So I had this brilliant idea for today’s post, which consisted of me urging you to breathe new life into a room by ridding it of most of the knick-knacks and using a few dramatic plants to decorate with instead.
Then I saw the current issue of Martha Stewart magazine, and what does she talk about for 10 pages? Why, decorating with plants instead of knick-knacks, of course! (Picture me sighing.) So if you want to look at gorgeous rooms decorated with glorious plants instead of clutter, go buy the September issue. Martha seems to be a better photographer than me.
I will say that I have to take issue with a few things the articles say. Martha says that, “orchids are much easier to maintain than I thought before I started growing them.” In my orchid-growing experience, I have found them extremely difficult to grow. They are very picky about the room conditions you place them in (eg. amount of humidity, amount of light, proximity to a window), and often will refuse to bloom again. Pretty frustrating when you’ve spent upwards of $150 on one plant.
Ivy topiaries, which the article also recommends, are also an expensive plant with a seemingly short life. Once indoors, the center leaves of the plant turn brown and start to drop off in a matter of weeks.
Since my blog is all about budget-conscious decorating, I can’t recommend these two types of plants, unless you are decorating for a one-day event. They are too expensive and too much work to be worth it. But other than those two, I think house plants make for great decoration. So clear the Hummel figurines off the coffee table and plunk down a succulent or two instead. I guarantee your room will look and feel refreshed.
