So what is a plant shelfie you would ask? Well gorgeous indoor plants in a shelf, yes of course. A ‘plant shelfie’ is very relevant to our times too as more and more people around the world make their homes in cities, urban centers where space is a definite constraint. As they say that it is when you have the maximum constraints you actually come up with the most creative solutions. So space has never been a drawback to the errant plant lover and hence the ‘plant shelfie’ was born. All your favourite plants arranged in a shelf. I have written earlier about my own plant shelfie, which I had so much fun styling, but let’s look at ten very unique but really simple ways you can display your plants in a restricted space.
If you want a fairly fuss free but stylish way of displaying your plants without eating into your space, put up two easy DIY floating shelves….get a few succulents and planters. voila your little stylish garden is ready.
When you have more space how about putting up twin shelves instead of one. The shelves can be storage space for books and paraphernalia which you might want to show off. It also makes the plant display interesting.
A ladder shelf is literally the easiest and the best way to create a plant shelfie. Put all your favorite plants together and change your look whenever you feel like a change. To make it more interesting add all the knick knacks that you want. The ladder shelf above is the brainchild of Caroline from Burkatron. Check out her lovely blog for more green inspiration.
It would be really awesome to have a green wall to look at while having a soak in the bath not to mention the practical aspect of being able to water the plants easily without too much of a mess. Would you welcome plants in the bath ?
Plants on a shelf in the living room ? Why not, some low maintenance plants like the English Ivy, the Boston Fern, the Philodendron not only add a touch of green glamour to your space, they purify the air as well. Go ahead get some for your space too.
This image is taken from a book called Plant Style by Alana Langan and Jacqui Vidal of Ivy Muse who suggest that a fireplace mantle should definitely be treated as a shelf for showing off your indoor plants with an interesting array of size, colour and texture.
If you are a first time gardener but still want to try your hand at something green, the money plant can do wonders for your space with very low maintenance but look how good it actually looks.
Another image from the book Plant Style which shows that even though you might have a single potted plant, its enough to add some drama into an otherwise sterile space. Trailing plants do very well as highlighters.
Have a large glass window? Put a small shelf in front of it and line them up with these gorgeous air plants. You have a stunning and living feature wall.
Have an old shoe rack somewhere ? Reuse and recycle 🙂 just like I did. A coat of paint to spruce up the shelf and then have all the fun styling it. Add books, trinkets you have collected, art…put in some unused bottles, and put some cuttings (money plant, English ivy ) do really well. You can read more about it here.
So the few things to really keep in mind are:
- Reuse and recycle, any old shelf, ladder, fruit and vegetable crates, work with what you have.
- There are a few plants which can be looked after very easily and do really great indoors, use them to start with. My top 5 picks are:
– Jade plant
– Spider plant
– Aloe
– English ivy
– Snake plant.
- If you are a beginner start with one or two planters and take it from there.
- Try to use diferent kinds of planters (terracotta/concrete/ceramic) and vary the sizes to create interest and drama.
I would love to hear from you guys too. Any tips for the plant lover out there who wants to put together their first plant shelfie?
Design Lovin' 