Unique office plants and designs

As you may have guessed, we LOVE plants! Plants are such a fun element to add to your decor and can really change the environment of the space. There are some plants that are more commonly used and seen so we wanted to share a few really cool plants and plant designs that are stunning and are so much more than a plant in a pot! 

If you don't have plants in your spce yet, we would love to check out your space and show you our designs! (Or if you already have plants....maybe it's time for a change!!) Reach out to our sales department Alyce: ac@hardingbotanicals.com or Beth bh@hardingbotanicals.com

Bird of Paradise with under-plantings of philodendron Xanadu, Alocasia, etc.

Philodendron Monstera Deliciosa

Image courtesty of https://greenerynyc.com/shop/monstera-deliciosa/

Ficus Lyrata, Jade Plants, Agave

Ficus Lyrata

Various plants: Philodendron Monstera Deliciosa, Pothos, Sanseveria, etc

Yucca Cane, Cactus Cereus Peruvianus, Jade Plant

Introducing the ever popular...Ficus Lyrata!!

Being in the plant industry you get to see a lot of different plants, but since the very beginning one of my absolute favorite plants has been the Ficus Lyrata (Ficus pandurata), commonly known as the Fiddle Leaf Fig! I just love how big the leaves are and how much of a statement the plant is!

It's becoming a very popular plant in homes and offices so I figured now would be a great time to provide some tips on how to care for them and keep them happy!! 

*These plants are considered poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children*

Light & Temperature: These beautiful specimens require bright, filtered light. Though they can tolerate some direct sun light (too much sun will cause their leaves to fade and lose their dark green color). When kept too dark the plant will rapidly begin to fail. Keep temperatures between 60 - 75°F. Avoid temperatures lower than 55°F

*Keep turning your Lyrata to keep it growing straight and evenly on all sides

Water: The right watering is key to this plant. Water when the top soil become slightly dry. I like to give my Lyrata about 1 to 1.5 cups of water each week. But make sure to test the soil fist with your fingers to makes sure that the top soil has dried. (keep in mind that the frequency of water and the amount of water changes through out the seasons and the levels of humidity)

*Make sure to never over water your Lyrata there is no going back one this plant is over watered. But on the other had allowing the soil to dry out too much will cause the plants leaves to turn brown. Cut down on watering during the Winter months. 

Soil: Make sure that your soil is a well draining soil, this type of soil could include part bark and perlite. Only re-pot your ficus when it is young and still growing. Once it reached maturity you only need to replace the top soil each year. 

Fertilizer: Unlike most Ficus trees this plant does not require much fertilizer. Only feed diluted liquid fertilizer to plant once a month only during the spring and summer months (their growing months). 

Pests & Cleaning: The Ficus Lyrata is susceptible to many pests: mealy bug, thrip, whitefly, spidermite, fungus gnats, and aphids. Spray your Lyrata bi-weekely with warm  soapy water to ward off any of these pests that live on the plants leaves. Keeping the leaves clean and dust free will also allow the leaves absorb more light. 

** A Ficus Lyrata has a level #1 toxicity**

For other great tips about the Ficus Lyrata visit: House Plant 411, Spruce, and House Plants Expert

Living wall installation

Interior living walls have roughly been around since 1994 and are getting more popular every day. We are BIG fans of living walls! And we have so much fun designing them to fit our clients needs!

This living wall that we just installed has a very organic feel to it. We used beautiful pops of yellows and many different shades of green to really give the wall a textured and earthy feel.  Knowing the right variety of plants for living walls can be a bit of a challenge because you have to take into consideration plants light and water needs. In this wall we used: pothos, aglaonemas, pleomele, philodendron, and marginatas.  

Not only are green walls a stunning statement piece and a great way to bring in greenery when you have little floor space, but they provide great benefits to building and tenants alike. Plant Connection Inc. put together a great list of the amazing benefits of Living Walls:

• Reduces urban heat island effect and smog
• Cleans interior air space by removing VOCs and other harmful toxins like benzene and formaldehyde
• Acts as a sound proofing barrier
• Soil and plants are a natural filter that can clean the water that flows through the wall
• Insulates and cools the building envelope, as well as protecting it from the elements
• Creates habitats for birds and beneficial insects, increasing biodiversity
• Can be used for growing food in urban settings, creating sustainable and local control of food sources
• Increases real estate value
• Increases foot traffic in retail spaces
• Speeds recovery time for patients through biophilia
• Helps children with ADHD focus better in school
• Reduces absenteeism in the workplace and boosts employee morale
• Qualifies for LEED certification points from USGBC

                                                -Plant Connection Inc.

Living Walls: Vertical Garden Design

In honor of Earth Day today, I would like to chat quickly about LIVING WALLS!! These works of art are always so impressive to me! Their design, texture, color, but what gets me the most is their immense size! Doing a bunch of research on living walls has lead me to seeing all sorts of wonderful companies who specialize in vertical walls, among my favorite is Vertical Garden Design (they do some seriously AMAZING work)

Here's a little bit about them: "VERTICAL GARDEN DESIGN IS A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE SPECIALIZING IN VERTICAL GARDENS. WITH OVER 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, OUR VERTICAL GARDENS CAN BE FOUND ACROSS THE GLOBE, IN HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, OFFICES, FACADES AS FAR AFIELD AS BEIJING, BARCELONA, DUBAI, ABU DHABI, LISBON, STOCKHOLM, AND OSLO. THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED BY SWEDISH LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT MICHAEL HELLGREN."

Here's just a small sample of the stunning work that they do! Make sure to check out their site for more of their projects!

What do you think?! How much do you love their work? We are hoping that the Boston and surrounding greater Boston area will start to transform into a much greener city with sustainable goals that include more green walls, roof gardens, urban farming, wild flower roof tops, etc..

The Aechmea: a beautiful house plant

The Aechmea plant is technically an airplant. Aechmea's can be acclimated to higher light situations but ideally they prefer indirect light/moderate shade. Since an Aechmea is an air plant they use their roots for support, so when watering an Aechmea pour the water into the central cup of the plant, though change the water frequently else bacterial will grow and can cause a nasty odor and can rot out the plant.