Why Are My House Plants Dying?

Are your house plants dying? Indoor plants have become increasingly popular over the past few years. One of the most important parts of indoor plantscaping is learning how to take care of your plants.

In this guide, we’ll cover some of the most common reasons why your house plants may be suffering. Keep reading to learn more.

Common Reasons Behind House Plants Dying

Overwatering

Too much water is the most common cause of house plants dying. If the soil in the plant’s pot is constantly wet, the water surrounds the roots and prevents them from getting oxygen. Without air, the roots of even the best indoor plants will decay.

In essence, overwatering suffocates the plant. Before watering your indoor plant, feel the top of the soil to make it dry to the touch. If it is still moist, then you can water it later.

Lack of Water

A lack of water is another common cause of house plants dying. While we all lead busy lives, you need to ensure you put time aside to care for your indoor plants.

Consider if you are out-of-town for a week or don’t use enough water. You’ll find that your best indoor plants’ appearance will suffer.

Using the Wrong Water

Always use tepid water to water your house plants. It’s best to fill your watering can with cold water. Before using it, let it sit for a time in the room where your plants are. If you use freezing water, it can shock the roots and distress your plants.

Water all around the pot – not just where the plant stem is. Water the pot in an even and uniform manner to avoid any issues. Plant watering all over the pot’s surface will also protect one part of your hanging plants.

Lack of Sunlight

While some house plants thrive in low light, most need direct or bright indirect sunlight. When you first add indoor plants to your home, take the time to research the plant care instructions for this type of plant. If you place plants in a dark room when they require bright light, they will never grow to their full potential.

Although it’s tempting to place your plants in your home based on where they look most attractive, try to focus on their light requirements instead. Put them in a spot where they receive adequate light to avoid house plants dying.

If you find that your house plants are not receiving enough sunlight, you may need to consider a rooftop garden or urban plantscaping.

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Temperature Fluctuations

Depending on where you are in the country, temperature fluctuations are more of an issue than in other locations. In areas where it becomes particularly cold in the winter months, you may find your house plants dying.

The same goes for plants when placed in higher temperatures than usual. For example, don’t leave your plant next to a heating vent or radiator. Heat stress can cause house plants to wilt and die.

Monitor the temperature of your plant’s room to offer the right conditions throughout the year. Many house plant varieties are from tropical zones and don’t thrive if the temperature is too hot or cold.

Harmful Insect Infestations

Plants naturally attract a wide range of bugs, and many of these use your house plants as their home. You’ll find that you need to inspect your plants regularly to ensure you aren’t attracting harmful insects which might kill off your favorite house plants.

The good news is that you can treat many of the most common insects to avoid your house plants dying. Some common bugs, such as aphids, can slow the growth of your plants, but they are generally only visible on the underside of the leaves.

They are the same color as your plant, so you’ll need to make sure you inspect the leaves closely when you are carrying out your plant watering to spot these little bugs.

Some insects, for example, spider mites, need a magnifying glass for you to spot them. They are so tiny that many house plant owners don’t notice them until they have seriously compromised their plants.

When the infestation becomes more severe, you may notice webbing underneath the leaves. At this point, the best action is to dispose of the plant entirely. The sooner you take action, the less likely you will lose any more plants.

Mold and Mildew Infections

Mold and mildew infections are key issues to consider when discussing house plants dying. Your plants will soon tell you when they have a mold or mildew infection. Their growth will slow down, and grey spots will soon appear over the plant’s leaves.

Eventually, the infected leaves will drop, and the stems will likely become mushy. With insect infestations, you’ll want to isolate your diseased plants to prevent the fungal infection from spreading further.

Remember the watering tips we shared earlier, as overwatering your plants can cause mold and mildew infections. For example, begonias are more susceptible to mildew if they are overwatered.

Offer your plants the light and air they need to grow and thrive, and you’ll find that your indoor plantscaping remains in top condition for years to come.

Key Takeaways

As you can see, there are many different reasons that your indoor plants might start to suffer at any time of the year. We recommend keeping these top plant care and plant watering tips in mind at all times.

No matter what type of house plants or hanging plants you have in your home or office, you’ll find that with good care, they can remain in excellent condition for many years. Plants require time and attention to thrive, which you’ll need to put aside to avoid damaging these beautiful additions to your home décor.

Contact our team today for more information about garden décor or adding indoor plants to your home or office.

Ready to unlock your garden’s full potential?

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Boston’s Top Indoor Plantscaping Specialists

Foliaire is a full-service interior and exterior greenscape design-build firm in Boston’s historic South End. For the last 40 years, we’ve provided the highest quality plant maintenance services for clients across the Boston Metro area.

We customize and plan all of our installations to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for both corporate and residential community projects. In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications, including Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape.

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How to Find the Best Garden Decor

As a homeowner, finding the best garden decor to match your home’s unique style can be a challenge. With so many great exterior landscape design options available, you’ll want to find premium offerings to elevate your garden before the arrival of spring.

Let us help you discover how you can transform your urban garden or outdoor space with a few simple steps.

Choose Beautiful Outdoor Plants

Before considering the best garden decor you desire to add to your garden space, you’ll need to select some stunning outdoor plants to brighten up your garden. This step will help set the tone for the rest of the garden. You can easily do by adding a few colorful or striking potted plants. Our team would be more than happy to help with this task.

For example, we could create a rose garden or herb garden for a unique addition to your outdoor space. If you are short of space, add a few succulents in pots to your garden for a modern look. Make sure you choose vibrant plants and flowers that add color and texture to your exterior landscape design.

Work With the Space You Have

In crowded cities, we know space can be limited in urban gardens. However, that doesn’t mean you should neglect this space. You can transform almost any patch of land. That way, you’ll enjoy more time reconnecting with nature and being visually appealing.

When it comes to finding the best garden decor for your home, we highly recommend looking at ideas from gardens that are the same shape and size that you have. There’s no point trying to take inspiration from a large countryside house with a swimming pool if you are only working with a garden that’s a fraction of the size. There are some incredibly innovative garden designs available today. Our team will be happy to work with you to make the most of the space you have.

Add a Water Feature

No garden is too small to benefit from the addition of a small fountain or water feature. With so many innovative products on the market, you’ll find that solar water fountains could be a good option for your best garden decor. They function without needing a source of electricity and still offer all of the benefits of water in your garden.

Cherub water fountains offer a more classical look. If you have the space and resources, you could even add a huge fountain or small pond. Water is extremely calming. It will help make your garden feel like an oasis, even in a busy city.

Consider Lighting to Showcase Your Garden Display

You might not often have the time to sit outdoors in our gardens during the daytime. We encourage anyone who works with us on a custom exterior landscape design to ensure they can enjoy their new garden space at any time of the day or night. While you won’t be able to admire all of the smaller details during the night, you can still enjoy getting some fresh air after a busy day of working.

Lighting your garden also allows you to view it from the inside. That way, you can create a nice extension of your indoor space for your enjoyment. A very popular option right now is solar lighting. These lights gather the energy they need during the day and then bring your best garden decor to life at night. You’ll find that garden lighting can be added almost anywhere in your garden, including hanging from trees or illuminating paths.

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Bigger Isn’t Always Better

When working with an urban garden, we encourage you to think about the finer details. Typical gardens can afford to have large furniture and garden decor. Think about the smaller details that will enhance any space.

You can add a little flair and color by adding wind chimes, statues, and birdhouses. All of these will help create interest and to bring your garden to life at any time of the year. Just a few subtle pieces within your custom garden design can add a lot of character and style to any exterior landscape design.

Look for Outdoor Furniture

Although it’s tempting to heave a few spare chairs from your home outside, it’s best to find dedicated outdoor furniture for your garden display. There’s no point in investing all this time and money if you don’t sit back and admire your beautiful new garden.

The good news for apartment dwellers and homeowners is that many outdoor furniture options are chic, comfortable, and affordable. We recommend adding a couple of chairs and a small table in a smaller space. You’ll love enjoying your morning coffee outside or a cocktail as the sun sets on another day. Whatever furniture you go for, ensure it will withstand a wide range of weather conditions.

Shop for Vintage Garden Accessories

Depending on your style and your home decor, you might want to opt to use a mixture of old and new items in your garden. Handcrafted pieces and vintage garden accessories add more character and style to your outdoor space.

Many homeowners neglect to think of their garden the same way they do their home. However, you can enjoy decorating and styling this space just as much. A few of the top ways to add a touch of vintage decor include:

  • vintage lanterns;
  • cast iron or wrought iron pieces;
  • or a vintage fountain in your best garden decor.

Key Takeaways

By following these steps listed above, you can elevate your garden display and create an urban garden or outdoor space where you enjoy spending time after a busy day at work. No matter the size of your urban garden, our team can create a custom exterior landscape. We can tailor the design to your personal preferences. We’ll be excited to bring your garden to life in a way that you never imagined, thanks to our creative exterior landscape designs.

Contact us today to discuss the best garden decor options for your home!

Ready to unlock your garden’s full potential?

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Boston’s Best Garden Decor Specialists

Foliaire is a full-service interior and exterior greenscape design-build firm in Boston’s historic South End. For the last 40 years, we’ve provided the highest quality plant maintenance services for clients across the Boston Metro area.

We customize and plan all of our installations to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for both corporate and residential community projects. In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications, including Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape.

Follow us on social media for more tips about interior plantscaping:

What Are Living Screens?

When considering ways to create more privacy in an office or home, there are a few different options available. Living screens allow you to avoid putting up a standard plexiglass barrier. Instead, you can create an attractive and moveable screen. Here we’re going to share everything you need to know about these beautiful features and how you can incorporate them into your office. 

What you will learn in this article:

Living Walls – How Do These Privacy Screens Work?

Living screens are widely used within office spaces today. If you have an open-plan office space, there’s often a desire to separate individual office areas. Many want to create more privacy for employees and managers. Instead of using a plexiglass barrier or a fabric-covered sectional, living screens provide privacy using indoor plants or live moss. They can be created from artificial or live plants, offering you a low-maintenance solution and adding more indoor plantscaping to your space.

Where Can Living Screens Be Used?

We place living screens where you would otherwise add other types of privacy solutions. As we mentioned above, you see them in office spaces. Designers often find these to be an excellent solution for their reception or waiting area, offering visitors more privacy or shielding them from seeing confidential material about the business they’re visiting.

Living screens are part of an interior plantscape design, and, as such, they create a more attractive working environment than you would otherwise have with other privacy options.  Indoor plantscaping offers so many benefits to everyone working within the space, which is why we highly encourage offices to consider this more appealing option. The plants used for living screens are carefully selected to thrive in an indoor environment.

To learn more about adding living accents to your space explore our Interior Services.

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The Benefits of Living Screens

There are so many reasons why companies today opt to use living screens instead of standard privacy dividers. When you add living walls to your space, you’ll notice all of these benefits immediately, creating a more inviting and relaxing working environment for your employees.

Instant Privacy

Living screens use indoor plants to create privacy and improve discretion and security for your employees. They are an instant solution that doesn’t require you to build permanent walls for your employees but will still protect them from prying eyes and those working nearby. Especially in spaces that see a lot of activity, they can offer your staff members the privacy they need to focus on the task at hand, instead of being distracted every few minutes. We also appreciate that they can be easy to move around as either a temporary or permanent solution.

Improved Air Quality

Living screens that contain real indoor plants also contribute to improving the air quality within your office. Especially for people who are sensitive to pollution, improved air quality is something we are all looking to increase today. Live plants literally cleanse the air around you, making them ideal for use to create an overall healthy environment.

Maintenance

When installing these screens into your office, you may be concerned about them outgrowing your space. When it comes to these privacy screens, you have two options; artificial or live indoor plants. Of course, if you opt for artificial plants, you won’t have to worry about them growing beyond the wall. Even with real indoor plants, you will find that the types of moss and plants used are very easy to maintain and don’t need more than weekly attention or care.

Safety and Security

Safety is always been one of the top priorities today within offices and buildings. To keep people separated from hazards or unsightly areas, you may want to incorporate living screens into space. They can also keep unwanted visitors out of a space ideal for when a meeting is in progress or confidential matters are underway.

Planning Before You Install Living Screens

While living screens are quick and easy to install – usually completed in one day, we always encourage you to do some prior planning before purchasing this type of interior plantscape design for your office. The great news is that living privacy screens come in all shapes and sizes and can be fully customized to fit your requirements. You’ll want to start by meeting with the experts, and together planning out your space and deciding where exactly you want to place them.

As well as planning out the interior spaces you are trying to create within your office; you may want to think about your current indoor plantscaping. How will living privacy screens enhance your office’s overall aesthetic? When adding this new structure, we recommend that you use a living wall as an accent feature. Too many plants within a small space can reduce the impact of the element. 

Do you want to add a living screen to your space?

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About Foliaire

Foliaire is a full-service interior and exterior greenscape design-build firm in Boston’s historic South End. For the last 40 years, we’ve provided the highest quality plantscaping service for clients all across the Boston Metro area. We customize and plan all of our installations to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for both corporate and residential community projects. In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications, including Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape. Follow us on social media to learn more: 

What is a Living Wall?

We’re all looking for ways to bring more nature into our homes or offices. A living wall is an excellent way to elevate your current space. Sometimes known as green walls, this concept has been around for many years now but has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Living walls are no longer just reserved for huge architectural projects and are instead becoming staples of spaces of any size and shape. Today we’re going to share everything you need to know about adding a living wall to your property this year and the top considerations for adding this feature to a home or building.

What You’ll Learn In This Article:

What are Living Walls?

Living walls are panels of indoor plants which are grown vertically using hydroponics. They can either be attached to a wall or free-standing, depending on the space you are using. You may sometimes hear these structures referred to as green walls or vertical gardens. However, they generally refer to the same type of indoor plantscaping.

How Do Living Walls Work?

One reason why so many property owners today are considering indoor plantscaping with a living wall is a lack of space in modern residential spaces. Living walls are built in the same manner as regular walls. The fabrication team will start with a structure installed in individual sections to create your ideal living wall. You’ll find there are many high-tech options available on the market today, including self-watering systems with hidden pipes. While you can water your living wall by hand, self-watering is a great option for a low-maintenance solution for your home. Living walls work to add a large number of plants to even the smallest of spaces, thanks to the ability to extend all the way up your wall. So instead of taking over your floor as traditional indoor plants would do, you can make the most of unused space in your home and transform it into an indoor garden.

What are the Best Indoor Plants for Living Walls?

When selecting the best indoor plants for your living wall, it’s important to consider the space. Where you will be adding this feature to your property is the first decision you should consider. The type of plants you choose will be dependent on the size of the wall you are creating and the amount of light you can offer the plants.

Philodendrons are a popular option for living walls, as they are vining plants known for their fast growth. They need very little attention, which makes them a superb choice for this type of interior landscaping. Ferns are another good option for living walls, and they also grow reasonably quickly. However, they will need more moisture than other options and both should be placed in indirect but bright light where possible. Of course, the options are unlimited when adding plants to a living wall, so you can mix and match plants to create your desired look.

The Benefits of Adding a Living Wall to Your Home

Living walls offer an aesthetically pleasing addition to your already stylish home. You’ll find that living walls also offer a wide variety of benefits. Plants help absorb any carbon dioxide or other pollutants and then release clean oxygen instead to maintain a clean environment for your home. On top of that, they’ll minimize the noise in your home or from the apartment next door. Based on research, people’s mood and productivity are improved when surrounded by nature. Which is why living walls are so popular within offices today.

Within cities today, we are often running out of outdoor space to build new parks and outdoor green spaces. So individuals are looking for interior landscaping ideas to incorporate into apartments and office blocks. Yet, even during the winter months, you’ll still receive your daily dose of nature from the comfort of your home. When it’s more challenging to spend time outdoors, you can still enjoy nature indoors.

Where Can Living Walls be Installed?

Living walls are used by individuals and businesses today in a wide variety of buildings. They add a unique decorative element that will elevate any building and add a central focus point to the room. In addition, you’ll find that a living wall adds more texture and color to uninspiring spaces. They are the ideal solution for any property that has minimal floor space. Quaint apartment or an office filled with many desks and furniture? You can still add a beautiful living wall to your space. You can add living walls to hallways, reception areas, living rooms, meeting rooms, and any other space you fancy. It could be as small or as big as you like and designed to fit around even the most awkward wall spaces.

Custom Living Wall Designs

No two living walls will look the same, thanks to the variation in real plants used within their design. However, to create a really unique addition to your property, you can create a custom-made living wall. Green walls are customized to your specifications. This allows you to incorporate lighting, shelving, or a television screen into any space. Today, many companies use a living wall within their reception area and will incorporate their company’s logo or a welcome screen into the design. As with any interior landscaping, the sky’s the limit when it comes to creating a living wall. You can customize it to blend in with your current home décor and styling.

Next Steps…

Living walls offer many benefits to homeowners today and have become a frequent addition to homes of all shapes and sizes. If you are looking to bring an element of nature into your home but have already run out of space for indoor plants, you’ll find this to be an excellent solution. Living walls can brighten up any home, and they offer many environmental and health benefits to property owners. By choosing the best indoor plants for your home environment, you can enjoy a daily dose of nature without having to spend too much time on the upkeep of your new wall feature.

Ready for your own custom living wall? Foliaire can help!

Learn more about our expert indoor plantscaping services today!

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About Foliaire

Foliaire is a full-service interior and exterior greenscape design-build firm in Boston’s historic South End. For the last 40 years, we’ve provided the highest quality plantscaping service for clients all across the Boston Metro area. We customize and plan all of our installations to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for both corporate and residential community projects. In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications, including Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape. Follow us on social media to learn more:

What is Urban Landscaping?

Cities today are becoming more populated than ever before, forcing exterior landscape designers to find new and creative ways to work with the city environment. Urban landscaping works to add residential and commercial gardens to areas with a small footprint. Residents in cities today are still looking to enjoy spending time outdoors. City landscaping helps to offer an improved quality of life for individuals worldwide.

What you’ll learn in this article:

Features of Urban Landscaping

Designers and landscapers today are incredibly creative when making the most of the limited space in city environments. Urban landscaping can transform any plot or rooftop into a beautiful space in which homeowners and residents will enjoy spending time outdoors. With the ever-increasing population in cities, these outdoor spaces help offer residents much-needed additional living space.

Urban landscaping commonly includes: 

  • Adding rooftop gardens to buildings
  • Terrace landscaping
  • Transforming courtyards or public areas within apartment complexes

In addition to private properties, large corporations use urban landscaping to offer their employees an outdoor space to visit on their lunch break. Individuals today are beginning to understand the benefits that spending time in nature can provide to everyone. Even in cities, creating beautiful outdoor spaces can be crafted with the proper design.

Urban landscaping usually combines various elements and techniques to create outdoor spaces that are functional yet aesthetically pleasing. Recreational areas and parks often feature modern art installations, playgrounds, and facilities for pets. They take older spaces and make them usable and accessible to an increased population. For instance, water management and horticulture best practices are the first steps. Then, buildings and outdoor spaces can offer residents the chance to spend more time in nature. These environmentally conscious spaces decrease stress and promote a more balanced lifestyle. These spaces last for very many years and serve to attract more residents in the future.

Urban landscaping on a rooftop area with beautiful foliage by Foliaire Inc. in Boston, MA

How Does Urban Landscaping Work?

Urban landscaping starts with a piece of land of any shape or size. Then, you improve its aesthetic and usability for the neighboring area or building. However beautiful your space is now, urban landscaping can completely transform it. The goal is to offer a beautiful and relaxing place of nature within the city. Of course, this can sometimes be an incredibly challenging undertaking, especially with more quaint and compact spaces. Urban landscaping involves architects, surveyors, horticulturists, and landscape designers. However, these experts work together to enhance the building while ensuring the garden is safe for humans and animals.

Planning is a crucial consideration when opting to add rooftop gardens or terrace landscaping to a property. Concept plans will help visualize whether the idea is realistic with the space you are working with and will help to strategically place plants, grass, and trees in the garden. Suppose fencing and decking are also part of the plan. In that case, you’ll also map out the plans for these additions. You can split urban landscape design into a few steps. This way, landscapers and designers work within city environments and make the most of their limited space.

Educational and Recreational Spaces

Urban landscaping also offers an excellent tool to educate the population on farming and wildlife. Moreover, community gardens often help schools or nonprofits. Many of these organizations welcome the public to visit to learn more about gardening with limited space. Today, many apartment blocks have a communal garden space. Most importantly, these spaces allow residents to meet and work together to maintain their surroundings. Furthermore, city farms can help children learn more about farm animals and gardens.

Explore some of Foliaire’s work in urban landscaping spaces!

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Working With Restrictions

One of the biggest concerns when undertaking an urban landscaping project is the state and local government restrictions. These restrictions will dictate what you can add to a building’s rooftop or courtyard area and the extent to which you can change the area’s overall appearance. When adding plants or water features, it’s critical to consider both water restrictions and weight limitations, which may impact the water usage in an area. Natural bodies of water often can’t be touched within cities, which may reduce the space available to you when considering a city landscaping project.

Element restrictions can also dictate the type of plants and grass you can add to rooftop gardens. Some cities will only allow you to use low-water plants or native species. From there, you can review the zoning laws, which will regulate fence placement and height, and the structures, fencing, and decking you can add to a project. Restrictions may seem like quite an inconvenience for urban landscapers, but you must take the time to review these first for anyone undertaking a new project.

Planning for Urban Landscaping

Design mockup for urban landscaping rooftop project

After assessing all panning considerations, time must be allotted for the planning process. After that, you’ll be ready to begin constructing rooftop gardens or commercial gardens. The site will need to be fully surveyed and assessed to identify how you can transform it for another use. A plot plan or site plan will allow designers to find locations for drainage. For permanent structures, blueprints are submitted to ensure that the project is allowed to go ahead and will follow all of the restrictions in place in the city.

Key Takeaways

The number of people living within cities is only continuing to increase. With the limited number of private gardens attached to homes, urban landscaping helps to offer residents a way to spend time outdoors and connect with nature. The work that landscapers and designers complete today in cities are incredible. They can take an old and unused space and repurpose it for specific communities. If you’re thinking about urban landscaping, you should always follow the regulations for your local area. Create thorough plans before starting work. With the right guidance, you can make the most of any outdoor space and create a beautiful roof garden or terrace to make your evirons enjoyable.

If you’re looking to take advantage of your urban environment, Foliaire can help!

Learn more about our expert city landscape design services today

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About Foliaire

Foliaire is a full-service interior and exterior greenscape design-build firm in Boston’s historic South End. For the last 40 years, we’ve provided the highest quality plantscaping service for clients all across the Boston Metro area. We customize and plan all of our installations to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for both corporate and residential community projects. In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications, including Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape. Follow us on social media to learn more:

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