Who’s who of the Planterati
We couldn’t have hoped for a better reaction to the Houseplant Studios at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
We’ve provided the studios for the plateau in Ranelagh Gardens at the world-famous show for over a decade for use as workshops by botanically inspired artisans. Over the years we have had the pleasure of meeting some incredibly talented individuals from Rob Ryan to Orla Kiely, Wayne Hemingway to Nikki Tibbles to name but a few.
In late 2019 the RHS suggested using the buildings as spaces for indoor gardens to showcase the very best houseplants and interior plant scaping ideas for the 2020 show. We were truly honoured to be helping to bring this brand-new class of exhibit to the show.
Bringing a new category of show garden to RHS Chelsea Flower Show
We partnered with the talented team at Indoor Garden Design who had some incredible ideas to make our Houseplant Studio exhibit a showstopper. We were also excited to meet the five other houseplant studio experts who shared with us their amazing schemes.
Then we were locked down and houseplants were all some of us had to keep us sane and connected with nature. Suddenly, giving houseplants a platform at Chelsea Flower Show grew in even greater importance.
The Green Room
As we drifted in and out of lockdowns our plans got more and more wild and ambitious. We knew when the Chelsea Flower Show did eventually return in person it would be an event to remember.
We called our Houseplant Studio, “The Green Room”. Keen to explore the mutually beneficial relationship people have with houseplants, we created a garden room where the ‘stars’ of the show or “Planterati” (as they affectionately became known) could hangout between performances.
Meet the Planterati: On-trend foliage on the guest list for The Green Room
Begonia maculata
Polka dot Begonia
One of the most photogenic houseplants with delicate olive-green angel wing-shaped leaves splashed with silver-grey spots and deep purple-red underside. Despite its head-turning appearance this houseplant is relatively easy to care for. Keep out of direct sunlight and resist the temptation to over water.
Medinilla magnifica
Philippine Orchid
The Medinilla magnifica is quite a showy tropical specimen with long pink pendulous flower sprays. She needs lots of bright light but keep her protected from the hottest sun rays to avoid the leaves scorching. Mist just the foliage and feed when in flower.
Euphorbia triucalli
Pencil cactus
A striking plant that demands you be nice to it. This euphorbia has a poisonous milky white latex sap which is released if it is injured! In the cooler months the plant sometimes turns vivid oranges and yellows giving it another nickname of “Sticks on Fire”. Pencil cactus – which is a succulent – is easy to grow with high light, low water and gritty, free-draining soil.
Monstera adansonii
Monkey Mask
This Monstera variety is a high climber. A lush vining plant has unique hole patterns in its leaves. It works great as a trailer or hanging plant. In its natural habitat it grows up rainforest trees. Frequent misting will simulate the tropical environment they love so much. Be careful, this plant is mildly toxic to cats and dogs.
Nepenthes alata
Monkey Jars
This is a tropical hanging plant with unusual pitches which hang on the ends of its leaves. It needs to be always kept moist and it likes plenty of bright light and even some sunshine. There are no flies on this little guy as it’s a carnivorous plant that lures insects into its pitcher where they are dissolved and turned into nutrients to feed the plant; so all in all a pretty easy houseplant to care for!
Sarracenia
Pitcher Plant
These beautiful architectural plants have quite a following and thrive in damp, boggy conditions. Do not fertilise! Grow them in full sun indoors or outdoors. They go dormant in November until February when grown outside, but don’t worry you can leave them outside as many varieties are frost hardy.
Syngonium neon robusta
A houseplant with pretty, dusky pink leaves and its extremely popular. This plant is toxic to pets. It’s an easy care plant that will survive in lower light areas if necessary; but for the best pink hues semi shade is best. In Feng Shui, it is considered a lucky plant because the five lobed shapes of the leaves of more mature plants exude 5 important elements: earth, wind, fire, wood and metal. It is believed to give positive energy.
Tillandsia Cyanea
Pink Quill Plant
A very handsome houseplant with crisp, bright pink fan bract or ‘flower’. It blooms only once in its lifetime meaning it is treated as a temporary house guest rather than a permanent resident. But not all is lost once the bloom fades; new baby plants or ‘pups’ will grow around the base of the parent plant which in time can be potted on and might even flower if you care for them properly.
Tillandsia xerographica
Air Plant
The Tillandsia xerograhica is a very low maintenance air plant but nevertheless a gorgeous addition to your collection. It’s silvery grey leaves curling and spiraling around. These plants grow slowly but require high light levels avoiding direct sunshine and take an interesting spherical shape. These plants are both easy and stunning addition to any room and can be positioned almost anywhere as they require absolutely no soil!
Tillandsia usnesides
Spanish moss
This is the Rupunzel of houseplants with its horsehair appearance. In its natural habitat the plant hangs from trees in tropical regions. Its care isn’t too complicated and can be grown without a pot in any bright location. Just remember to mist it frequently with water.
Styling Tips
Best Dressed Houseplants
- Inject colour into your pots with a top dressing of coloured gravel; fish tank gravel comes in a huge range of colours and is ideal for small pots. This will help with moisture retention and to keep foliage clean from soil when watering.
- Decorative coloured mosses can really make plants pop, try preserved reindeer moss or bun moss which will last for years.
- Adding a layer of bark to the top of your plant pots replicates the forest floor and can be a more natural alternative to gravel.
- Spray paint pots or metal plant hangers to match your colour scheme or switch the colour of rope for your hanging indoor garden.
