L I V I N G S PAC E
IF YOU’VE NEVER HAD A HOUSEPLANT BEFORE These houseplants, according to STUMP owner Brian Kellett, are adaptable and hardy, making them ideal for beginners. “You don’t have to water them more than once a week or once every two weeks,” he says.
SNAKE PLANT
The sansevieria is also called a snake plant (the variety with a yellow band is called “mother-inlaw’s tongue” on account of its tall and pointy appearance). A great addition to any room, the low-maintenance snake plant has sturdy, vertical leaves that are often variegated in stripes of dark green. It can adapt to all kinds of lighting and prefers to dry out fully between waterings. A favorite of Cast & Grey Botanical’s Emily Hinners, the snake plant can even go a full month without being watered. “It helps filter the air in your house every night, so it takes care of you more than you take care of it,” Hinners says. POTHOS
Take Root The who’s-who and how-to of all things houseplants Written by JAY LANKAU
AS SUMMER SLIDES INTO FALL, home goods stores never miss the opportunity to put out as many fall-leaf decorations as possible. Even when the South is still a ripe 85 degrees, store shelves are stacked with nature’s reds, oranges and yellows. It can be exciting and refreshing to have a change of scenery, but the color green in nature benefits the psyche (a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study even found it lowered mortality rates). And with many of us spending extended periods of time indoors, why not bring that outdoor greenery in? Semi-tropical and generally evergreen, houseplants are a great way to filter a home’s stale air and brighten up rooms with something living. If you’re over the banana-bread craze, turn your attention to something low-maintenance, leafy and good for your mental wellbeing.
Bushy and beautiful, pothos is a type of ivy that comes in many variations, such as golden pothos, jade pothos and marble queen pothos. Its relatively small size makes it a great plant for any desk or shelf. However, it may need to be trimmed or pruned occasionally in order to keep the ivy from getting too long, or “leggy.” Pothos loves bright light but can adapt to dimmer rooms. It likes a rich potting mix. It also needs to dry out a bit between waterings, making it very forgiving for busy owners who might forget to water it. ZZ PLANT
Another hardy fellow, the ZZ plant has thick, waxy leaves. Like many houseplants, it also helps purify indoor air. ZZ plants come in small or medium sizes and are versatile when it comes to light. Keep it out of the window, though, because it can’t tolerate bright, harsh sunlight. It, too, likes to dry out before getting another watering, and it can generally go even longer without water in the winter months.
FALL / WINTER 2020 –21
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