The Indoor Garden – What’s hot for 2016?

Photos via Designer Pad and Gardenista – Split-Leaf Philodendron and Fiddle-Leaf Fig

Cold? Hot? Warm? Seriously, cold again? Yes, it’s that time of year when the weather won’t make up its mind, and it feels as though spring will never come. It’s called the in-between season, where nothing is consistent and everything feels like it’s in slow-motion.

Many of my clients call toward the end of February panic-stricken with an intense desire to completely re-decorate their home. And when I say re-decorate, I mean they want to strip the house down to the studs immediately.

Sound familiar? Yes, we’ve all been there. The key is not to panic and order the bulldozer. You simply need a refresh, not a new home.

So how do you decorate during the in-between season? The solution is quite simple: greenery.

Indoor plants can give a drab interior instant panache. They bring in an element of surprise, color and even art-like qualities. These greens spruce up a space with little effort and give a lot of bang for your buck. They are also healthy for you! Studies have shown that plant-life in the home creates a happier environment, as well as cleaner air.

What to buy? 

The No. 1 question I am asked about indoor plants is “What plant do I buy?” First and foremost, keep it simple. I encourage clients to choose indoor plants that are more sculptural, easy to maintain, and complements their design style. To make things easy, I’ve gathered the top indoor plants trending for 2016.

Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree: This large, ruffly leaf tree has been making waves in the home décor scene since 2013. Although there are a few contenders to take its place this year, the Fiddle Leaf is not going anywhere anytime soon. Easy to maintain and looks gorgeous against white walls.

Peruvian Cacti: Incredibly tall, prickly, stately and needs little water — this is the perfect plant for a modern space. It’s also great for all you plant killers out there. These guys are strong and can handle poor caretakers. As of late, this plant has been showing up in a lot of home magazines and will likely be one of the most popular plants of the year.

Staghorn Fern: In a pot, on the wall, mounted or hanging, these antler-like ferns are a playful plant that has lots of styling options. They vary in size from 6 inches to 3 feet wide.

Hanging Pitcher Plant: These Old World plants come from the carnivorous plant family. They look delicate, but they are anything but. Let’s just say you wouldn’t want to fall into one of those beautiful cups.

Bird of Paradise and other palms: Elegantly long stems brimmed with beautiful fans, the palm is a décor staple. Whether your décor lends to modern styles or old world antiques, a single palm will elevate your space with a classic, timeless look.

Split-Leaf Philodendron: A little more playful than the Birds of Paradise, with its stems branching in multiple directions. A nice combination of modern and whimsical. Looks best in minimal spaces.

Snake Plant: This plant is as modern as you can get. Sharp, clean-lines and all vertical. Ideal plant for those looking for something more architectural.

ZeeZee Plant: Similar to the Snake Plant, as it is also very sculptural and looks great in a modern space. But it is a little less serious and a bit more playful. Excellent choice for transitional interiors.

Succulents: These tiny plants have been incredibly popular over the years, and their popularity is still going strong. This year you will see them less on their own, and more clustered together in terrariums, mounted on wood, inside various desert wood, and hanging in glass and ceramic planters.

Where to buy?  

When you are buying plants of any kind, always buy local. Your local garden stores and nurseries not only carry a wide variety of plants that will grow properly in your area, they also offer care instructions and delivery, and they’ll even pot your plant for you.

My two favorite local garden shops are All Seasons Gardening & Brewing Supply and Gardens of Babylon (all photos were taken at these shops). Not sure what to buy? Afraid you’ll kill again? Don’t fret! Both companies love to share their knowledge, and it’s just as important to them that you keep your darling plants alive.

All Seasons Gardening & Brewing Supply

All Seasons Garden & Brewing Supply Co is one of my favorite Nashville stores for gifts, gardening and home goods. A family-run enterprise, All Seasons is the quintessential mom and pop shop. Chock-full of eclectic handpicked treasures, creative displays, and the most incredible customer service.

When I owned my home décor store many years ago, I rarely had time to shop for myself. And when I did, I found that many of the Nashville shops were uninspiring. The products were all the same and the element of surprise was lacking. My husband, a home brewer, had mentioned All Seasons to me numerous times. And like a good wife, I completely ignored him. I knew they carried a plethora of beer gear and gardening supplies, but what did that have to do with my hunt for a good gift shop? Well, all I can say is that I am bummed that I didn’t go in sooner. All Seasons was exactly what I was looking for – a charming local shop that provided high-quality products and service, with a passion for discovery, healthy-living and sustainability.

Co-owner, Emily Thompson, is an incredible buyer and has quite the knack for blending nature and interior style. Her eye for scouting unique goods and turning them into beautiful displays is what makes the gift and gardening portion of this shop so special. With brilliant attention to detail, every portion of the shop has something to dazzle you. An enchanting style mixture of vintage, modern, and rustic goods with an excellent selection of uncommon plants and trees.

Although Nashville’s retail scene has changed dramatically for the better, All Seasons is still on my top 5 local places to shop. It’s one of those places that you become a regular. If you haven’t had the pleasure of shopping in this lovely store, please make a point to stop in soon.

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS:

1. Air Plants & Tiny Succulents: Every shape, size and species that you can imagine, they have in abundance.

2. Hanging Planters: From modern to traditional, they carry a wide range of unexpected planter styles that hang from the ceiling and uncommon wall hooks.

3. Wall Art: Fun, graphic art that has a bit of cheeky humor. My current favorite wall hanging says “Kiss My Grits”.

4. Plants for the not-so-green-thumb: If you are a serial plant killer, this is the place for you. All Seasons has a large variety of hardy plants that can survive almost any kind of neglect.

5. Gifts: Decadent candles, sculptures that happen to be planters, hanging mobiles, books, home décor, lighting, wall-mounts – there is a lot to see here.

Mix it Up! Coral Pink Sand

I rarely can find the color I imagine for a project on the shelf of any store. Everything I like is an in-between of something. I’m not sure if its the fact that I am complicated, or that I’m simply ahead of the game. Whatever it is, it keeps me on my toes. If I can’t find it, I make it my damn self.

When I bought hanging glass containers last summer for my air plants, I thought finding a coral pink sand for them would be easy. I thought “coral pink is popular, colored sand is popular, there should be plenty of choices”. Ummm, no. Every shade I came upon was too bright, too childish, or too muddy. I was determined to find this color to pair with the art on my living room walls. But after weeks of looking, I knew it was time to rethink my color choice. I either needed to go with a completely different color or dye the sand myself. Neither of which I wanted to do. This was supposed to be a simple project. And then a light bulb went on – mix pink and orange sand together. Voila! coral pink.

Perfect, right?! The color pops against the gray walls and pairs beautifully with my art collection. I could not be happier.

Just remember, there is always a way to bring your ideas to fruition. The key is to step back from the idea when you’ve hit a road block. The solution is likely staring you in the face and much simpler than you anticipated.

If you are in Nashville and looking for an excellent selection of air plants, glass containers and colored sand, head over to All Seasons on 8th Avenue. It’s hands down my favorite garden store.