Condo Green

Out of the earth, new things are rising. And these are not supple grass, proud blooms or robust trees. The vision is of steel, glass and stone shooting out of the soil and reaching for the skies.

These structures are alive with people. Yet sometimes, the people who live in these shells feel giddy and yearn for the warmth and lushness of living on ground. They must miss the tingling of grass beneath their feet. Such is the case for condo living.

A solution is to bring the "green" into these shells called home. There are many ways to bring more life and lushness into one’s high-rise condo unit. Though it is challenging to keep plants indoors, there are means to keep one’s self and these chlorophyll-imbued beings healthy and happy. Aside from purifying the air, plants soften hard-edged interiors and can be silent but reliable company.

If you feel that you want to charge your condo space with botanical energy, then you must know the basics in caring for plants indoors:

• Sunlight

You must know the amount of sunlight a plant needs. Too little, the plant wilts; too much, the plant dries up. Ferns are hardy, they thrive in semi-shaded environments. The paco fern does well indoors, along with other varieties of ferns.

Other plants that can live indoors are spider plants, palmera, mother-in-law’s tongue, many types of bromeliads, anahaw, and the spatyphylum varieties, like the "sensation," which come in large sizes and are known to be the best air-purifiers, among others. Of the flowering variety, many orchids can live indoors. Most of these plants need to be exposed to morning sun (before 10 a.m.) at least once a week.

Placing plants near windows with morning sunlight will keep them healthy.

• Water

We sometimes get over-zealous when watering our plants. Indoor plants must not be over-watered for plants do "drown" and wither with too much H20. Any gardener will tell you that to know if one must already water one’s plants is to insert one’s finger into the soil – if the soil is damp and clings to your fingers, then no additional water is needed; if the soil crumbles and drops from your fingers easily, then it’s time for watering. Most indoor plants need to be watered just once a day, though some need wet replenishment twice a day. Make sure that your pots have drain holes on them so as not to drown your greens. Most bromeliads and orchids are sensitive to over-watering, and if one must water them, use an atomizer for misting.

• Soil Quality And Fertilizing

We all know that good soil makes plants thrive. But it is this element that we often overlook. Soil that is too chalky is usually not fit for plants. There are inexpensive potting mixes that can be substituted for soil. Fertilizers are a boon to plants, providing nutrients that they cannot get from barren soil.

If you wish your plants to reach maximum growth or for your flowering plants to produce blooms, fertilizers are a great aid. However, one must carefully read the instructions that come with these potting mixes and fertilizers for there are variations in application per brand.

Indoor Pocket Gardens

A pocket garden indoor will bring lushness to the space. It need not be a large area, even spaces smaller than one meter by one meter would suffice.

It is preferrable to place your indoor mini-garden near a window. If it’s not possible, then make sure that your plants are brought out into the sun at least once a week and that there is ample artificial light (halogen lamps directed down onto your garden will do the trick).

Layering your plants is important if you want the natural look for your mini-garden (plants rarely grow symmetrically).

Choose low plants or grass-like plants and place these at the bottom of the arrangement (like curly ferns and miniature anahaw). Then put intermediate-sized plants into the grouping (like mother-in-law’s tongue). Then add the tallest plants to the arrangement (like fortune plants).

Add color into the composition by placing bromeliads, orchids and non-green colored foliage. The number of plants in your arrangement is also essential – even numbers are rigid, while odd numbers appear more alive and botanical.

Add rocks, pebbles and driftwood for a more natural effect.

Think of the overall shape of your arrangement – will it be round, triangular or asymmetrically wild?

Compositions

Plant arrangements indoor need not always look wild or outdoorsy. If the design of one’s pad is of modern leaning, plants arranged in straight lines or vertical compositions will work.

Small potted plants of the same variety can be placed in a neat row on top of coffee tables for a contemporary look.

Tall, cut fortune plants can be placed on long containers to create a botanical divider.

For a Japanese-like statement, use moss, grass and ferns sparingly on top of a bed of river stones – add a small Japanese stone lantern, a basin fountain and stand bundles of talahib sticks and you’ve got a mini Zen garden!

Accessories for your plants will lend them more visual interest. Paint your pots with swirls of purple and yellow, or glue in rhinestones for a whimsical appeal. Or use a jug, a cage or even an old shoe as a substitute for traditional pots.

By a window, hang wind chimes, glass mobiles and crystals beneath the container of your hanging plants and listen to the soothing sounds or watch the tiny "rainbows" splash onto your walls!

No Green Thumb?

If you wish to put the green into your condo but even a cactus dies in your care, do not despair. Paint your walls a fresh green, or use natural-looking green fabrics for your pillow cases, drapes and upholstery while combining them with warm earth colors like terracotta, burnt sienna and warm gray. These techniques will lend your condo the impression of a garden.

Add accents of reds, oranges and yellows to your green-stained dining table or shelves and you have a vision of an aromatic bouquet.

Yes, it is acceptable to use artificial plants and flowers, just as long as they are washed or dusted periodically to keep their natural appearance – avoid neon or psychedelic-colored plastic flowers to keep things natural looking.

Dried moss that can be bought in garden shops or department stores can be arranged in glass containers – add some stones, twigs or candles, and it’s like bringing your lawn onto your coffee table! And it’s okay to talk to your plants, as this can be soothing to both you and the plant.

Remember that plants are living beings. Effortlessly, they could purify the air and imbue it with their sweet scent, or bring visual life to your interiors, yet they do demand care and attention.

Plants can teach us a lesson, and that is how to nurture. And even with the somewhat impersonal, "ungrounded" appeal of condo living, plants bring character into these spaces, with the dance of their leaves and the celebration of their blooms – and in caring for these greens, we inevitably nurture ourselves.