Nooks and Crannies Indoor Pretty Plants

Although for much of the time we choose a houseplant because we like the look of it, we sometimes pick one to fill a special position, where we know from experience it will be highly successful. As well as the obvious places there are dozens of other less obvious ones throughout the house which, with a little thought, can be transformed by the right choice of plant. Most houses have alcoves and recesses, dull corners or redundant fireplaces, all of which could do with being brightened up and put to good use. Even the most unlikely spaces can make a home for some ‘kind of plant. Here are ideas for plants to fit any odd empty corner you might have.

Fireplaces

A fireplace is a warming and cheerful thing in winter if you have a coal or wood fire burning, or even if it is occupied by an electric or gas heater. Summertime is a different matter as all there is to look at is a rather dusty and depressing black hole. Bedroom fireplaces, uncovered perhaps after years of being blocked up, are very rarely used for their original purpose but rather as a decorative feature of the room, and often they are so pretty they definitely ought to be shown off. A fireplace by its shape is a

natural frame or surround for whatever fills the space inside so this is a chance to use plants creatively and stylishly, knowing they will be set off beautifully. A summer hearth is fun to fill with flowers, dried ones if you want to do it just once for the whole season, or plants, either foliage ones or the flowering kind. It doesn’t usually matter if the odd drop of water is spilt on a hearth, and the grate “works like a basket, containing the whole display. Even a solid-fuel stove benefits from a plant stood on it in summer as a redundant heater looks just as sad as an empty hearth and people still tend to focus on the fireplace even on summer evenings.

Ferns are often chosen to fill an empty fireplace and their form, with leaves spilling out from the centre, is particularly suited to the angle which they will be seen from. The leaf outline is especially attractive, thrown into relief by a dark surround. Bedroom fireplaces are excellent for ferns as they tend to be cooler rooms than those downstairs and ferns are happy in fairly shady surroundings, though they do need an atmosphere which is not too dry. Choose other foliage

plants which have good leaf shapes and any with strong markings or colours. A muddle of thin and spiky leaves will not be very effective but the glossy foliage and definite outline of a fatsia or schefflera would have just the right effect, or try the beautifully cream-splashed leaves of Ctenanthe oppenheimiana tricolor which is happy in shady conditions.

Flowering plants will also look good in an empty fireplace but if their own foliage is not very impressive they may need another green plant to keep them company.

Hallways

The problems of growing and keeping plants in hallways has been discussed on p.56. It can be a difficult area in the house but also very rewarding if you manage to assemble a good plant display. If there is no space for a large floor-standing plant then there is usually a piece of furniture, perhaps a table or chest or even a shelf, on which to stand a small plant or arrangement. A little group of several small plants can look very pretty, mixing a few foliage plants with a flowering one and showing the complete thing off in a basket or shallow cache-pot. A pretty mixture might be a small-leaved variegated ivy, an African violet, choosing from the wide range of colours available now, including white, and a small-leaved plant such as a fern or pilea. If you want one magnificent plant to make a really strong impact then choose with care to suit your particular surroundings. If the hall is quite light then there is a wide range to choose from; if it is dark and gloomy then the choice is rather limited. Monstera deliciosa is often seen used in entrance halls and if it is grown well can look superb, but it does have a rather unfriendly and institutional look about it in a house because we are so used to seeing it in public buildings and offices and it does have a tendency to become leggy. Better by far to grow a few less-clichéd plants and make a group with perhaps Philodendron Laciniaturn (P. pedaturn) in the background. It will happily fill a lofty corner given time.

Plants in the palm family really need space and air surrounding them visually; they need to be seen in the round and not cluttered by furniture and walls, so most halls would not provide the best position to show them off to advantage. A great spacious black and white chequered tiled hall, however, would look magnificent with one or two palms standing on the floor or on plant stands that suit the period of architecture. Where there is a staircase with a bend, there is often space for a group of plants. For safety’s sake keep the arrangement quite small and fix the containers to the wall if necessary. Any tall plant standing in a hall needs a large solid container to keep the whole thing safe and stable. Smaller plants could be grouped in a display stand of some kind, perhaps made from cane or willow. These are usually fairly narrow and would stand against a wall in a hall quite successfully. Antique and old wire plant stands can still be found. Usually painted white or green, they were once used in conservatories but make perfect homes for plants where you want a decorative display to be viewed from one side.

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