Like an eye-catching outdoor garden, a breathtaking indoor garden contains a variety of different plant types. To create a planted interior that is well-designed and pleasing to the eye, include foliage plants, flowering houseplants, viners, hangers and climbers and large, tall plants.
Foliage Plants
Making up the backbone of the indoor garden, foliage plants should be your most numerous. These plants are generally small to medium in size and consist of a wide variety of foliage types in a rainbow of colors. Many of the leaves are also variegated, which adds further interest.
Some easy-to-grow foliage plants for your indoor garden include cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior), Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum), coleus, croton, various ferns, including maidenhair fern, dumb cane (Dieffenbachia), jade, peacock plant (Calathea zebrina), polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura), purple velvet plant (Gynura species), Peperomia and snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata).
Flowering Houseplants
If given adequate lighting and fertilizer, several blooming plants grow well indoors. Use flowering houseplants as focal points to light up areas of the room, such as in the case of hanging plants, or as table center pieces.
Plants ideal for flowering indoors include African violet, anthurium, some begonia species, gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa), moth orchid (Phalaenopsis species), kalanchoe, peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii), lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus) and goldfish plant (Columnea). The latter two are also good hanging plants.
(Julie Bawden-Davis)Viners, Hangers and Climbers
Plants that cascade and creep invite attention up, which gives the illusion of rooms appearing taller and more expansive than they actually are. Some plants also do better when allowed to hang from bookshelves and hanging baskets.
Houseplants that vine, hang and climb include various ivy, arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum), Boston fern and other various ferns, creeping fig (Ficus pumila), philodendron, pothos, spider plant, wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina) and wax plant (Hoya carnosa).
(Julie Bawden-Davis)Large, Tall Plants
No indoor garden would be complete without at least one large and tall plant. Houseplants, such as indoor trees, make a dramatic statement, as well as fill in hard to decorate areas, such as corners.
Some easy-to-grow large and tall plants include various Dracaena species, schefflera, rubber tree, fiddle-leaf fig, various palms, split-leaf philodendron and Ficus benjamina.
Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, The American Gardener, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of seven books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story Series, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com.
