And, of course, that feeling has never been more welcome. Carter documents his plant-collecting adventures on Instagram, where you can also sign up for his virtual workshops on topics like potting and propagation. He believes there’s no such thing as too much green, so here he offers six simple ways to fill every room in your home with houseplants.
1. Surround seating areas with plants.
“The power that plant life has in a home is transformative,” Carter explains. Floor-to-ceiling greenery surrounds a hanging chair in this Antwerp, Belgium, apartment. “By gathering plants in this deliberate way, the homeowners were able to create a spot everyone is drawn to,” Carter says.
2. Dress up your dining room.
“Unlike a vase of flowers, a plant can breathe life into a dining space for a long time,” Carter says. In this Los Angeles dining room, a dwarf umbrella bonsai tree serves as a centerpiece (its diminutive size means it won’t block sightlines) while tangles of golden pothos and philodendron brighten an otherwise neutral nook.
3. Use a group of closely spaced plants as a focal point.
“Sometimes more is more,” says Carter of this deliberately overgrown credenza in a Berlin apartment. “I love the feeling that wildlife has taken over a space,” he says. “It’s almost like the ruins of an old building, where the people have left, and the plants have moved back in.” However, to keeps things from getting too out of control, “only bring in what you can care for,” Carter advises.
4. Go vertical.
This patio in Barcelona is surrounded by tall, white walls that seemed to overpower the space. The owner’s solution: Hang small ferns, spider plants, and more with brackets. “What’s great about this arrangement of little containers (like these Better Homes and Gardens Teramo Round Planter, $6, Walmart), as opposed to something like ivy or another climbing vine, is that the pots add a real sense of depth,” Carter says.
5. Tuck plants into unexpected spaces.
Add excitement to a stale vignette with a few well-placed plants. Here, a simple cart doubles as a plant stand and bar. “I’m always looking for ways to tuck little plants into an unexpected spot like that,” Carter says. “They make a space dynamic.” Plus, the heart-shape philodendron trained around the mirror frame “really adds depth and interest,” he says.
6. Green up the bedroom.
Try hanging trailing plants from the ceiling or placing them on a shelf over your bed. “Sleeping under plants makes it feel like you’re camping or on vacation,” says Carter, whose wife made a mini macramé hammock for his plants.
Which Plants to Choose for Specific Rooms
Not sure which plants would thrive in certain areas of your abode? In general, Carter cautions against “bringing plants into a space just because you like the plant due to its trendiness.” Instead, pay attention to the light each type of plant needs. A few low-maintenance favorites for beginners include ZZ plants, ponytail palms, and peace lilies, which are easy to love and hard to kill. Plus, Carter’s got a few more tips for specific parts of the house. Sturdy specimens like snake plant or rubber plant best withstand the changing temperatures that come from opening the front door, as well as the occasional brush from a winter coat. The space where you host guests calls for a statement-maker like a giant monstera or a tall and leafy bird of paradise. The easy access to a sink makes this room an ideal place for water-lovers like rattlesnake plants. Or line up small succulents on the windowsill or counter to add life without occupying the valuable surface area.
