Urban Botanics

An Indoor Plant Guide for Modern Gardeners

Maaike Koster, Emma Sibley

• Publisher: Aurum
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781781317600
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art General

Have trouble keeping house plants alive? Struggling to find your green fingers? Fear not! You can still have a beautiful plant-filled home with this stunning guide to indoor plants. Whether you are looking to cultivate an entire indoor garden, or simply wish to know more about your single cactus, you can be sure to find the right information for you amongst the seventy-five plants in this stylish guide. And the best bit? All the plants are easy to maintain so even the most timid of gardeners can enjoy turning their hand to this green-fingered pastime. Learn how to care for succulents, cacti, flowering and foliage plants even with a full-time job, with this unique gardening guide that is made to fit alongside our modern-day schedules. With endless inspiration to brighten up your home, desk or office, this beautiful book of plants from across the world is a must for lovers of art and design, as well as plants.

FOLIAGE PLANTS

Adiantum raddianum

Maidenhair Fern

Tropical America

Perfect for the terrarium or a conservatory, the maidenhair fern requires a humid and shady environment. The attractive contrast between the dark, wiry stems and bright green leaves makes it a great addition to a fern collection. However, it is one of the most delicate house plants with its tissue-paper-like fronds lining the stems. This fern is quite high-maintenance when it comes to daily care. Regular misting is essential but keeping the soil thoroughly drained is also very important, as in nature these plants are usually found growing from between rocks near rivers or waterfalls. A heavy, moisture-rich compost could result in root rot.

MAIDENHAIR FERN

ADIANTUM RADDIANUM

Alocasia ‘Portodora’

Elephant’s Ear

Hybrid origin

One of the larger house plants to have in the home, the elephant’s ear produces big, ribbed, upward-facing leaves with attractively waved edges. This plant prefers full sun in the mornings and evenings, but protect the leaves from direct midday sunshine as they can easily become scorched and brown.

Water plentifully during the summer months when the compost will dry out quickly, and less frequently during the cooler winter months, but ensure the compost is kept moist at all times. Due to the size of the elephant’s ear, ensure that the roots have a big enough pot to allow ample drainage of water through the potting mixture, as well as making sure the plant does not get top heavy and topple.

Although the size can be quite overbearing, placed in the corner of a large room, the elephant’s ear can provide the perfect green statement.

ELEPHANT’S EAR

ALOCASIA ‘PORTODORA’

Alocasia zebrina

Philippines

This is quite a tricky house plant to get hold of, but its appeal lies in the distinctive, arrow-shaped leaves that stand upright on their erect, highly decorative striped stems.

Alocasia are tropical plants enjoying the warmth and humidity found in the jungle. They will survive in the warmth of a living room, but they would prefer the humidity of a bathroom or greenhouse.

Keep the compost moist at all times and mist the plant frequently. Through the warm summer months it is necessary to water once a week, but as the temperature dips in the winter, water much more sparingly.

A. zebrina is a sun worshipper, so make sure it always has quite a good amount of light, especially in the winter months when the leaves will be in need of as much light as possible.

ALOCASIA ZEBRINA

Araucaria heterophyl...