A Primer for Urban Gardeners
April 4, 2019
Text by Lisa H. Speidel
![Two black pots potted with green plants. There's a brick wall that has been painted gray in the background.](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Domani-Boston-Pots_Winston-Flowers-copy.jpg)
The Seaport container from Domani. Photo courtesy of Winston Flowers.
1.âLiving large: plants for lofts
Emily Bradley at Niche has three go-tos: birds of paradise (âthese love bright indirect light, and as they get new leaves, they billow out a bit, giving them distinct and lovely shapesâ); dracaena canes (as they grow in height, they donât get too wide); and parlor palms (more forgiving in a space with lower light).
![A tall gray container with a green plant. In the background is a white sofa.](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/zz-plant-copy.jpg)
Vertical ZZ plants work well in small spaces.
2.âBeyond the fiddle leaf fig
The fig is still super popular, but a cool alternative is the Chinese money plant, says Bradley. Matt McKenna, creative director of garden design at Winston Flowers, suggests placing a sculptural container on top of a pillar. Filled with trailing rhipsalis or something taller, like blue star ferns, he says, âit achieves the same height and scale that a tree would.â
3.âSmall-space stunners
Small spaces often equal lack of light. So, think snake plants or ZZ plants, says Bradley. âThey are both funky plants that donât get too wide.â Pothos work well, too, she says. âTheir vines trail, which is beautiful.â Air plants are also gaining ground, says Jordan Ford of Jordanâs Jungle. âNo soil, no mess. Place them in a basket, hang them from a rafter, and just spray with water a few times a week.â
![A pothos plant in a gray container that looks like tree bark. The container is on a white-washed table.](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Pothos-copy.jpg)
The trailing vines of the pothos.
4.âRooftop recommendations
âThere is nothing greater than a giant elephant ear on a roof deck,â says Ford. âWith dozens of amazing varieties, they instantly add a tropical jungle feel!â Other hits? In full sun, McKenna suggests sedum angelina, asparagus fern, and star jasmine. And, when the temps dip, he turns to blue star juniper, thunderhead pine, and dogwood.
5.âChic containers
Winston Flowers has partnered with Belgium-based Domani to create a collection of frost-proof containersâaptly called the Boston line and named after local neighborhoods. âTheyâre perfectly adaptable to any urban spaceâthink front stoops, terraces, and balconies,â McKenna says. The folks at Niche give a shout-out to Vermont-based potter Christopher Vaughn for his handsome planters.
Resources
Niche, Cambridge and Boston, nicheboston.com
Winston Flowers, various New England locations, winstonflowers.com
Jordanâs Jungle, Pawtucket, jordansjungle.net
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