Plants are a feel-good force of nature. Whether you live in a country cottage, city apartment, town house or manor, this helpful guide will help you find the perfect plants for your abode.
It might be called urban gardening, but you can entwine the wonders of nature into the styling of every home. With vivid green leaves, blooming buds and fragrant scents, even the smallest of plants can make the space feel a little calmer, a little more peaceful.
Best plants for the lesser green-fingered: Succulents
Great for those who aren’t natural gardeners, these plants don’t need frequent watering – some as little as once a month. They’re also evergreen, so they keep their vivid colour all year round. Whatever space you’re working with, you can find a succulent to fit – from tall, leafy plants to pint-sized cacti which can tuck onto the smallest of shelves.
One of our favourites is a Parlour palm – a staple succulent. Their feathered appearance adds a gentle touch to coves and corners.
Swiss cheese plants are also at the larger end of the succulent spectrum for urban gardeners, loved by many for their distinctively shaped leaves. They’re a centre-of-attention plant, right at home on a sweeping bay window or creeping up behind a colourful sofa like the Cricket.
You could also try Zebra plant, Cacti and Aloe vera.
Best plants for shaded areas: Low-light plants
All plants need some sunlight to thrive, but not all demand full-blown sunshine to bloom. If you have a shaded corner which needs sprucing up – perhaps you’d like to bring a touch of tropical to your hallway – there are a range of house plants which will cope just fine with minimal light.
Snake plants go by many weird and wonderful names – mother in law’s tongue and viper’s bowstring hem, included. However, what’s most distinctive about this succulent is its leaves – pale around the edges, striped in the centre and sharply pointed at the ends.
Chinese evergreens bring a darker tone to your urban garden, with deep-red leaves in and among the greenery. This easy-maintenance, low-light plant adds a sophisticated touch to a shaded sideboard or table, particularly when contrasted with a pastel coloured sofa like the Demure.
We’d also recommend ZZ plant, Staghorn Fern and Leopard lily.
Best plants for minimal floor space: Hanging plants
If your urban garden is starting to creep over the floor, introduce some hanging plants to lift your leafy collection to new heights. These trailing plants look effortless, either placed on the end of a shelf or next to a doorway in a hanging basket. They’re a beautiful addition to any interior styling, whether you like neutral tones or vibrant pops, like the colourful Hetty sofa.
Devil’s Ivy is a hanging plant you can rely on. The deep-green leaves are beautifully rich and easy to read too – if they start to turn yellow, they’re asking for a sunnier spot.
String of pearls is an especially popular species at the moment, winning over urban gardeners with its delicate vines and dainty pearls.
Some of our other favourites – and not just because of their names – are Donkey’s Tail, String of Bananas and Hanging cactus.
Best plants for homegrown goodness: Edible plants
There’s nothing more satisfying than snipping some herbs from your flourishing window box and sprinkling them on top of a homemade bowl of pasta or a refreshing salad. The good news is you can easily raise flavoursome pots of herbs indoors, such as Basil, Parsley, Mint, Coriander and Thyme.
Mason jars and recycled tins are the perfect makeshift plant pots if you’re channelling that industrial style.
Don’t just limit yourself to herbs, though. The rich, purple buds of French lavender grow well indoors and can be used as a fragrant addition to recipes or as edible decoration on cakes.
You can turn up the heat with small chilli pepper plants on sunny windows, producing fiery flavours and adding an exotic touch to your urban garden. Nurturing these plants from seeds does take more commitment, but it’s so worth it for the joy of eating home-grown produce.
Have you got window boxes bursting with colour and flavour? Show us your flourishing urban garden on Instagram.
