Plant an indoor foliage display

Plant an indoor foliage display

Find out how to create a lush indoor foliage display, in our practical guide.

A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
At its best
At its best

Plant is at its best in January

Plant is at its best in February

Plant is at its best in March

Plant is at its best in April

Plant is at its best in May

Plant is at its best in June

Plant is at its best in July

Plant is at its best in August

Plant is at its best in September

Plant is at its best in October

Plant is at its best in November

Plant is at its best in December

To do
To do

Do To do in January

Do To do in February

Do To do in March

Do To do in April

Do To do in May

Do To do in June

Do To do in July

Do To do in August

Do To do in September

Do To do in October

Do To do in November

Do To do in December

It’s easy to create a colourful indoor display by combining house plants with attractive, lush foliage in an ornamental container. The plants will look good all year round and are easy to care for.

Start by choosing a container in your favourite colour, or one that matches your home décor, then select foliage plants to complement it. Choose small house plants in 7cm or 9cm pots, as they are cheap and widely available in garden centres, and they won’t outgrow the container too quickly.

Suitable foliage plants include: earth star (Cryptanthus bivittatus), emerald ripple (Peperomia caperata), false aralia (Schefflera elegantissima), parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans), polka-dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), maidenhair fern (Adiantum raddianum), mosaic plant (Fittonia albivenis) and spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum).

You can also add a few flowering plants, such as peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii), African violet (Saintpaulia), flaming Katy (Kalanchoe) or Cape primrose (Streptocarpus), although they won’t last as long as the foliage plants.

After three or four months, lift and separate the plants and repot into their own containers. This will allow them to grow healthily without competing with one another. As the display is a temporary arrangement, you can easily combine plants with different care requirements without causing them harm.

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You Will Need

  • Large ornamental pot
  • Horticultural grit
  • Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
  • Decorative crushed stone or pebbles
  • Houseplants

Step 1

Many containers for use indoors don’t have drainage holes in the bottom, so add a 10cm-deep layer of grit to provide drainage. If your pot does have a hole, then cover it with crocks.

Adding grit to the bottom of the pot
Adding grit to the bottom of the pot

Step 2

Fill the container with compost until it’s about two-thirds full. Arrange the plants in the container while still in their pots, as this will give you the chance to optimise your design.

Adding compost to the pot
Adding compost to the pot

Step 3

Start by planting the tallest specimen (here a palm) at the back of the container. If the display is to be viewed from all sides – perhaps set on a table – then place the tallest plant in the centre.

Planting up the pot
Planting up the pot

Step 4

Gradually add the remaining plants, teasing out their roots as you do. Fill any gaps with compost and firm around each rootball so no pockets of air remain.

Adding compost around the plants
Adding compost around the plants

Step 5

Water carefully, then cover the surface of the compost with gravel or ornamental glass pebbles in a complementary colour. Move the display into position and water whenever the compost feels dry.

Watering the pot
Watering the pot

 

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