Warm sunshine streams through my living room windows as I sip my morning coffee and admire the cascading ivy and ferns suspended from the ceiling. I smile, reflecting on my lifelong passion for hanging gardens that turn every room into an indoor oasis.
As a budding young botanist prowling the diverse landscapes of my home state, Wisconsin, I discovered nature’s boundless creativity on grand display: delicate bellflowers nestled amid hardy oaks, lush carpets of moss thriving in shaded glens, mighty rivers carving through ancient rock. Each ecosystem teemed with life uniquely adapted to local conditions.
This interplay between plants and their environment captivated me. I dreamed of bringing such vibrant diversity indoors. Through trial and error and patience, I’ve learned how to cultivate hanging gardens tailored to each room’s unique light, humidity, and space constraints.
Join me as we explore the best-hanging plants to invite into your living spaces. I’ll share varieties ideal for your distinct home ecosystem and offer styling and care tips to help your plants flourish.
Contents
Why Choose Hanging Plants for Home Decor?
Before delving into specific plant picks, let’s appreciate why hanging gardens are so famous:
Space-Saving
In modern apartments and tiny homes, floor space comes at a premium. Hanging plants maximize your vertical real estate, adding living color while keeping floors clear for other uses. Air plants are a space-saving choice as they don’t require soil or pots. Certain vines can also be trained to climb walls and drape from bookshelves.
Aesthetic Versatility
With endless shapes, sizes, and hues, hanging plants let you curate a look all your own. Group similar varieties in bold swaths of green or scatter eclectic species for an energetic vibe. Adjust heights and angles for added drama. Quickly move plants between rooms to refresh your decor.
Pure Air
One of my favorite benefits! Hanging plants naturally filter toxins and pollutants from indoor air. Some excellent air-purifying choices are spider, snake, and peace lilies. Place them near frequently used areas like desks or kitchen stoves for cleaner, healthier air.
Now that we’ve covered the many joys of hanging gardens let’s explore which plants flourish in every space.
Selecting Plants for Each Room’s Conditions
When choosing hanging plants, consider each room’s unique light, humidity, and functional needs.
Lighting Needs
Study the direction and intensity of natural light. Is it low, moderate, or bright? Is it an excellent north-facing exposure or a warm southern exposure? Pick plants suited to each room’s lighting. Move them around seasonally as the sun’s path shifts.
Humidity Preferences
Humidity levels vary significantly between your steamy bathroom and an arid, heated living room. Select hanging plants that can thrive at appropriate humidity for each space. You can also group plants, keeping those desiring more humidity in the kitchen and bathroom.
Maintenance Requirements
Hanging plants should enhance, not overwhelm, your life. Seek out those matching the care you can consistently provide. If your schedule is jammed, pick low-maintenance varieties tolerant of occasional neglect.
Complementing Decor
Finally, choose plants that harmonize with your design aesthetic. Do you want a bold texture or delicate fronds? Monochromatic or colorful? Simple or dramatic shapes? Select plants accentuating the mood of each room.
Let’s explore wonderful hanging plants to beautify and freshen every room!
Living Room
Your living room is where you relax and gather with loved ones. Hanging plants promote tranquility while purifying the air of pollutants emitted from furniture and electronics.
Low-Light Loving Plants
The following plants tolerate low natural light, making them perfect for illuminating dim corners:
- Snake plant: This easy-care option has bold upright leaves in eye-catching yellow stripes or curving shapes.
- Pothos is a classic houseplant with trailing stems bearing heart-shaped satiny leaves in green or variegated shades. It tolerates neglect.
- ZZ Plant: Its waxy, oval leaves add rich texture. Infrequent watering is no problem for this drought-tolerant beauty.
- Peace Lily: A favorite for its elegant white blooms and ability to filter indoor air pollutants. Prefers consistent moisture.
Statement-Making Plants
Add visual drama with:
- Weeping Fig: Graceful curtains of shiny leaves cascade from this miniature tree. Offer bright, indirect light.
- Monstera Deliciosa: Glossy, hole-pierced leaves create bold textures. You can climb up a moss pole.
- Fern: Flowing fronds evoke tropical vibes. The Kimberly Queen fern has vivid chartreuse leaves.
- Ivy: English ivy’s trailing stems can be guided up walls and bookshelves. Limit direct sun to prevent scorching.
Unfussy Care
If you’re an inconsistent plant parent like me, these are forgiving options:
- Spider Plant: Tenacious and fast-growing with long, ribbon-like leaves. Offsets can be propagated in water.
- Cast Iron Plant: Truly iron-clad, this rugged plant survives low light and infrequent watering. It needs to grow faster.
- Ponytail Palm: The swollen base stores water. Allow soil to partly dry out between waterings.
Styling Tips
- Group similar plants together for a lush look. Or combine different leaf shapes and textures for contrast.
- Choose planters that match your decor. Terra cotta pots add earthy warmth, while glazed ceramic makes a modern statement.
- Plants can balance the furniture layout. For example, you can drape ivy from bookshelves or center an eye-catching staghorn fern above the sofa.
Vibrant living greens paired with simple care make hanging plants perfect for relaxed living rooms.
Kitchen
Kitchens present hot and humid conditions. Choose hanging plants that can handle such an extreme climate.
Thriving in Heat and Humidity
Ideal picks include:
- Orchids: Their exotic blooms add beauty, and some orchids emit a pleasant fragrance when they bloom. Provide bright, indirect light.
- Bromeliads: Vibrant perky flowers and striped foliage. Soak up humidity while resisting pests.
- Ferns: Lacy fronds unfurl gracefully in the steamy air. Keep soil moist. Position away from hot stove vents.
- Moss: Dangling baskets of mood-lifting moss thrive in humid kitchens. Periodically mist or soak to rehydrate.
Convenient Edibles
Grow handy herbs and greens within arm’s reach:
- Herbs: Evergreen classics like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage. Tropical choices such as basil, cilantro, and mint.
- Lettuce & Microgreens: Grow cut-and-come-again salad greens. Radish and broccoli microgreens add a tangy flavor.
- Strawberries: Cascades of sweet berries. Grow everbearing varieties for multiple harvests.
Purifying the Air
Certain plants naturally absorb problematic cooking odors. Helpful varieties include:
- Snake Plants: Remove airborne grease and other impurities. Also tolerant of low light.
- Spider plants are excellent all-around air cleaners. They are fast-growing, so that you can propagate new plants quickly.
- English Ivy: Trailing leaves help filter fumes. Allow soil to partly dry between waterings.
Styling Your Kitchen Garden
- Use macramé or hemp hangers for a boho vibe or sleek, modern hangers in satin steel or copper.
- Complement with coordinating kitchenware like ceramic planters or copper pots.
- Try a stacked-tiered look to maximize vertical space. Use hanging planters with multiple compartments.
A hanging kitchen garden adds beauty, fresh flavors, and cleaner air!
Bedroom
Your sanctuary deserves plants, providing tranquility and better sleep.
Soothing & Relaxing Varieties
- Lavender: The scent of this petite shrub encourages relaxation. Needs at least 4 hours of sunlight daily.
- Gardenia: Dark, shiny leaves emit a soothing fragrance when gardenia blooms. Provide bright, indirect light.
- Snake Plant or ZZ Plant: These undemanding plants naturally filter air pollutants so you breathe more easily.
- Ferns or Ivy: Gentle trailing fronds or vines softly filter light, creating a serene haven. Keep soil moist.
Purifying the Air
Plants remove toxins, creating healthier air to breathe deeply while you slumber:
- Peace Lily: This unassuming beauty is one of the best air-purifying plants for bedrooms.
- Spider Plant: Vigorously filters harmful compounds from indoor air.
- Rubber Plant: Shiny leaves scrub the air while resisting pests. Prefers consistent watering.
Low Maintenance
Set yourself up for success with these unfussy plants:
- Pothos or Philodendrons: Trailing vines tolerate low light and inconsistent watering.
- ZZ Plant or Snake Plant: It is nearly impossible to kill these stalwarts.
- Bromeliads: Collect water in their cups so you can forget about watering for weeks.
Design for Tranquility
- Place plants near the bed to optimize their calming aromas and air purification.
- Choose simple woven hangers and planters for a relaxed bohemian vibe.
- Incorporate plants into warm colors like tranquil blues, greens, and lavenders.
Sleep soundly with an air-purifying indoor garden, easing you into slumber.
Bathroom
In your home’s humid hub, select plants appreciating steamy conditions.
Thriving in High Humidity
- Orchids: Beautiful blooms release a delicate fragrance. Allow the potting mix to dry out between waterings partially.
- Ferns: Flourish in steamy air. Avoid direct sunlight. Mist leaves occasionally with a spray bottle.
- Peace Lily: Gorgeous white flowers. Tolerates low light. Loves moisture.
- Bromeliads: Quirky striped leaves and vivid blooms. Trapped water in their cups provides constant humidity.
Adding Color and Texture
- Bromeliads: Choose from a kaleidoscope of leaf colors like electric pink or sunset orange.
- Tillandsia: Known as air plants, they cling decoratively without soil. Thrive with just occasional misting.
- Hoya or Wax Plant: Waxy clustered star-shaped flowers. Trailing stems with thick, shiny leaves.
Choosing Durable Planters
Steamy bathroom conditions demand waterproof plant vessels. Excellent options include:
- Glass terrariums, filled with mini-landscapes of moss, ferns, and ivy, are hung in frosted glass for privacy.
- Choose ceramic, metal, or plastic pots in white or bold colors that match your decor. Make sure the pots have drainage holes.
- Enclose earthen pots in macramé holders to protect them from constant moisture.
A bit of living green energizes the space where you start each day.
Home Office
While you work, surround yourself with plants, bringing focus, inspiration, and cleaner air.
Clear Mental Clutter
Certain plants boost concentration by up to 40%, studies show. Helpful varieties include:
- Snake Plant: Removes toxins while emitting oxygen. Its architectural shape provides clean lines.
- Pothos or Philodendrons: Meandering vines to train along shelves. Unfussy and air cleaning.
- Succulents: Cacti and jade plants purify the air. Their geometric shapes have a calming influence.
Reduce Stress
Plants release mood-lifting negative ions and fragrances that ease tension:
- Lavender: Its soothing scent reduces anxiety. Needs at least 4 hours of direct sun daily.
- Gardenia: Sweet aroma and dark waxy leaves are a relaxing presence. Thrives in bright, indirect light.
- Spider Plant: Vigorously filters air pollutants shown to raise stress. Trailing leaves soften hard edges.
Minimalist Plants
Simplify your focus with these unfussy green accents:
- ZZ Plant: Stubby leaflets in a modern vase. Tolerates neglect.
- Succulents: Clean geometric lines. Place in a sunny window. Allow soil to dry between waterings.
- Air Plants: No soil needed. Affix to the wall with pins or area in a suspended glass bulb. Mist occasionally.
Designing Your Workspace Sanctuary
- Position plants to direct your gaze away from screens naturally.
- Complement sleek tech with modern metallic planters in gold, rose gold, or matte black.
- Opt for hanging planters with multiple compartments to hold various compact plants.
A bit of living green boosts productivity, focus, and mood in your home office oasis.
Cultivating Your Hanging Garden Sanctuary
I hope these tips help you fill your home with tranquility and cleaner air! Start with one hanging plant in your most used space and watch your indoor oasis grow.
Hanging plants invite nature’s beauty into even the most urban home. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions about lighting needs, watering routines, or pest control for your new plant pal. I look forward to seeing photos and updates on your hanging plant adventures!