Building a wall of tropicals, air plants and cacti highlights the shapes of more peculiar species. Use a mix of stands, pots and hanging vessels to vary heights and create a unique composition.The Globe and Mail
Think green. That seems to be the mantra of stylist and cookbook author Sasha Seymour. When it came time to decorate the kitchen of her renovated Toronto rowhouse, Seymour placed a pair of four-foot-tall orange trees on the marble counter, each one framed by a French-style casement window. The statement-making effect was spectacular, so much so that the room would become a Pinterest sensation and land a design magazine cover.
But how did she think to bring those citrus trees indoors and raise them up to counter level, giving the greenery more prominence in the space than any other furniture or housewares? "They smell gorgeous when they're in bloom, and when it's winter and there's nothing to look at outside, it makes for a refreshing view," Seymour says.
After the most punishing Canadian winter in recent history, tropical houseplants – from towering trees to densely packed succulents – have never seemed so appealing. And the trend toward using them as much for their decor possibilities as their ability to freshen up a room means garden centres and plant stores can't keep the more striking species in stock.
"There has been a real renaissance of plants in interior design," says Michael Leach of Dynasty, a Toronto shop that specializes in exotic plants and unique handmade vessels. "It's like bringing a bit of the jungle into your life." With a background in production and set design, Leach thinks the graphic, visual impact is part of what's driving the trend toward tropical plants from Africa and South America. "Tropicals function as art, like living sculpture," he says.
A couple of years ago, you couldn't look through a design magazine or decorating blog without seeing a large-leafed ficus lyrata, also known by its street name, Fiddle Leaf Fig. The showy, light-seeking tree gained popularity thanks largely to the work of Peter Dunham, a Los Angeles-based designer who often used it to stunning effect in his clients' homes. In fact, he grew so fond of the ficus that he created a textile called "fig leaf" that's become as ubiquitous as the plant itself.
Of course, Dunham wasn't the first to exploit the charms of an oversized tropical plant. Billy Baldwin was the kind of decorator who, back in 1963, didn't shy away from plunking a potted Kentia Palm atop a circular sofa at the New York salon of Kenneth Batelle, the hairdresser who coiffed the locks of Jacqueline Kennedy and Diana Vreeland.
Baldwin so loved houseplants that he included them in his sketches, the flashes of green as much a part of the design as the fixtures and furniture. "The presence of a growing, living thing on a table makes everything else come alive too," he wrote in his iconic 1972 book, Billy Baldwin Decorates.
For chic tablescapes, orchids remain a perennial favourite with designers and homeowners alike. Designer James Davie, who recently returned to Toronto after a decade in New York, where he worked with A-list designer Steven Gambrel, is drawn to these flowering beauties for their variety of colours and compact shape.
"What I like about orchids is that they're relatively hardy, they don't take up much space and their root ball is small enough to fit into virtually any vessel," he explains. For fans of a more indie, Scandinavian look, groupings of miniature cacti in sculptural terracotta pots are a fresh way to dress a casual table with something green. Terrariums are also popular, especially among small-space dwellers, who can mimic the lushness and diversity of a full-sized garden in a single container.
Though Leach confirms that ficus lyrata hasn't waned in popularity, he says other types of tropicals are gaining traction with a clientele interested in everything from ceiling-high cacti to plants from the philodendron family. Monstera deliciosa, a splitleaf stunner known colloquially as the Fruit Salad Plant, is a hard-to-kill species for those desiring a low-maintenance option. "They don't have the height of the ficus lyrata, but they still fill out a space quite nicely," Leach says. When it comes to other plants that can withstand a little neglect, he also recommends the Zanzibar Gem, or ZZ Plant, which has tall stalks and a ladder-like stack of glossy leaves, and sansevieria, also known as the Snake Plant or Mother-in-Law's Tongue.
Sansevieria isn't just enduring and decorative, it's also a do-gooder, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen at night. This makes it an ideal plant to put in the bedroom. "Indoor plants give us a peacefulness and comfort that's innate," Leach says. "You develop a relationship with these plants and, as far as I'm concerned, it's symbiotic."
On Dynasty's web site, Leach has compiled comprehensive tips for helping tropicals thrive, but he says the biggest rule of (green) thumb is not to overwater. "That's why most plants die," he says. "Don't be overbearing – watch your plants and get to know the signs. When the leaves start to droop a little, that's usually when they need water."
Seymour admits that she's gone through some trial and error with her own plants. When she realized she couldn't revive the orange trees she initially potted for the kitchen reno, she decided to give Meyer lemon trees a chance – and found an unexpected benefit.
"They're not inexpensive, but no matter what you pay, these trees cost less than if you kept buying cut flowers," she says. "Plus, we use the fruit in our gin and tonics."
This story originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Globe Style Advisor. To download the magazine's free iPad app, visit tgam.ca/styleadvisor.