5 Ways To Turn Your Home Into An Indoor Jungle

I’ve always dreamed of turning my home into a tropical-like oasis, but without glass ceilings and constant optimal weather, that proves to be a difficult feat.

After a few years of collecting houseplants, I’ve learned some different tips and tricks to maximize the green space in your home. And no, that doesn’t include putting “low-light plants” in those dark empty corners. 

If you’re looking to jungle-ify your home, these next five tips are for you. 

#1 Start With The Most Frequent Locations of Your Home

For me, that’s the kitchen… and luckily, it makes a great environment for plants. Not only are you there frequently enough to remember, but it’s also very easy to water your plants if they’re already near the sink. 

Another perk is growing fresh herbs and vegetables. I promise, the love you pour into growing fresh food in your kitchen will taste so good.

 My personal favourite plants to keep in my kitchen are basil, cherry tomatoes, and my Marble queen pothos. 

#2 Think of Other Practical Locations

As long as they’re not windowless, plants LOVE the bathroom. The extra humidity from the shower, combined with the same “in-your-face-please-water-me” reminder as the kitchen, makes a rather seamless environment for calatheas and ferns. 

I almost exclusively keep my calatheas in the bathroom now. I also like to keep water propagations in the bathroom, usually on the counter since it reminds me to change the water.

#3 Get Creative & Take Advantage of  Natural Light

One of my favourite styling techniques is hanging plants. I think it is a wonderful way to show off your trailing plants, and an excellent hack for taking advantage of those weird spots the sun passes through. 

Whether it be macrame hangers, plants hanging from bedposts, or wall fixtures; hanging plants is a fantastic way to get creative. 

One of my personal favourite plants to hang is my Philodendron Micans; as the afternoon sun comes by for about an hour, the leaves show a beautiful purple tint that I love. 

#4 Consider Investing In A Greenhouse Cabinet

While it definitely puts the “urban” in “urban jungle”, Ikea Greenhouse Cabinets are a great way to put plants almost anywhere in your home, and often become quite the statement piece. 

They are very customizable, allowing you to tailor the environment to any specific plants. For example, I keep my more finicky tropical plants in there because the humidity is highest and I can control the lighting. 

#5 Don’t Be Scared To Go Big

Buying a big plant can feel overwhelming, and expensive, but I’d argue that it’s almost always worth it. 

Larger plants are true statement pieces in any sizable room, and can be styled to accent pieces you already own. 

Some of my favourite larger plants would include Fiddle leaf fig, Dracaena Marginata, and Bird of paradise. 

Moral of the story: let it be simple. 

Plant care should be enjoyable, and relatively-stress free - don’t make it a chore by putting plants in rooms you barely go in, or places that you dread accessing. 

I believe your indoor jungle, and all the hard work that goes into maintaining it, should be on display in places you spend a good chunk of your time. 

Admire it! 

Author: Brie @friendlyjungle