Interior Design

Light-Weight Tillandsia Living Wall Art – soil-less

August 28, 2013 by Miko Morita 4 Comments

Living walls are all the hype right now, but unfortunately they are not practical for all areas of indoor living. My client asked me to create a succulent wall for her that was light-weight and easy to hang. I knew off that bat that the room was too dark for succulents, so that was out of the question. My mind went immediately to Tillandsias aka Air Plants!

Tillandsias are epiphytes, which are plants that grow without soil. They also drink water from the humidity in the air, so a weekly mist usually is sufficient for watering.

I used old picture frames to create a unique boarder for the living walls. I think it adds a lot of character to the 3 pieces. Although next time, I’d like to try something more modern.

Using two different types of moss also added a second texture to the living wall. But honestly, there are so many possibilities with this kind of live wall art. When you don’t have to worry about the soil and excess amount of water in the frame, it’s almost limitless!

From an interior plant maintenance prospective these are pretty easy and definitely low maintenance. I bought an Epiphyte Fertilizer that I’m going to mist regularly with. I think the key is, that if you live in a dry area, you’ll have to mist more regularly. And of course, if you live in a humid area, you don’t have to maintain them as often.

Stay tuned for more uses of Tillandsias as Living Walls. I see many more projects in my near future with these unique plants!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Air Plants, Green Plants, Houseplants, indoor succulents, Interior Design, Interior Plant Maintenance, Interior Plants, Living Wall, Maintenance, Modern, Modern Design, Plant Care, Plant Service, Style, Tillandsias

A Plant Service that says NO to Boring Office Plants

August 26, 2013 by Miko Morita Leave a Comment

I’m tired of going to offices and seeing the same boring interior plants. The easiest way to create an motivating environment for your employees without spending a lot of money is to invest in interior plants and an interior plant service! But I beg you, please don’t hire a tired interior landscaper that only uses the same Draceanas, Pothos, and Kentia Palms that have been around for the last 30+ years. I want every office in Orange County to demand a unique interior plant design because indoor plants have come a long way and your office deserves better! Botanists have been working hard to find interesting plant hybrids and varieties that will grow and thrive inside. Take advantage of this and let us create an environment that will make your employees feel creative, enlivened and look forward to coming to work! Here are a few of my favorite unique interior plants for your office:

Zamioculcas zamiifolia aka ZZ Plant ~ Probably my favorite plant for it’s versatility, ease of care and interesting form. The ZZ Plant has dark green, very glossy succulent leaves and stems. It can handle moderate to bright light and does fantastic in an office! ZZ Plants can grow as large as 3-4 feet and as small as 6-12 inches. It’s unique form and beautiful foliage will definitely catch your eye and let your clients know that you are a unique company worthy of their business.

Draceana ‘Limelight’ ~ A new introduction for the interior plant world is this beautiful and stunning Draceana with lime-green foliage! The color stands out and will brighten any room especially when it’s pared with other darker green plants. The chartreuse leaves pair perfectly with modern design and it’s definitely one of the must-have plants today!

Draceana limelight usually comes as small as 8 inches to as tall as 5 feet. It likes medium to bright light and moderate to low water. It’s a great alternative to the common Draceana craigii plant.

Philodendron Cordatum ‘Brazil’ ~ Since lime-green is such a popular color right now, I have to mention one of my favorite hanging plants, Cordatum ‘Brazil’. This plant has heart-shaped leaves with a stripe of lime-green through each leaf in a random pattern. This plant is a perfect alternative for the very common Philodendron Pothos hanging plant.

Sanseveria ‘Moonshine’ aka Snake Plant ~ These spiky plants are perfect your your modern office decor. They can handle low to medium light and are easy to care for. I absolutely love ALL of the different Sanseveria varieties, some as small as 4 inches and others as tall as 4 feet. This one, Sanseveria ‘Moonshine’, caught my eye because of it’s stunning grey-green foliage. The new foliage emerges more grey and the mature foliage is more green, each with a dark-green stripe along the edge. It’s grows only 2 feet tall and has thicker leaves than it’s cousins. Overwatering is the kiss of death.

Ficus lyrata aka Fiddle Leaf Fig ~ This spectacular plant has huge dark green, glossy leaves that are fiddle shaped and about 12 inches long. It’s a moderately fast grower and loves bright light. Place it near a window and it will become a wonderful character in you office. It makes a great specimen plant as a stand alone, but also can be purchased as small as 3-4 feet.

Ficus lyrata plants come in two forms. The picture you see to the left is called a ‘Column Form’. This type has leaves that start at the very bottom of the stem and they usually go straight up in a column shape. The other form is called a ‘Standard’. This type usually has a trunk and looks more like a tree with a wider group of leaves all at the top of the plant. Both forms are beautiful depending on the space you are looking to fill.

Ming Aralia ~ We have been experimenting with this incredibly unique interior plant and have had good luck! Ming Aralias have delicate fern-like leaves that remind me of an evergreen in a forest, but only a miniature version of this. They are lush and beautiful and thrive in bright indirect light to moderate office light. They are usually between 2 feet to 7 feet tall and grow as a narrow column.

The only draw-back to this spectacular plant is that they are not always available. My plant vendors definitely have these in abundance at times or not at all. So, my recommendation is to buy them up when you see them!

There are many more interesting plants to choose from that would make your office noteworthy. Creative designs are what I live for! If you need a professional opinion and are in the Orange County area, please call us today! (949) 354-3344 We would love to make your environment somewhere you love to be!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Green Plants, Healthy, Interior Design, Interior Plant Maintenance, Interior Plants, low light, Maintenance, Modern, Modern Design, Office Plant Maintenance, Office Plants, Orange County, Plant Care, Plant Service, Style

60’s Style Houseplants – Part 2 : Modern Macrame

August 21, 2013 by Miko Morita 2 Comments

Writing about 60’s Style Houseplants in my last article, I got a lot of positive feedback. This inspired me to dig a little deeper. The 60’s and early 70’s undoubtedly had a hippy sensibility. And quintessential hippy decor would have to be MACRAME! It’s been blowing up on Pinterest and due for a revival!

I mentioned this to my Mom last week when we were doing our weekly mall walk and she didn’t believe me. She said that there was no way she would ever use macrame in her house again. As we were almost at the end of our walk, we glanced into the window of a store, and there was macrame hanging everywhere! I was thrilled to see that I was not alone in the Modern Macrame come-back!

One of the coolest Modern Macrame designs I’ve seen, is this DIY Macrame hanging pot done with untraditional brightly colored string on Refinery29‘s post about DIY Gifts for under $15. I think it’s clever and so cute with the tea cup size white vessel, florescent pink string and succulent! This would definitely fit into a Modern Home Decor without feeling overly hippy.

Another inspiring Modern Macrame idea was found on this Skinny Laminx post. She uses succulents to create a beautiful grouping of macrame planters. I like the sizes and colors she sticks to. Black, white and green and more small macrame vessels. It almost reminds me of a hanging sculpture wall, similar to the living walls that have become so popular today. I bet a small vessel macrame wall would look pretty awesome against a white wall in your home!

Another non-traditional use of Macrame for your home is this small tillandsia terrarium cupped in a bold turquoise macrame hanger found on Ouch Flower‘s blog. I love the color used and with the tillandsia it really reminds me of the coast. Bold color also makes this feel modern rather than the traditional natural colors commonly used in the 60’s and 70’s.

And lastly, if you’re not the crafty type or you just don’t have the time there are plenty of Macrame sources on the web. Doing a quick google or amazon search you will be overwhelmed by choices. But if you are looking for something more obscure, check out this Etsy page: HRUSKAA. They have a lot of VERY MODERN MACRAME planters that you can order and have shipped directly to your doorstep. You can have an instant Modern Macrame planter that will add sculpture and style to your home in an instant. I think my Mom might even agree!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 60's houseplants, 60's style, Houseplants, indoor succulents, Interior Design, Interior Plants, Living Wall, Modern, Modern Design, Orange County, Style, Tips

60’s Style Houseplants for your Modern Interiors Today!

August 12, 2013 by Miko Morita 6 Comments

1960’s Era Interior Design is huge right now and I’m loving it! Especially, since my house was built in the 70’s, which was really a carryover from the 60’s. Plus, my brother recently purchased an Eichler Home in Orange, it’s GORGEOUS and was the inspiration for this article. Eichler design is impeccable and he obviously had nature on his mind when designing these homes.

So, with 60’s architecture, comes 60’s Era Interior Plants. The first style of plants I think of are long drapping vines, most commonly used, Pothos Plants (Epipremnum aureum). These plants are easy to care for and will hang and climb as much as you let them. You would often see them climbing along walls or down bookshelves. I think it must have correlated with the free spirit of the 60’s lifestyle.

Some more modern uses of Pothos while still keeping that 1960’s vibe would be to use them in a more uniform manner along a wall or as a window covering. I love both of these Pothos pictures, because of their simplicity and I think this technique will differentiate the use of Pothos from the 60’s-frumpier-style to today’s-more-modern-take.

The next 60’s style plant I love is the Split Leaf Philodendron (Monstera deliciosa). This plant’s leaves almost epitomize a 60’s icon, also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant. You don’t see them often right now, but with the recent revival of 60’s design, I imagine they will become increasingly popular in the Interior Plant Industry! Their finger or hand shaped leaves are irresistible and best of all they are super easy to maintain. They thrive on neglect, need little water and medium light. When they are thirsty, they will tell you by drooping their leaves and that’s usually the best time to water because overwatering is a sure kiss-of-death for these dark green beauties.

Your Split Leaf Philodendron looks best planted in a container on it’s own. It’s unique and organic shape should be showcased alone, so you can make out the detail in the leaves, funky stems and aerial roots. I like the way these look in a tall container raised off the ground and preferably in an area that isn’t going to get a lot of traffic so you don’t damage the sprawling leaves.

Living in a 60’s style interior you were often surrounded by plants! One plant that does a great job at giving you that jungle feeling while still remaining modern is the Ficus Lyrata aka Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree. This is a very popular plant right now and I absolutely love it’s massive leaves, shaped like Fiddles, hence the name. It’s related to the Rubber Tree, Ficus elastica which was even more popular in the 60’s, but I prefer the look of it’s cousin Ficus Lyrata. You often purchase them at a nursery in the shape of a tree or a column. You can keep them like this by pruning regularly, but naturally they’ll want to seek the light and create their own unique form (as seen in the photo above).

A classic 60’s plant that you don’t see much of any more is the Peperomia Plant. Just like the Split Leaf Philodendron, I believe that this little gem should be having a come back any day now. It’s unique 60’s appearance is just begging to be re-born in our Modern 60’s Re-do! Peperomia makes a perfect desk plant, it’s the type of plant you’d also put on your dining room table or coffee table so you can get up close and personal. The detail on the leaves and different textures of different varieties will make your guests want to reach out and touch these precious greens.

Also easy to care for, these little gems have succulent leaves and stems, so you need to be careful not to overwater. They will wilt a bit when thirsty and that’s usually the best time to water them. They like bright light, but don’t want direct sun, so place them in a window and fall in love!

Other 60’s style Interior Plants for your Modern Home: Spider Plant, Boston Fern, Sansevieria (Snake Plant), Rubber Plant.

Thank you for the inspirational photos from the following websites: Birch Box Blog, Mint Six Home Blog, The Brick House Blog, Elephantine Blog

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 60's houseplants, 60's style, Architectural Plants, Green Plants, Healthy, Houseplants, indoor succulents, Interior Design, Interior Plants, Maintenance, Modern, Modern Design, Orange County, Plant Care, Style, Tips

more succulents indoors.

August 8, 2013 by Miko Morita 1 Comment

I just can’t get enough of these indoor succulents! I’m pretty sure it’s become an obsession. I was on my route today and with succulents on my mind, I spotted this little guy and knew he needed to be mentioned. To be honest I don’t know his name, but I really should because I’ve used him many times before. I’ve even used this guy in low light homes and he’s pretty bullet proof. If you see him, snatch him up because not only is he a keeper and loyal, but he’s not always easy find. And a shout out to my client Kathy H. who is an amazing Home Stager, she had the eye to find this guy and placed him in the perfect spot on this entry table.So, last night I was doing my nightly Pinterest browsing and came across this gorgeous Indoor Agave!!! Love love love! It made me realize that I haven’t played around with this beautiful species enough. It’s on my to-do list, but I imagine since they meet my #1 rule of Indoor Succulent Success ~SLOW GROWERS ONLY~ they would work in your interior space. One tip on Agaves though, they usually have spiky tips, so place accordingly (ie not in your bathroom, lol).

If you look closely, you’ll see that there’s also a tall slender Euphorbia ingens in the picture by the stairs along with a Pencil Cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli), which by now hopefully you know is my favorite indoor succulent. Euphorbias in general should do well indoors and that’s why I love this photo so much. It represents 3 large specimen succulent plants that you can easily use in your interior spaces, home or office. Impress your friends and your plant maintenance would also be a breeze! Do we concur, succulents are the best!

And last but not least, I can’t forget about my Tillandsia obsession. These Air Plants are indeed succulents. They can handle low to medium light and need little care. I usually soak mine in water for 3-8 hours every two weeks to keep them fresh, but everyone has a different method depending on the weather and humidity levels. I’ve been playing around a lot with this cute Tillandsia Terrariums. For more pictures, please check out my Living Decor Gallery!

You you didn’t read the original article, check it out here. There’s a lot more information on using Succulents Indoors in your Home and Office!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Architectural Plants, Green Plants, Healthy, Houseplants, indoor succulents, Interior Design, Interior Plants, low light, Maintenance, Modern, Modern Design, Office Plants, Orange County, Plant Care, Plant Service, Style

Orange County Plant Service Company goes gaga over Succulents Indoors!

August 6, 2013 by Miko Morita 16 Comments

So, everyone knows that succulents are the new ‘it plant’. You see them popping up in front yards everywhere you look. They are a wonderful choice in Southern California and Orange County from the inland desert areas to coastal regions. They are drought tolerant, have interesting textures and shapes, and magnificent colors year-round! I am a definite proponent of the

Pencil Cactus as Art!

succulent movement! Plus, you pretty much just pop them into the ground, avoid over-watering and Voila, a garden transformation is made!

All that sounds fun and easy, because it is, but running a primarily

Pencil Cactus

Interior Plant Design and Maintenance Company we have not always been so successful with succulents when growing indoors with mostly low light. For as easy as they grow in the exterior, in the interior they do the complete opposite and become bug infested, rotten and leggy overnight. But the artist inside of me wouldn’t give up and I have become determined to grow succulents indoors! Through a lot of trial and decease, I have had a few breakthrough plants I would love to share with you.

Snake Plant

Succulents come in so many interesting shapes and forms, they add to a space, just like a beautiful piece of art enlivens a room. My all time favorite Succulent Indoors would have to be the Pencil Cactus, Euphorbia tirucalli. This plant has proven to me that it can handle lower light while keeping its gorgeous architectural form. It will always need some natural light, but I’ve really tested this plant and as long as you don’t over water, it can be put in a medium light room with ease.

ZZ Plant

Two stand out plants, more common in the interior world, but definitely worth a mention for their versatility and hardiness. First, is Sansevieria ‘Snake Plant’ (comes in a lot of different varieties, some growing only 6 inches, others as tall as 4 feet). Second, is the Zamioculcas zamiifolia ‘ZZ Plant. Both of these plants can be used in a modern design and take very little care. The big bonus to these succulents are they can take medium to low light!

Aloe

So, the key to finding succulents that will grow and thrive indoors is to find plants that grow SLOW! I’m still continuing to experiment, but I have had good luck with Aloe varieties, Haworthia varieties, Agaves, Euphorbias and Kalanchoe ‘Flap Jack’.

And if you just have a brown thumb, you can always resort to replica succulents! I’m not shy to use these in low light situations

Haworthia species on left with Replica Succulents on right

and they look great when combined with living plants!

If you’ve had luck with growing succulents indoors please leave me a comment and tell me what you’re growing! Let’s share the knowledge and continue to grow together!

If you can’t get enough, click here for a few more awesome succulents in your home!