If you aren't already making your own container combinations with houseplants, you're really missing out. They bring a bit of the outdoors to even the smallest spaces, and are a lot easier to water than plants grown on their own.
Here are nine reasons you should be combining your houseplants, and how to do it in nine easy steps.
9 reasons to combine houseplants
- Less watering. Watering an assortment of potted plants can be a pain. With a combo, however, you just water once.
- Living flower arrangements. Flower arrangements are great, but there's just something so captivating about a living ecosystem in your home. In addition, living arrangements are more economical than cut flowers over time, because they last a lot longer.
- Fits your decor. Going for a traditional look? Use cast iron plant, parlor palm, and ferns in an urn or terra-cotta pot. More modern? Plant snake plant, Haworthia and Gasteria in a sleek container. Primitive tropical? Fill a rattan basket with an exuberant pot of rainforest plants.
- Stays alive. Even if a plant or two dies, the others will quickly fill in the gap. If you're impatient, all you have to do is tuck another one in its place.
- It's therapeutic. Successfully cultivating life just feels good. You'd be amazed by how relaxing and rewarding an occasional trim or topdressing of soil can be.
- It's a garden, indoors. A well-planted arrangement truly feels like a little piece of garden in the middle of your home - minus the creepy-crawlies and hard work.
- Ideal for small spaces. Everyone has room for an indoor garden. These arrangements can range from just a few inches wide to taking up as much space as a dining chair. No matter the size, the impact is huge.
- A creative outlet. If you get your kicks from cooking, crafting, drawing or writing, then just look at an indoor arrangement as an extension of your craft. It's a recipe of plants; a craft that hot-glues itself in place; a masterpiece in four dimensions; an adventure in your mind's eye.
- Year-round gardening. Throughout most of the country, winter puts the garden on hold for a few months. In the Deep South and Southwest, summer keeps you in the air-conditioned comfort of your home. Your indoor garden will keep you company until nicer weather.
How to combine houseplants
Now that you're ready to plant your own indoor living arrangement of plants, here's how you do it. Note that it's almost exactly like planting an outdoor container combo.
- Gather materials. Choose a pot with a drainage hole and potting mix. The drainage hole is important because it keeps the water from stagnating and rotting the plants' roots.
- Pick your plants. Select a few plants that tolerate the same conditions. For example, don't put a sun-loving cactus in a pot with a shade- and moisture-loving fern.
- Add potting mix. Fill the pot almost all the way, leaving enough room for the plants.
- Add plants. Slip the plants out of their pots and place in the big pot.
- Arrange plants. Situate plants so that the tall ones are in the rear. This ensures that each plant gets light. Put trailing plants like pothos along the edge so they can cascade over the rim.
- Add more potting mix. Add enough potting mix to sit level with the tops of the plants' root balls (the pot-shaped mass of dirt and roots).
- Water. Water thoroughly to level out the potting mix and eliminate any air gaps. Where the potting mix has sunk, add more.
- Fertilize. Feed the plants according to your product's label instructions. Authentic Haven Compost Tea is a good choice, since it’s organic and effective, and the nutrients stay in the potting mix.
- Properly place. Place your container combo where it gets bright indirect light, meaning that it's bright enough to read comfortably without flipping a light switch. Some plants, such as cacti, succulents and some plants grown for flowers, prefer direct light. This means that your plants get a clear view of the sun for at least a few hours a day.
If you'd like to know more about combining houseplants, check out my book Plant by Numbers. It offers comprehensive plant listings to help you choose and combine your own designs, 50 sample combos, and everything you need to know about keeping your houseplants happy and healthy.
Related:
- Troubleshooting Houseplant Woes
- Keeping Pets Safe Around Plants
- Air Plants and Succulents: A Perfect Pair
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