, the peace lily plant is another great option for improving indoor air quality.

    With all of these great options, there’s no reason why you can’t cultivate a home garden in your new house. Even if you don’t have the space, time, or expertise to grow an outdoor garden, you can enjoy all of the benefits of adding greenery to your home with some hardy indoor plants.

    Have fun experimenting and enjoy your new indoor garden!

    Read more of Marnie’s blog here

SHOP PLANTS, POTS AND PLANTERS….

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