Greenery for Inside the House : ‘The Look’ in Plantscapes--Low Maintenance and Big
The furniture is gorgeous, the wallpaper is elegant, the carpet is just the right shade and the accent pieces are a clever touch. So why does it seem that something’s missing from the living room?
Greg Davis hears this question all the time, and he can answer it with one word: plants. Those leafy green things that soak up water and give off oxygen have become an indispensable part of West Coast decor and, as a result, Davis’ “interior plantscape design” service is thriving.
“People who know their house has to look good will hire an interior designer, and more than half of our business comes through those designers,” Davis said. “Plants are natural; they make a statement. Instead of living in a sterile environment, you bring in the outside.”
Unfortunately, plants are not as sturdy as love seats. Sometimes they wilt and die. Sometimes they become infested with bugs. Even the best of them spill dirt and leak water.
The people who consult Davis at the Brian Jeffreys Design Greenhouse on trendy Melrose Avenue want the lush look of house plants without the hassle. They hire Davis to select the right plants for their home, put them in place and, in some cases, make weekly house calls to tend them.
Davis’ clients also expect him to create “The Look” in home greenery. Currently, “The Look” is big, low-maintenance floor plants in bold containers, he said.
“Hanging plants are out,” he said, and plants that grow fast are no longer a good buy.
“People re-pot too much,” Davis said. “Simple maintenance is what you should be after; vigorous growth can be a disadvantage. Sometimes the least expensive plants grow the fastest and the most expensive plants grow the slowest.”
Like fabrics and colors, the use of house plants as decor has evolved to the point where some plants are in vogue and others are passe.
“One woman called and asked, ‘Do you have one of those plant poles that run from ceiling to floor, the kind you hang plants on?’ ” Davis recalled with a shudder. “Well, we call that ‘tacky interior.’ Hanging plants now have an image of being a cheap way to put greenery at eye level.
“Everything used to be cute--you’d do groupings in the corner or have little things coming out of a vase. Now, the look in plants is large-scale, more simplistic and better quality.”
Bigger plants not only look better, Davis said, but they also are a smarter investment. “They are more expensive but they have a greater will to live. They’ve been around for a long time. If they’re properly cared for, they’ll do well.”
When Davis says big, he means it. For clients with atriums or high ceilings, he brings in small trees. If he has trouble getting the tree up a staircase, he’ll hoist it up the side of the building with ropes.
“I start each job by evaluating the lighting, the space and the floor plan,” he said. “I also tailor the plants to the room’s decor.
Fitting Into the Decor
“For a high-tech room, I like spiky, severe-looking plants, like flax or bromeliad. Traditional decor needs very rich plants, like palms and ivys. An Oriental look goes best with wind-swept plants, like ming aurelia.”
Selecting the plant is only half the job, Davis said. “The container can be more than 50% of the statement--like a huge Mexican urn with a stubby cactus sticking out of it.
“And different containers can make a plant look completely different. A dracaena in a glossy-black cylinder looks high-tech. A dracaena in a white-washed basket goes with the bleached-wood look.”
Davis creates many of his own containers to match the decor. One of his current favorites is a huge Italian terra cotta urn covered with pastel-colored stucco.
“It’s for contemporary Santa Fe interiors and it almost doesn’t matter what kind of plant you put in it,” he said.
Drainage, Leakage
Plants should never be potted directly in the container, Davis warned. To promote drainage and prevent leakage, keep the plant in its plastic greenhouse pot, put a saucer at the bottom of the fancy container and lower the greenhouse pot onto it.
Because watering can be tricky, Davis urges clients to use moisture meters. “They’re one of today’s greatest tools and everybody should have one,” he said.
“You know the old saw, ‘Keep plants evenly moist’? Well, how do you do that? I know people who give their plants a half-cup of water every day. That’s too much. Once a week is more than sufficient, and some plants, like dracaena and cactus, need to dry out completely between waterings.”
Most plants will feel more at home if their leaves are sprayed and polished regularly, Davis advised. If bugs become a problem, rinse them off before resorting to insecticides.
“Outside, rain washes dirt away and wind blows bugs off. Inside, plants tend to become more easily infected,” he said. “House dust and lack of natural rinsing means plants require more attention.”
