5 House Plants I Love

A couple of years ago on a trip to Vancouver, BC, our stay was in a charming Airbnb filled with plants. I appreciated the varying scales, leaf types, and how they made every nook and cranny so verdant. Upon my return, I began to seek those healing and verdant vibes for my own home.

I likely selected that vacation home for my love of plants, which stems from my green-thumbed mom. Besides having immaculate flower beds and landscaping, plants also had a place inside. My childhood home had a great room with cathedral height ceilings on one side. My dad fabricated a long wooden shelf that ran the entire length of that wall, which my mom populated with plants. I can’t quite remember how she even reached up there to water them! 

I have always attempted to have some houseplants, doing my best to keep them alive with the limited daylight and windows of apartments I lived in. But a few years ago when we bought our first home, I knew it didn’t feel right without some greenery. I headed to my local plant nursery for some green pets. 

The following list includes 5 plants that I have had success with (I will admit that I’ve lost a few!). I share these with you as a starting point to incorporate potted friends into your home, office, or even your design projects.

1. ZZ Plant: This plant has grown in popularity over the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. It’s waxy, leafy stems are beautiful and require very little care. The root system contains pods that hold water (think camels) so it’s sensitive to overwatering. I only water it a few times a year! ZZs thrive in many light levels, and can even take low light.

2. Snake Plant: The variegated, flat leaves of this plant, add architectural interest and color to a space. The many varieties range from dark green to bright green with horizontal or vertical striping. Mine is almost like two plants in one, there’s short leaves with a yellow edge and tall green leaves striped with white. 

3. Succulents: There’s something so intriguing about these juicy little plants. They require little water and actually like the dirt to dry out between watering. I have a rather sunny windowsill where they seem to thrive. My advice, buy the small size (inexpensive for the plant and the pot) and watch them grow. In a year or two you’ll be repotting to a larger pot, or replacing with something else to try. 

4. Pothos Plant: Another easily cared for plant! I have a tall bookshelf where the tendrils of this plant have grown to touch the floor. It’s lovingly nicknamed “the librarian.” I’m currently propagating a few strands of these - my first time trying this. Check back, I’ll let you know how it goes!

5. Painted Lady: I am including this on the list because she is just an intrigue in color! In the past year I’ve enjoyed watching new leaves uncurl monthly, their bright green color a surprising pairing with the pink stems (really!). The care for this philodendron (meaning “love of trees” in Latin) is listed as more difficult, but I have had lots of luck with it placed aside a sliding glass door for plenty of indirect daylighting.

 

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Danielle Nuss, ASID 

Interior Designer at Blossom