Best plants for your home

Get the dirt on four classic plants and how to take care of them

 Hafiz Rasid

Any shoebox apartment can be a lush, mini tropical paradise, if you know where to house your greens. Making uneducated purchases and placing them haphazardly at various spots will not only leave you with a cluttered layout, but also wilted organic matter in weeks.

Far East Flora sales and marketing director Peter Cheok says: “If you want your houseplants to thrive, consider its care needs such as light intensity and growing conditions. The horticulturists at plant nurseries are the best source of recommendations.”

Here are his picks of classic options, along with design tips from the director of interior design firm Arkhilite, Mr Vincent Goi.

LIVING ROOM

Forget the ubiquitous potted plant — go with a hanging garden for a visually uncluttered and lofty room with layers of plants, light and space.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum chopin)

Ideal spot: Near the window

Maintenance: Low

Watering: When soil is dry to the touch

Recommended fertiliser: Slow-release pellets, twice a year

BEDROOM

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Ideal spot: Facing a window for indirect sunlight

Maintenance: Medium. Pruning is required during the budding period, when offshoots appear. Separate them from the stem carefully and replant

Watering: Keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Spider plants are prone to tip burn; the tips of the leaves turn brown when the soil is too dry.

Recommended fertiliser: Foliage fertiliser, twice a month

KITCHEN

Place plants and herbs in small pots on table tops, shelves and elevated surfaces for a pop of green.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Ideal spot: Warm, humid spots with full sunlight

Maintenance: Medium. Trim often to encourage a fuller plant

Watering: When sandy soil has dried out

Recommended fertiliser: Organic fertiliser, once a year

BALCONY

Place structural plants such as yellow palms and frangipani trees there to frame the view. Alternatively, create layers with tall plants and those with full or broad leaves.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’)

Ideal spot: Hanging planter in a corner, with indirect sunlight

Maintenance: Low

Watering: When the soil is dry to the touch

Recommended fertiliser: Liquid foliage fertiliser, once a month