Tranquility

Tranquility is perhaps one of the most difficult atmospheres to create_; it is very much in the mind and the eye of the beholder. In any room, though, greenery will go a long way to making a soothing and tranquil effect. The colour simply cools and quietens its surroundings. Simply filling a room with foliage plants will not necessarily make for a gentle and soothing atmosphere.

Plants can have bold and exciting shapesand dramatic forms of growth. Spiky upward- shooting leaves and branches tend to excite the eye rather than calm it and many plants have confused and busy leaf shapes and patterns to which one’s eye is drawn. Read the rest of this entry »

Dracaena marginata tricolor is a stunningly dramatic plant. It has narrow knife-like leaves, striped green, cream and pink and, as in the yucca, the leaves burst out from the centre of the plant. There is also the species D. marginata which has the foliage clustered at the top of a stem. The croton definitely belongs in this category, but needs some cosseting to really flourish. It needs constant warmth and no chills, plus humidity and plenty of light. Given all this it will reward you with amazing splashes of colour on its broad densely packed leaves. The veining varies from cream through yellow to red according to the individual cultivar. Certain cacti can be very dramatic especially if placed in a situation which makes the most of their extraordinary shapes and weird textures. Read the rest of this entry »