Houseplants for Northern Climes

Some houseplants deserve more than to be left behind at home when you head off to work.

At least, that’s the opinion of John Baker and Juli Daoust, the couple who specialize in hard-to-find Scandanavian pieces in their Toronto store Mjölk. On a recent trip to a local nursery to buy houseplants, they couldn’t resist stocking up on extra terracotta pots and plants to take to the shop, too. Here, via their blog Kitka Design, is the felicitous result:

Above: The evergreen shrub Ming aralia, native to Asia, has feathery foliage. Although it grows slowly, in its heart it dreams of the day it will be six feet tall. Forestall that future by keeping it root bound in a slightly tight pot. A 3-foot-tall Ming aralia in a pot is $160 from Plant Shed.

Above: A bonsai tree sits in the shop’s front window. To learn how to raise your own similarly hardy bonsai, start with a miniature Bonsai Juniper Tree (a 6-inch-tall specimen is $21.25 at Amazon). A slightly larger, 10- to 12-inch Green Mound Juniper comes in a rock pot; it’s $29 from Brussels Bonsai.

Above: A ferny miniature that looks like a tiny pine tree. For a large selection of tiny ferns, visit Glasshouse Works.

Above: A jade plant is a succulent that hoards water, explaining the pillowy leaves. A 2-foot-tall Jade Plant in a pot is $120 from Plant Shed.

Above: A miniature mother-in-law’s tongue plant. (N.B.: We recently described the virtues of Sansevieria laurentii as a camouflage plant.)

Finally, get more ideas on how to plant, grow, and care for various houseplants with our Houseplants: A Field Guide.