FIVE HOUSEPLANTS TO TRY THIS WINTER

One of my favorite ways to perk up my house in the winter is with house plants. As much as I love fresh cut flowers, for about the same price as a small bouquet from the grocery store, I can pick up a plant and add a pop of greenery that will bring a breath of fresh air to my space and last a lot longer than cut blooms. I’ve tried my hand with quite a few different types of plants, but keep coming back to the same five over and over as much for the fact that I can keep them happy and healthy as for the beauty and texture they add to any space. Below are five of my favorites, along with what has worked for me in terms of lighting and water:

MYRTLE TOPIARY These are, hands down, my favorites! I love how amazing they look grouped together on a table or own their own on a counter top or hutch. I dedicated an entire blog post to caring for these beauties here, but I will say this is the first winter I’ve been able to keep mine alive and happy. These are tropical plants, so they like lots of bright, indirect light and humidity, which in the winter, we just don’t get. I’ve kept mine on my dining table all winter, where they get lots of indirect sunlight, rotating the pots a little every day so all sides get equal light. I also only water every other day or so when the soil starts to dry a little; never let it dry out completely and also don’t let it sit in a puddle of water. There’s been lots of new growth since doing this and they add much needed color and texture to this little corner! They’ve been very hard for me to find locally, but this online source has been a great one for beautiful plants at great prices!

BLUE STAR FERN This is a new one for me, but one I’ve loved ever since first seeing it on a friend’s instagram feed. I was excited to give it a try after reading that it’s one of the plants to try if you’re a novice or if you tend to kill plants easily. I found this one on a jaunt to Lowe’s Home Improvement and couldn’t scoop it up fast enough; I love the shape of the fronds and how they lay so beautifully. I’ve kept this one in its original pot, but placed it inside a silver Revere bowl and kept it on a table in between two windows where it gets lot of low, indirect sunlight. I water mine weekly, making sure the soil stays moist but not wet. I have also been very careful to not get the leaves wet, so I water from the side directly onto the soil. These grow very quickly and can get to impressive size!

STAG HORN FERN I’ve had a love affair with these beauties ever since first laying eyes on them in a Sag Harbor stunner, designed by Steven Gambrel. They have such a unique shape and texture and are so low maintenance, making them pretty much the easiest of all the house plants for me. They need bright, indirect light, consistent watering (don’t let them dry out or sit in a puddle of water) and prefer warmer temps, so don’t put them too close to a window during winter.

MAIDEN HAIR FERN I think these tend to get a bad wrap for being temperamental, but in my experience, I’ve been able to keep these plants happiest out on my screened porch during the summer months when humidity is high and light is bright, but indirect. With that being said, I’ve been able to keep one alive throughout the winter on our dining room table, where it got lots of bright sunlight and was well enough away from cold windows. These have such a soft texture and drape so beautifully that I can’t help scooping one up any time I see one!

FIDDLE LEAF FIG Last, but certainly not least, is the ubiquitous fiddle leaf. I’ve spent a small fortune on a number of these plants over the years, killing every single one of them up until a few summers ago when I left it on my screened in porch. It thrives in sunlight and humidity, so I didn’t think it would do well when I brought it indoors for winter, but it lasted another year and a half! All I did was put it in a corner of my dining room where it got tons of light and watered any time the soil started to dry out. The big, glossy leaves are a beautiful and welcome addition to any room during winter months and, fortunately, they’re available at every hardware store!

What are some of your favorite houseplants?