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<< Previous   of   Next >> Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) The bright colors and interesting foliage of houseplants, as shown here at Emery's Garden in Lynnwood, add vitality to home interiors.  Photo Gallery: Modern Houseplants   ADVERTISEMENT   Resources "Beyond the Windowsill" by Jon Carloftis features 20 plants for low light, 20 for medium light and 20 for bright light, and numerous photos showing how to use plants effectively as a part of an interior design. "The Houseplant Expert" by D.G. Hessayon: "This is the indoor gardener's Bible," said Pamela Rundle, a houseplant buyer at Emery's Garden in Lynnwood, who especially likes the "Secrets to Success" section on each plant.   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, November 15, 2007 Houseplants dress up interiors with greenery By Sarah Jackson Herald Writer Jon Carloftis was never a houseplant person. "I wasn't one of those people," said the renowned garden designer. "I thought of 'The Golden Girls.' I just thought of them as 1970s. It wasn't very cool to me." These days, however, Carloftis is a changed man. His new book, "Beyond the Windowsill," explains not just how to grow beautiful houseplants successfully, but how to use them effectively and dramatically as home accents. New houseplant introductions and a yearning for year-round gardening started Carloftis down the indoor gardening path, and he's never looked back. "There's something about a living thing in a room," he said. "Put a living, beautiful plant on your dining room table that's gorgeous and see what it does to that room." Now a garden designer for celebrities such as Julianne Moore and Edward Norton as well as the family of Estee Lauder and Sotheby's auction house, Carloftis has been featured in numerous magazines, including Martha Stewart Living, for his way with indoor and outdoor garden design. "I just really wanted to show people they don't have to be things, these ugly piles of dried-up stuff on your windowsill," said Carloftis, who lives in Pennsylvania but specializes in rooftop gardens in New York. "Use style when you do it." Houseplants, which exchange air and water with indoor air, can help combat indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene, released by the off-gassing from common household building materials. And now, in the Northwest, as a wet, interminable winter creeps ever closer, it only makes sense to turn your gardening sensibilities inward. "I love gardening outside, but I would die without my houseplants in the winter," said Pamela Rundle, the houseplant buyer at Emery's Garden in Lynnwood. Now is the time nurseries and big-box stores ramp up their houseplant selections, including everything from bonsai to poinsettias, with prices ranging from $2 for 4-inch starters to more than $299 for large interior accent plants. "Everybody's getting back to the inside, and all the holidays lend toward that sprucing up of the interior," said Joe McNally, who also works at Emery's. But it's not just holiday plants you can add to your home now. There's a variety of versatile, easy-care plants that can add permanent greenery to your living spaces. You offer proper light, water and feeding, and in return, you'll enjoy the look and feel of green, dynamic accessories that can last many years if you're paying attention. "Once you figure out the light conditions you have and a place you want to put it, then you figure out what kind of plant choices you have," Carloftis said, adding that plant lovers should avoid clutter when it comes to houseplants. Treat them like statuary or art in your outdoor garden. Use them sparingly and with purpose and flair. "Less is more," Carloftis said. "Do fewer. Go bigger." What kind of pot you choose is just as important as the type of plant you select. During a recent dinner party for 10 people, Carloftis created a centerpiece using a live fern from outside, pine needles and an antique crystal bowl passed down from his grandmother. "It was the most beautiful, simple, sophisticated, elegant thing you could ever put on the table, and it didn't hurt the crystal bowl," he said. "It kind of sparked the whole night in a real positive way." Perhaps the best thing about houseplants is you can make an impact by purchasing a single plant and placing it in an elegant pot. You don't have to make over your entire yard or house to make it work. "It's an unexplainable thing that will change," Carloftis said. "I have to have something growing in every room." Reporter Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037 or sjackson@heraldnet.com How to water plants and keep them healthy More houseplants die from overwatering than any other cause. Improper fertilizing is second. Here are tips for healthy houseplants, courtesy of Emery's Garden in Lynnwood and houseplant expert Jon Carloftis. Don't let a potted plant sit in a saucer full of water. "That's what kills 90 percent of all plants," said Joe McNally, who works at Emery's. "People usually just leave the water in the saucer thinking the plant will just tap into that and use it when it wants. It will drown the plant. If it's touching the bottom of the pot, then it's wicking up into it." Err on the dry side. Most plants like to dry out slightly between waterings. Ferns and other moisture-loving plants are exceptions. Often the signs of root rot and dehydration are the same. Most roots need air circulation as much as water. Water more when your indoor humidity is low and less when the indoor humidity is high. Water more when the room temperature is high and less when low. Plants in bright sun will also need more water, while those in low-light conditions will drink less. Small pots dry out faster than larger ones, clay faster than plastic. Water plants thoroughly, making sure the water gets to the bottom of the pot and out of the drainage hole. "You should saturate, but it should then breathe before you saturate it again," McNally said. Cacti and other arid-climate plants are an exception: "If you saturate a cactus soil, you're going to create some rot." Don't try to put all your houseplants on the same watering schedule. Not only do plants' needs vary dramatically, but changes in humidity, temperature and seasonal variations can affect how much a plant drinks. When unsure if a plant is due for watering, check with your fingers to see if the top 2 inches of soil are dried out. Pick up the pot. If it feels light, it's time to water. If you're worried about over watering, use a moisture-detecting device such as a Rapitest Mini Moisture Tester for less than $10. If a plant needs high humidity, it's OK to place the pot in a saucer filled with stones and water. Keep the plant on top of the stones and off the water to prevent root rot. Misting plant leaves with water or running a humidifier can also help with plants that thrive in humid conditions. Houseplant care Give plants enough light: Check references to see what conditions your chosen plant prefers. High-light plants prefer some direct sun and unobstructed southern or western exposure. Medium-light plants prefer bright indirect light from a western or southern exposure. Low-light plants are good for rooms with northern exposure or the interior of room. Don't let them get cold: Most plants thrive at 60 degrees and higher or ideal room temperature, which is 68 degrees. What's comfortable to us is comfortable for them," said Pamela Rundle with Emery's Garden in Lynnwood. Use a light-weight potting mix, not dirt from outside, for houseplants. Houseplants don't need to be repotted unless they are root-bound: When you repot, only increase the size of the pot by a few inches. Ferns and other moisture-loving plants, however, thrive with larger pots. Use an all-purpose fertilizer for house plants in spring, summer and fall, but not during winter months when growth is limited. Rundle recommends a Miracle-Gro 20-20-20 solution at half strength. Don't feed a newly purchased plant for about six months. Often nursery stock is treated with long-acting fertilizer that will continue to fertilize the plant. Also, don't feed a bone-dry plant. Water first. Fertilizer is food, not medicine, and should not be used on ailing plants. Wipe off large leaves with a soft, damp cloth or sponge when they become dusty. Dust hurts plant health and blocks the plant pores from taking in air and moisture. Keep plants tidy: Yellowing leaves and faded flowers will never turn green or colorful again. Pinch them off. Neatly trim edges of browned leaves by cutting with a sharp scissor or pruners at an angle to make the cuts look natural. Where to start? ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia): This easy-care plant, also known as “Easy ZZ,” is relatively new to the houseplant scene, coming on the market in larger quantities in the past few years. Its sturdy, upright stems feature thick pear-shaped leaves for a statuesque effect. “It is one of the few plants that will grow with the lowest light conditions possible,” said author Jon Carloftis, who said the plant is also fairly drought tolerant. “You can literally ignore this plant for weeks and it will survive.” All parts of the plant, however, are poisonous, so use care around children and pets. Dracaenas: If you’re new to houseplants, “Dracaenas are the way to go,” said Pamela Rundle, houseplant buyer at Emery’s Garden in Lynnwood. “There are all different kinds. They have this strappy foliage. People really like that look.” Hot varieties for home interiors include Limelight with chartreuse leaves; Lemon Lime with variegated leaves; Janet Craig with clusters of deep, green leaves on woody stems; and Madagascar Dragon, featuring green-and-white leaves streaked with pink. Many dracaenas will tolerate low to medium light and some neglect. Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata): This desert dweller and native of Mexico is an ideal interior plant because it can easily tolerate the dry, overheated air of the modern home. Its bulbous stem looks cool, stores water and features a whimsical plume of bright green leaves. It is slow growing but can live for 30 years or more. It enjoys medium light and should be allowed to dry out between waterings, most importantly in winter

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