Gardening

Apartment-friendly gardens: How to brighten your rental with plants

Are you a neglecter or an over-interactor? There is greenery for even you.

Some people are surprised when the Hoya plant produces flowers said Julio César Román, founder and owner of Micro Plant Studio in South Boston. Adobe Stock

By Victor Stefanescu

February 27, 2024

Indoor plants can clean a home’s air and boost its feng shui, attracting positive energy to a room, said Weslie Pierre, owner and head designer at Wesleaf Designs and Decor in Needham.

“I mean, it sounds cliché, but plants really do bring spaces to life,” Pierre said.

But the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming. And sometimes despite our best intentions, we forget to water them. There are customers who want a plant that they can frequently interact with, Pierre said, while others are seeking low-maintenance flora.

“I’m like, ‘Are you a neglecter or an over-interactor?’ So, it’s kind of a spectrum,” Pierre said.

Julio César Román, founder and owner of Micro Plant Studio in South Boston, said some plants require less watering, such as snake plants, ZZ plants, aglaonemas, and cactuses, which, are “very, very hardy.” Succulents also don’t require a lot of attention, he said.

Pierre said you “kind of set and forget” larger trees and snake plants, which have long, green leaves stretching up from their roots.

The hoya plant, an easy-to-care-for succulent, César Román said, produces flowers, which surprises a lot of people. He said he doesn’t have a preference for any particular plant.

“During [a] season, I might like one plant more than the other just because it provokes the way I’m feeling,” he said.

But, he said, Miranda and callisia plants stand out.

“They are just gorgeous,” César Román said. “It looks like somebody came in with a lot of time and precision, and they started drawing beautiful, intricate patterns.”

Some people, Pierre said, love fiddles, a bloom marked by massive leaves sprouted from a skinny trunk — “a statement plant.”

She is also a fan of ficus Audrey, she said, “as the leaves, they’re textured, they’re beautiful, they’re shiny. There’s some variegation to it with the lighter edges and the darker innards.”

César Román said if a plant is poorly paired with a pot, it can fall short of its full potential. “So for me it’s a lot about how you take a plant — a simple, beautiful plant — and then combine it with a gorgeous pot,” he said.

Pierre said people should take into account how much space and light they have for a plant. She said there are grow lights available that “aren’t that yucky purple” and plant owners can use in darker spaces.

“Depending on your lighting, your humidity, and how much love and care you’re putting into a plant, it could double in size in a year,” Pierre said.

She said plant buyers should try to find the flora that best fits their own personality.

“So, it’s important for you to have an understanding of who you are, and that’ll help you figure out what plant works for you,” Pierre said.