How To Create An Indoor Planted Arrangement

Create an attractive focal point with a bowl full of indoor plants

Kalanchoe; Flaming Katy (pictured above)

A bowl of houseplants can make a lovely focal point in your home and also improve air quality, absorbing toxins given off by modern synthetic materials. This short video shows you how simple it is to plant up a collection of plants. It doesn’t matter what colour-way you choose, just remember to have something tall, then mid-height and finally something which will slightly come over the edge to soften the rim of the bowl.

 For this arrangement you will need:

• a wide shallow bowl
• houseplant compost
• small decorative stones or glass pebbles
• 1 x Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily)
• 1 x Dieffenbachia (Leopard Lily)
• 1 x Primula
• 1 x Kalanchoe (Flaming Katy)
• 3 x Hypoestes (Polka Dot plant)

Nik has placed the tallest plants at the back of the bowl, but if the bowl is to be placed on a coffee table, for example, where it will be viewed from all-round then place the tallest in the centre and smaller plants all around. Place a thin layer of compost in the bottom of the bowl. Start with the tallest plants then place in the medium sized ones, which in this case are the Primula and Flaming Katy. Finally around the edge arrange the smallest Polka Dot plants, which will trail over the front of the bowl. If you are using a deeper bowl you can substitute small ivies for the Polka Dots. Once all the plants are in position fill in the gaps with compost, firm it down a little to eliminate any air pockets, but don’t pack it down hard as the delicate roots need to be able to move through it easily.

Spathiphyllum; Peace Lily

Remember to use a dedicated houseplant compost as it is especially formulated to be free draining and the ideal medium for the often delicate roots. Keep the arrangement just damp; as the pot doesn’t have holes in the bottom, watering too heavily can lead to the roots rotting and ultimately the plants dying. Once the flowering plants have gone over gently remove them, without disturbing the other plants, and replace with other flowering plants in season.

The top of the compost can be top-dressed with decorative pebbles, which not only looks attractive but also cuts down on moisture loss from the compost surface and stops the compost splashing out of the container when watering.

If you would like more advice on houseplants just get in touch via all the usual social media channels or fill in the enquiries box on the website.