Plant Care Tips: How to Take Care of Philodendron Plants

Philodendron plants are a popular option to add to your home or office, providing a tropical addition to any space. Two popular varieties are:

1) the Swiss Cheese Plant, which has rounded leathery leaves that develop deep lefts and oblong perforations as they grow older;

2) the Split Leaf Philodendron, also known as Monstera, has a unique leaf pattern of large split leaves.

While either plant variety would make a great addition to any room, you must ensure you offer it the right amount of light, water, and heat to grow and thrive.

Keep reading as we share some of our top plant care tips for these plants, so you can discover how to add one or both of these tropical varieties to your interior plantscape.

What You’ll Learn:

Light

Split Leaf and Swiss Cheese philodendron plants require bright but indirect sunlight to grow and thrive. If you offer too much sunlight in the summer, the foliage will be more likely to get burnt. You may be surprised to learn that this plant can also grow outside in the shade or semi-shade of the woodlands, which you can keep in mind if you add it to an urban garden.

Indoor vs. Outdoor

Both the Swiss Cheese and Split Leaf varieties are native to the tropical climates of Mexico and Central America. They can easily acclimate as year-round indoor plants regardless of where you live. However, if you live in an area with cold winters and plan to include them in a roof garden or other outdoor plantscape, they will need to be brought indoors over the colder months.

When you bring them outside again in the Spring, even indirect sunlight might be too intense for them at first. Plan to keep them in heavy shade – like under a tarp – for the first two weeks. That way, they can adjust to being outdoors again.

Soil

If placing your philodendron plants within a container, use a peat-based potting medium for the base. For those who live in milder climates, you can plant directly in the garden in light sandy soil.

In either case, the plant will need a pH between neutral and acidic to grow, but whatever type of soil you use, ensure that it is porous and well-drained.

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Watering

During the main growing season – generally Spring and Summer – one of the most important plants care tips is to ensure that you water your Split Leaf or Swiss Cheese plant weekly. Continue watering the plant until the excess water seeps through the drainage holes, then stop adding water. Give the soil time to dry out between each watering session.

In the fall and winter months, you won’t need to water either variety of plants as often, but misting an indoor plant may be helpful to increase the humidity in your house.

Temperature

The perfect temperature for philodendron plants in your indoor plantscape is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. As mentioned above, this temperature is needed alongside bright and indirect sunlight to give your plants the best chance to grow.

If the temperature in your area dips below 65 degrees for much of the year, you might find it impractical to include it in your outdoor plantscape.

Fertilizer

We recommend using a balanced fertilizer three or four times yearly to help your plant reach its maximum potential. When secured to a stake or pole, you’ll find that the Split Leaf variety can grow up to 10 feet tall. However, you’ll need to ensure you follow all of the plant care tips we’ve shared today to experience this.

A balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer is your best bet for the Split Leaf and Swiss Cheese plants, which can occur every few weeks within the main growing season. Create a mixture of the fertilizer and water, which you can then pour into the soil during your weekly watering.

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Spread vs. Vertical

There are generally two styles of training for the Split Leaf and Swiss Cheese philodendron plants. They can train to climb a stake or pole (vertical style), or they can spread out over a large area (spread style). Decide which style will work best in your space.

Do you have a tall space to fill, such as an accent wall, or a large area to fill – such as a plant container in the lobby of an office building? Whichever style you choose, it’s important to stay consistent.

If you plan to use the vertical style, tie the plant to the stake from the beginning. Later, it will be hard to re-train a spreading style plant into the vertical style.

Potting

Roughly every two years, you’ll need to repot the Split Leaf or Swiss Cheese plant, so it continues growing. These plants outgrow their current pot every couple of years. You’ll want to upgrade to a slightly wider and deeper pot to offer it the extra space.

We recommend using pots made from terracotta or clay, as they offer the plant extra airflow and drainage. The main thing to look for is that the pot has drainage holes.

To pot or repot your plant, add a peaty potting medium to the bottom third of your pot. For the vertical style, create a stake for the plant’s stem and gently set the roots into the pot. Cover the roots with the soil before using plant ties to secure the stem.

Common Problems

The Monstera Deliciosa or Swiss Cheese variety makes a fantastic addition to your interior plantscaping. However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind about this plant. It may attract common pests, such as scale and mealybugs.

The best way to avoid this issue in the first place is to catch it before it gets established. Regularly examine the plant to nip trouble in the bud. Use a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol to rid the plant of mealybugs. Use a horticultural oil or Murphy’s soap to remove the scale.

The other issues you may experience are in regards to the leaves. The tips of the leaves may turn brown when the soil is dry. You can avoid this issue by following our plant care tips above for watering. Yellow leaves are also a problem when the soil is dry, and for both of these issues, you should remove the impacted leaves straight away before trying to remedy the problem.

Finally, wilting leaves are a sign of a watering problem, which could be either overwatering or underwatering the plant. Be very mindful of how much water you add to the pot to avoid damage to your plant.

Key Takeaways

Philodendron plants can enhance your indoor plantscaping or urban garden. With a little care and attention, you’ll find it a very attractive plant to add to any room in your home, creating a tropical atmosphere in any space.

Make sure you keep an eye on how much you water the plant and always place it in indirect sunlight. By keeping the watering, soil plant care, and temperature tips we shared above in mind, you’ll find that this plant will continue to grow year after year, creating a centerpiece for your home or office.

Philodendrons are one of the most exciting indoor plants to consider investing in this year. We hope these tips will make caring for either variety of plants a little easier for you shortly.

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Boston’s 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 rooftop garden and plantscaping services for clients across the Boston Metro area.

We customize and plan our roof garden projects and interior plantscaping to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for corporate plantscaping and residential community projects.

In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications. You can find us in Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape.

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Plant Care Tips: How to Take Care of Tropical Plants

Tropical plants are a fantastic addition to any home or office but require proper plant care. Have you reviewed plant care tips for tropical plants before? If not, you may be surprised by some of our top advice.

In today’s blog, we’ll help you keep your tropical plants in top condition. Keep reading as we share some of our best plant care tips for these types of plants.

The Diversity of Tropical Plants

Tropical plants are perfect for your home or office all season. One thing to remember when it comes to exotic plants is that all of them are different. You’ll need to take the time to learn the top plant care tips for your specific tropical plants.

Many exotic plants have special instructions you need to follow to ensure survival. By learning how to water and care for your plants, they can be a vibrant and exciting addition.

Watering Tropical Plants

If you’re wondering how to take care of tropical plants, you’ll want to ensure their soil is porous and evenly moist. Generally, potting them in sandy soil or other well-draining soil is best. The soil shouldn’t be too wet either, but this can be quite challenging to perfect.

While most tropical plants can stay dry for a few days, avoid giving them too much water. When tropical plants are overwatered, they’re more likely to die. Try to water your plants when the soil becomes dry to the touch and frequently check on the soil.

This advice is especially true for hanging plants since they tend to dry out faster. We encourage you to take consistent care of your exotic plants. They need a fair bit of attention to survive.

One of the best ways to maintain moisture is to invest in a supplemental indoor plant watering device. This step will ensure you don’t forget to water your plants. A soil moisture gauge is also worth buying if you struggle with judging water levels. It will help enhance healthy plant care.

Humidity and Indoor Tropical Plants

Tropical plants in the wild usually live in hot and humid locations worldwide. Keeping the humidity levels right can be difficult if you live in a much cooler environment. Therefore, you need to consider how to take care of tropical plants.

The good news is that exotic plants adapt quickly to their new environment. Even your hanging plants will likely thrive wherever they are.

Some of these plants are more sensitive, so you might need to add more humidity in a dry atmosphere. Tropical plants benefit from regular misting to keep the humidity level high, especially during winter.  

A pebble tray with water is another simple and creative way to improve the humidity around your plants. Use an indoor humidity monitor to keep track of these levels, which will help you monitor them daily.

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Light and Tropical Plants

you must place some tropical plants in bright light to grow and thrive. However, you’ll find that others will quickly adapt to your darker home light levels.

A sunny window might seem like the perfect place to put your plants. For some plants, though, this could soon burn off their leaves and damage them.

Rubber trees and dracaenas are two plant species that will need a fair amount of light. If you leave them for too long without light, their leaves will lose color and turn brown.

As soon as you notice a plant getting burned by the sun, move it out of its current spot. That way, you’ll be able to save it before it’s too late.

Do You Need Fertilizer for Tropical Plants?

Many exotic plants people keep in their homes today require special soil. You’ll need to research this before buying these plants, as you may need to purchase this soil simultaneously. Otherwise, regular well-draining soil will do for your hanging plants. Just be sure to keep them well-watered and in good condition.

Fertilizer is important to use in the spring or summer months, ideally in February or March. We recommend adding fertilizer annually as part of your plant care tips. In the winter, you generally won’t want to use fertilizer.

Many people today opt to use organic plant fertilizer, a top plant care tip for anyone with exotic plants. You can also find fertilizer designed for indoor plants to help them grow and thrive.

Some plant owners take things one step further and make homemade fertilizer with compost tea bags. It’s a great way to save money while offering your plants a more natural solution.

Key Takeaways

Following the plant care tips we’ve shared above, you’ll find that you can skillfully care for your tropical plants. These tips should apply to most exotic plants.

However, ensure you follow the specific care instructions for your unique plantscaping. We know how beautiful exotic plants can look in any home or office. It’s something we highly recommend adding to your space this year.

You can follow us on social media @Foliaire to learn more plant care tips on garden decor and garden care.

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Boston’s 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 office plantscaping services for clients across the Boston Metro area.

We customize and plan our living walls and interior plantscaping to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for corporate plantscaping and residential community projects.

In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications. You can find us in Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape.

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Plant Care Tips: Top 10 Pet-Safe House Plants

As a pet owner, it’s critical to add pet-safe house plants for your little furry friends.

Indoor plantscaping is something that more homeowners than ever before are researching. These plants can exist in various rooms in your home, adding some color or interest to your space.

However, you need to ensure you only add pet-safe house plants to your space. Keep reading to learn our top 10 pet-friendly house plants, all of which will help enhance the mood and atmosphere of your home.

What We’ll Cover In This Article:

1) Rattlesnake Plant (Calathea)

The colors and unique leaves of the Rattlesnake plant make it one of our favorite pet-safe indoor house plants. It can incorporate low-light rooms and will brighten up any space. The good news is that it’s safe to keep around pets, but you’ll want to make sure you plant it in sandy, fast-draining soil for best results.

Keep an eye on the leaves, and remember that one of the top plant care tips is to water the plant as soon as the soil feels dry. It would be a good option to add to your living room or study and add more texture to even the plainest rooms.

2) Spider Plant

The Spider plant is a popular option with veterinarians, and you’ve no doubt seen it before in your local vet’s office. Thanks to its air-purifying qualities, it can help remove toxins from the atmosphere.

Make sure you keep this plant away from constant, direct sunlight to don’t kill off your new interior plantscaping home addition. This plant is very easy to take care of, so it’s one of our favorites for first-time pet or plant owners.

3) Parlor Palm (Neanthe Bella Palm)

If you want to add a little indoor plantscaping to your bedroom, the Parlor palm is one of our favorites to add to a nightstand. It only needs a few hours of light a day, which is ideal from an indirect source.

This plant is very slow-growing, so it’s a good option for anyone new to adding pet-friendly house plants to their space.

4) Succulents

Succulents are some of the most popular pet-friendly additions to any home. However, you need to ensure the succulents you add are pet-safe indoor house plants.

Haworthia and Echeveria are two of the best options and are super easy to manage. Ensure they get direct sunlight and water them when the soil turns dry.

5) African Violet

Kitchens are a great spot to add some indoor plantscaping. The African Violet is a colorful plant that will bloom well in indirect sunlight.

They are ideal all-year-round plants for any home and are one of the most attractive options for comparing pet-safe house plants.

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6) Gloxinia

The Gloxinia is native to Brazil and blooms in bold shades of pink, red, purple, or blue. You’ll need to keep this plant’s soil moist, but it will only require you to follow basic plant care tips, such as feeding the plant every two weeks.

This plant will be a great option to add to your living room if you are looking for a way to add a splash of color to your home. Unfortunately, Gloxinia is somewhat demanding and requires additional attention.

They also tend to attract unwanted insects. This beautiful flowering plant is perfect for those who already have a good track record of caring for plants.   

7) Venus Flytrap

This pet-friendly house plant is easy to maintain, so first-time interior plantscaping homeowners will love adding it to their homes. Just make sure you add it to someplace where it will enjoy about four hours of direct sunlight each day.

Terrariums and solariums are ideal environments to show off this plant. An even better location might be a conservatory or hothouse.

Peat moss is the best option for the soil. You’ll want to make this plant a focal point in your interior plantscape design.

8) Boston Fern

The Boston Fern consistently comes up in lists of the top indoor plantscaping plants. It’s one of our favorite pet-friendly house plants. You only need to feed it occasionally, so it’s a great choice for busy pet owners.

It’s okay if your dog or cat accidentally bites it as it’s not toxic to either of these animals. You can read our guide on fern plant care to learn more.

9) Watermelon Peperomia

The Watermelon Peperomia is one of the best options for pet owners within this family of plants. It should remain out of direct sunlight, but you won’t have to worry about watering it too often.

You could place this in most rooms in your home. You only need to test the soil from time to time to see if it needs any care or water. This plant prefers to sit in somewhat dry soil.

10) Bromeliad

The final plant we recommend for pet owners is the Bromeliad, which offers a tropical feel to any room. It’s a bright and colorful plant, and the blooms stay in place for a few months.

Any room in your home that could do with a splash of color will benefit from this pet-friendly house plant. We recommend adding this plant to your kitchen or living room. You can open the windows and offer it some indirect sunlight in that setting.

One thing to keep in mind in terms of plant care tips for this plant is that you will need to mist it to keep it in peak condition. Wait until the soil is dry, then completely drench the plant thoroughly for watering.  

What to Do If Your Pet Consumes a Poison Plant

If you know your dog or cat has eaten a poisonous plant, here’s what to do:

1) Remove your pet from proximity to the plant.

Note the plant’s name, if you recognize it, or take a picture of it to help medical professionals in treating your animal.

 

2) Make sure your pet is breathing, alert, and behaving normally.

Call your veterinarian or a phone hotline to help with pet poisoning, like Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435. Remember, hotlines like these charge for their services so a consultation fee may apply. A professional can tell you whether you need to treat your pet at home or bring it in to see a veterinarian.

3) Call your veterinarian or the nearest emergency veterinary clinic immediately if your pet is not behaving normally.

Avoid any at-home remedies or antidotes that your veterinarian did not approve. That includes making your pet vomit. Vomiting may be the right approach, but it might also be dangerous based on what your pet ingests and what’s happening in its body.

Act Quickly to Save Your Pet’s Life

Remember, the sooner you get help for a pet who’s eaten a poisonous plant, the better the chances your pet can recover from poisoning. Whether at home under a veterinarian’s orders or in a veterinary hospital, treatment will be specific to the plant that poisoned your pet.

The ASPCA Poison Control estimates that 25 percent of poisoned pets recover within 2 hours. Even with treatment, 1 in 100 poisoned pets die.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so check toxic and non-toxic plants before bringing greenery into the home or planting in the yard or garden. Your pet and your veterinarian will thank you.

 

Key Takeaways

By choosing any of these pet-friendly house plants and following the plant care tips for looking after each one, you’ll find that you can enjoy enhancing your home with these beautiful plants.

These plants are safe to keep around dogs, cats, and other pets, while still brightening up certain parts of your home. We highly encourage you to think carefully about what you add to your home. When you have pets sharing your space, you can keep everyone safe and healthy for years to come.

You can follow us on all social media @Foliaire to learn more plant care tips on garden decor and garden care.

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Boston’s Exterior Design & 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 office plantscaping services for clients across the Boston Metro area.

We customize and plan our living walls and interior plantscaping to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for both corporate plantscaping and residential community projects.

In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications. You can find us in Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape.

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Plant Care: How to Care for Your Lawn and Garden

Your lawn and garden need your time and attention to help them grow and thrive. Plant care is a skill that takes time to develop. This article is here to get you started.

Looking after your garden will be easy when you equip yourself with the right knowledge. Keep reading to learn our best tips and tricks for cultivating your garden.

What We’ll Cover In This Article:

Update Your Lawn and Garden Care for the Season

When it comes to effective plant watering and plant care, you need to treat your garden differently throughout the year. If you live in an area that experiences cold winter months, you need to be mindful of the impact this can have on your plants.

At the same time, hot and humid summers can wreak havoc on your garden, which is when you’ll need to think about plant watering more regularly. Plan to cut your line once a week in the summer.

For the rest of the year, every two weeks is sufficient. Make sure you are mindful of the climate of your home state.

Spring-Time Gardening Tasks

Spring is the time to tour your garden to see what’s been happening while you were inside all winter.

At this point, you should remove any matted leaves left from last fall. Trim off the brown foliage from your ornamental grass plants and perennial plants. Lastly, remove any fallen branches or other trash that has made its way into your garden during the cold weather.

Build Exterior Garden Structures

A huge part of plant care is offering support and protection for plants to thrive. Start building your structures early spring before the ground has completely thawed out. April and May are good times to inspect, repair, or replace any hardscape items, including:

  • gazebos
  • fountains
  • plant stands
  • privacy screens
  • retaining walls
  • living walls

Fountains are a great way to add a relaxing centerpiece to your garden. They can also help attract more wildlife to your outdoor space.

Take the time in early spring to clean out fountains from leaves and other debris. If you don’t currently have a fountain, consider adding one.

Even if you have limited space to add a water feature, a small fountain can make a tranquil addition. Spring is also a good time to give your birdbaths a thorough scrub.

Types of Structures

Consider an exterior landscape design that includes plant stands to help your plants grow and make plant care easier. This display will bring show plants into focus.

Additionally, retaining walls can protect against wind and erosion. A pergola, or a roof-like lattice, can help cover some of your shade-loving plants while also growing through the design. This structure can make a beautiful addition to any garden. It can quickly become a place to gather with your friends and family.

Retaining walls are a more practical custom exterior landscape addition. These are vertical walls designed to redirect water flow and hold soil back on slopes. You’ll find that they can be both functional and decorative in their own right. Click here to learn more about the types of garden decor you can install.

Identify and Remove Weeds

Weeds are a huge issue in plant care for your garden and lawn. Lawn weeds might either grow as flowers or seed heads.

Generally, you’ll find a huge variety of weeds in lawns today. The best option for your home is to remove the whole weed, ensuring you get the roots out simultaneously. You can do this by hand but using a weed removing tool.

When carrying out regular plant watering, we suggest pet-safe herbicide. Always look for a product that has a low toxicity level. That way, you won’t cause any harm to nearby creatures.

Spring Pruning

Spring is the time of year when many plants will benefit from pruning. Do you have woody plants that flower in the fall? Our rule of thumb is to prune them in the spring. Examples include hydrangeas and roses.

However, don’t prune forsythias, azaleas, or lilacs in the spring. Spring is also the time to shape any evergreen trees that you want to control growth or spread.

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Improve Drainage for Your Lawn

Drainage is a major issue within the exterior landscape design. If your lawn has poor drainage, you may find it becomes soaked for days. In the long run, this can cause issues for your lawn health if you don’t work to improve the drainage.

Common reasons for drainage issues include inferior custom exterior landscape design and the lack of absorption from the soil. Are you seeing standing water in your garden outside of your water features? Take steps to avoid a buildup of water in the future to prevent further damage to your lawn.

Design With Your Garden Shape in Mind

The shape of your garden will play a big part in preventing waterlogging. Drive water away from your home to prevent damage to the property. Dips in the ground need to be avoided at all costs, as these can cause water to pool.

We sometimes find that homeowners need to install additional gutters and drains. These additions can direct excess water away from the lawn.

Another strategy, instead of working to remove standing water, is to add water-loving plants. Some species thrive in boggy ground, including:

  • astilbe
  • cardinal flower
  • sedge
  • rose mallow
  • summersweet
  • hibiscus
  • European cranberry bush viburnum
  • leucothoe
  • fothergilla
  • Pinkberry
  • sweetspire
  • sweet and swamp azaleas
  • white spruce
  • black gum

These varieties will absorb some of the extra water. You’ll be able to protect your plants that might otherwise become water-logged.

Mowing and Edging Your Lawn

Mowing your lawn is an important part of plant care. However, it’s best to only remove about one-third of the grass length during each session in the spring.

More often, mowing matters in the summer when you can cut about half the grass length. In the winter, the grass will grow much slower, if at all. Try to avoid mowing your lawn when your soil or grass is wet. This mistake can damage your lawn and stop it from growing at its borders and edges.

Invest in a half-moon edging tool or use edging shears or even a battery-powered edger to complete this work. You should do this after mowing, offering a finishing touch to the plant care process for your lawn.

Key Takeaways

Plant care and watering often seem like a huge task, but little and often is the best way to go.

Your garden should work in the right manner for your property’s design and unique custom exterior landscape. You’ll reduce the number of issues you face in the future.

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Boston Exterior Design & 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 office plantscaping services for clients across the Boston Metro area.

We customize and plan our living walls and interior planting designs to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for both corporate plantscaping and residential community projects.

In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications. You can find us in Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape.

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What’s the Difference Between Plantscaping and Landscaping?

When discussing adding more plants to your office or improving your outdoor landscape, you might wonder what distinguishes plantscaping from landscaping – and the difference between landscaping and landscape maintenance.

The terms often have interchangeable uses, but they have different interior and exterior landscape design meanings.

Today we’re going to discover what indoor plantscaping means. You’ll learn why it’s very different from what people traditionally think of landscaping and landscape maintenance.

What You’ll Learn in This Article:

What Is Plantscaping?

When we use the term plantscaping, we refer to creating and designing interior spaces – commercial or residential – with live plants. For instance, corporate plantscaping projects involve planning which kinds of plants you will use, where the plants will live, and what pots, planters, or containers they will use.

Plantscaping can also include an architectural element. There’s a conference room at the office with only a glass wall separating it from the reception area. You could design a “screen” of plants to separate the two visually for office plantscaping.

In addition to the natural attractiveness of live plants, they can add visual focus to an area – a splash of color can highlight a space, such as a hallway or tabletop, or a structural feature, such as a corner or archway.

Plantscaping can add interest to small and large spaces – from a desktop to an office entryway. For example, small and large living walls can accent a surface or redefine a space. You can use interior plantscaping for any room to fit any shape or size.

How Does Plantscaping Work?

Interior plantscaping offers many benefits to workplaces and office settings. Well-known effects of living walls include improved air quality, better air circulation, and the removal of toxins. Plantscaping provides a welcoming environment for either working or relaxing, whereas landscaping is usually outdoors.

Although you can certainly take on office plantscaping yourself, it’s probably best to work with the aid of professionals to enhance the design of your space. The practice of hiring professionals to help design and install interior plantscaping came of age in the 1960s and 70s and has become ever more popular since.

From many plant variety options, corporate plantscaping professionals can assist in selecting the right specimens to reinvigorate your unique space.

What Is Landscaping?

Landscaping refers to the design and installation of live plants and accessories in exterior spaces – typically involving trees, shrubs, flowers, walkways, hardscapes, and garden features. It is the process of making changes to a piece of land to improve its value and appearance.

Landscape design will consider what plants should go where and what features you should add. Your options might include a stone path, statue, or water fountain.

It’s common to include an irrigation system in landscape design. That way, watering the plants will be as easy as possible.

How Does Landscaping Work?

Homeowners and landlords may look to invest in landscaping when trying to sell a property, improving its “curb appeal.”

We all know how critical the first impression is when approaching a building, and landscaping is instrumental in promoting what someone thinks about your property.

It’s one of the key features that help a home sell more quickly. A well-groomed exterior makes it worth the investment.

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What Is Landscape Maintenance?

Compared to outdoor landscaping, landscape maintenance is what we would more traditionally refer to as gardening. It relates to the upkeep of your home or office garden, or lawn.

Above all, it’s the actual fertilizing, watering, and maintenance of the area, as opposed to the strategic positioning of plants in an outdoor space – as you would find with landscaping.

Landscape maintenance works to keep your grass or plants in top condition to flourish in all weather conditions. It also includes mowing lawns, pruning trees, and trimming hedges.

How Does Landscape Maintenance Work?

Landscaping may involve changing your garden’s architecture and overall design, but it should never be confused with landscape maintenance. Landscape maintenance primarily focuses on preserving your garden or lawn.

In contrast, landscaping is the initial activity that involves planting flowers or trees. The goal is to design the area to look more attractive.

While landscape maintenance keeps your lawn or garden in good order, it can also boost your mood and improve the outside of your home or office. It also helps to reduce environmental impact or increase the property’s value.

Key Takeaways

Landscaping, landscape maintenance, and indoor plantscaping have many similarities, but they focus on different areas in the office or around a building. All of them are concerned with live plants and improving the appeal of our spaces.

Meanwhile, plantscaping deals with designing indoor spaces and interiors – landscaping deals with designing outdoor spaces. Landscape maintenance is necessary to keep a landscape design in peak condition. Hopefully, these three terms are clearer now.

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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 office plantscaping services for clients across the Boston Metro area.

We customize and plan our living walls and interior planting designs to fit your unique space and tastes. That’s how we’ve built a reputation of unparalleled style and elegance for both corporate plantscaping and residential community projects. In addition, we’ve received several environmental design awards and have appeared in several publications. You can find us in Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape.

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Plant Care Tips: How to Take Care of Ferns

Do you need help with how to take care of your ferns? If you’ve recently upgraded your indoor planting designs to add more greenery into your home, you’ll want to make sure you know the top plant care tips to take care of them.

Today we’re going to discover some of the best indoor plant care solutions for your home or office. You can also read our guide on how to prevent your house plants from dying for more.

Plant Care Tips You’ll Learn in This Article:

The Different Types of Ferns You Can Select for Your Home

Before we discover the top indoor plant watering methods for your plants, let’s take a look at some of the most popular types of ferns you could add to your space. One of the most common ferns that people choose is the Boston fern. They require minimal indoor plant care but must be kept in warm temperatures and indirect light.

For something a little more unique, consider a maidenhair fern. One of the biggest challenges with indoor plant care for this type of fern is finding a consistently humid area.

The bear paw fern is another of our favorite ferns to add to any space, which has the advantage that it can easily divide to make multiple plants. You’ll need to offer this fern a good amount of warmth and bright indirect light.

This tricolor fern makes an elegant addition to any home, with a wide range of shades of green within each plant – from pale green to deep forest green. They require similar conditions to the Boston fern, so it would be another great option for anyone with this type of interior planting design already in place.

Use Drained Soil

Drained soil can greatly improve your interior planting design. In general, you’ll find that ferns can be fussy about the type of soil they use. They prefer light, fluffy, well-drained soil. Moreover, their roots don’t like to be wet all the time, as this might suffocate the plant.

For indoor plant care success, try to find a light, drained potting mix in which you can place any of the ferns listed above. Check the soil before watering – the soil should not be completely dry but just about to be dry.

Then, it’s best to completely soak the fern – either under a sink faucet or even in the shower. Of course, you’ll still need to avoid overwatering your ferns.

This mistake can result in fungal infections, where it would be prudent to dispose of the whole plant.

Mist Your Ferns

To add moisture to the environment of your ferns, you should occasionally mist your plants. Ferns need to live in rooms with high humidity to thrive and grow, which is why they often exist in terrariums. They love soaking in the moisture from the air, which is why we recommend misting your plants regularly if you find they aren’t growing well.

If you notice brown tips on your ferns, this is a good indication that they need misting.

Alternatively, you could set your humidifier close to your plants. This placement will help add water to the air, which can otherwise be hard to achieve in some rooms in your home.

The kitchen is a great location to add ferns, and you’ll find they thrive in this type of atmosphere.

Aim for Medium Light

When ferns are out in the wild, you’ll find they enjoy indirect light thanks to their position under the trees. For that reason, you need to try and recreate this atmosphere at home.

Place them by either a south-facing or a north-facing window that won’t provide too much light.

When ferns exist in an area that receives extremely strong direct light, you’ll find their leaves get burnt.

Focus on offering them a medium-light placement in your home and you’ll find your new interior planting design thrives throughout the year. Our best plant care tip is to pay attention to your space’s lighting.

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Use Double Containers – “Slip Potting”

To help you out with your indoor plant care, we recommend adding ferns to double containers, also known as “slip potting.” If you’d like to know how to take care of ferns, slip potting is a great first step.

Plant the fern directly into a terracotta pot, which you can then place in a pretty container to add to your home. Between the containers, you may add moistened sheet moss, which will help with indoor plant watering and keeping your plants moist.

The great thing about ferns is that they make a versatile addition to any home. You can even add some species to wall art, making for a sophisticated addition to your space.

An attractive terrarium can help you take care of ferns in smaller apartments. This layout allows you to keep your plants in optimal conditions without taking up too much space in your home.

Best Practices for Hanging Plants

If you’ve recently added hanging plants to your home, they can be more of a challenge to maintain. Indoor plant watering is the biggest issue with hanging plants.

Consider moving your plants outdoors during the warmer months of the year. This transition makes indoor plant care much easier while potentially protecting your home and furniture.

However, ferns won’t thrive in strong, full sun, so ensure they have some protection: tree shade, a tarp, sheet, or umbrella to protect them from too much sun.

Generally, hanging plants need more water than other potted ferns. The rising hot air surrounding the pot tends to dry out faster than plants on the floor.

Key Takeaways

Any homeowner can follow our plant care tips to ensure your ferns remain healthy and happy. When it comes to indoor plant watering, you need to stay on top of this to maintain your plants properly. Ideally, indoor plant care shouldn’t take up too much of your time or energy.

If you’re instead looking to add new indoor plants to your office or rooftop garden this year, our team will be here to support you in upgrading your interior plant designs. We can also recommend the best outdoor garden decor for your home or office.

Ready to unlock your garden’s full potential?

Contact Us

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 plantscaping services for clients across the Boston Metro area.

We customize and plan all of our interior planting designs 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. You can find us in Architectural Digest, House and Garden, Horticulture, and Interiorscape.

Follow us on social media for more plant care tips:

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?

Contact Us

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.

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

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?

Contact Us

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:

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