Embraced by passionate gardeners, trendy designers and those of us who just like to have a little bit of nature around us at homes, houseplants are having their moment in the sun.
Beyond our four walls, this living inspiration for seeing the world’s most beautiful and unique green spaces firsthand, these little pots of botanical happiness feel like pieces of a larger world. Gaze upon your favorite green roommates and plan future visits to our favorite curated gardens, wild forests and polychromatic flower fields if your travels have been put on hold.
Cactus – One of the most resistant houseplants
These spiky little plants make for good desert dreaming and they can resist even in the most plant-challenged household. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, exhibits the diverse, ruggedly beautiful flora that grows in the hottest places on earth. Until you can visit the Botanical Garden in Phoenix, growing a cactus at home may brighten your day.
Orchid – a delight among houseplants
Monstera
One of the Caribbean’s most interesting collections of ornamental plants was curated and cultivated by horticulturist Anthony Hunte in Barbados’ St Joseph Parish. A visit here feels like a journey into a mythical realm: giant monsteras mingle beneath a canopy of palms, while leafy ferns and flowering bromeliads line the stone paths. Mr. Hunte himself will be on property to tell you all the secrets of his verdant sinkhole oasis and offer you a glass of rum punch if you’re lucky.
Bonsai tree
There’s no better place to learn about the practice than Omiya Bonsai Village, a neighborhood in Saitama City, Japan. The art of bonsai is thousands of years old, and many modern-day devotees continue to prune and train tiny potted plants to resemble full-grown trees. The village is home to several bonsai nurseries, five bonsai gardens and the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, which houses a collection of over 120 painstakingly sculpted bonsai; peruse the garden and find your favorite.
Potted irises
Featuring everything from alpine plants and never-before-seen cultivars to poisonous flora and massive rose blossoms, Montreal Botanical Gardens are known to house some of the biggest and most beautiful plant collections in the world. However, one of the most magical sections is called Flowery Brook, which incorporates innumerable lilies and lilacs into a colorful explosion straight out of an impressionist painting. Find a chair or a bench and settle in for a rest among the blooms, keeping an eye out for butterfly and birdlife.
Keep your calm, be an optimist and enjoy these flowers that have the power to make you smile and go through the most difficult times. Which houseplant would you choose for your living room?