Potting Green
It's the right time. Just when the last of the leaves are falling, piling up crunchy on the ground, when the gardens have gone to shades of ochre, burnt umber, and sienna, when rain clouds threaten snow, bundle up in wool and head to the potting bench in that weather-beaten shed. It's the right time for potting green.
As much as I love the gathering-in of fall and the tucking-in of winter, I couldn't bring myself to completely close up shop on leafy green. Because, really, when you stop and think about it, what better juxtaposition is there than hushed dormancy outside next to vibrant life inside? None than I could imagine. Keeping life close is a powerful thing. So it was an angel vine I'd recently carted home and a creeping fig that were destined for clay pots on that stormy day.
The potting soil in the battered coal bucket, the old sliver spoon, the pots stacked on the shelf above, everything was withing arm's reach (gratitude and high fives for the time spent making it that way). Ten minutes is all it took to settle the plants into their new digs. Ten minutes of bliss. Ten minute's worth of reminder why I love this.
Here are some tips I've gathered for incorporating the beauty of houseplants into your home.
:: Collect a variety of leaf shapes, sizes, and colors. Take cues from Mother Nature and how she mixes and matches for moving effect.
:: Use pots of the same kind. I find that using all one type of pot (I choose unglazed clay), streamlines the overall look, as well as the process of care and watering. Because all my plants are in the same clay pots the eye is drawn to the plants and not toward what might be a hodge-podge of pots. Because all my plants are in the same kind of pot, the soil dries out at the same rate, allowing me to keep a simple once-a-week watering schedule for all.
:: Mass them together, or place them singley. I love the look of potted plants massed together. But, just as beautiful, is allowing a single one to shine. A mixture of the two in a home is exquisite.
:: Move the plants around. It's like moving your furniture around, only much easier. Part of the thrill of keeping house plants for me is changing the display. I move them around our home to add interest and visual freshness.
How about you? Are you a lover of house plants? Do you have any favorite tips or varieties to share?
