Remember when gardens were outdoors instead of on Instagram? Maybe we can compromise. I spent a couple of hours on the sofa flipping through photos (#itsajob), the modern way to travel around the world to look at beautiful gardens and houseplant collections, and came up with a bunch of ideas we should be stealing for own gardens. This means getting off the couch, of course, but I feel like I can do it if I take my phone along in case of emergency photo op.
Here are 10 ideas for indoor and outdoor gardens to steal from Instagram—for planting, repotting, painting, and putting pretty branches on the mantel.
Glossy Greenery
You can create a romantic tropical jungle in a corner, like this one in the Sheffield, England, hair salon of @kojoandlee_hair, by grouping houseplants with glossy, shiny foliage and different leaf shapes to play off each other. Suggested: bird-of-paradise, monstera, and to create a focal point, an attention hog with variegated leaves such as the Fatsia japonica ‘Spider’s Web’, shown at right; a starter plant in a four-inch pot is $17 from Plant Lust.
Perennials in Pots
For some reason, tropical plants are most likely to be treated as houseplant. But let us not overlook flowering perennials. In a garden bed you may need to mass them to make a statement. But coral bells blooming in a container is unexpected and eye-catching. Plant it in the garden, transplant to a pot when it blooms, and then—back outdoors until next year.
Trying to choose a flowering perennials to bring indoors? See our curated guide to Perennials 101 or choose a Heuchera cultivar with help from Coral Bells: A Field Guide.
Black Facades
We featured the Soot House a few months back; see more at Curb Appeal: A Classic New England Color Palette on Spruce Head in Maine.
Winter Flowers
Feathery witch hazel branches flower in late winter, when you need them most. See more at Witch Hazel: A Field Guide and find planting and design tips for more of our favorite winter-flowering shrubs at Viburnum: A Field Guide and Mahonia: A Field Guide.
Foraged Florals
Tropical Backdrops
Oversize foliage, ferns, and fronds are a dramatic foil for a tailored, controlled landscape. If you live in a warm climate, see our design guides for Tropical Plants 101, including Palms, Tree Ferns, or Proteas.
No-Mow Lawns
For alternatives to turf grass, see Fields of Green: 5 Favorite Lawn Substitutes and Hardscaping 101: Ground Covers to Plant Between Pavers.
Smudged Outlines
See more of her work at Shopper’s Diary: The Little Shop of Flowers in Tokyo and be inspired by the possibilities of flowering smoke bush to create a soft, textural cloud in a garden. See tips for growing the shrub and integrating it into a garden design at Smoke Bush: A Field Guide.
Layered Color
See more of the design duo’s work at The Guild: A Glamorous New Emporium in SoHo from Roman & Williams on Remodelista.
For tips on how to take a multilayer approach to adding color in a landscape, see Alexa’s post on 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from the Dutch Masters.
Secret Spots
Vines, climbers, and a shady corner in the shelter of a tree is a good location for a secluded shed, greenhouse, or other outbuilding. Creating a distant destination will make even the smallest garden feel spacious. Explore more of Maria’s garden at Garden Visit: At Home with Maria Dremo Sundström in Sweden.
See more garden ideas to steal:
- 10 Best Garden Design Trends for 2018
- 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from the Modernists
- 11 Ways to Add Curb Appeal for Under $100
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