Copyright 2015 by The Sprout Home Company
Photographs copyright 2015 by Ramsay de Give and Maria Lawson
Illustrations copyright 2015 by Lai-Chung Houlihan
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Heibel, Tara, author.
Rooted in design : Sprout Homes guide to creative indoor planting / Tara Heibel and Tassy de Give ; photography by Ramsay de Give and Maria Lawson. First edition.
pages cm
Other title: Sprout Homes guide to creative indoor planting
Other title: Guide to creative indoor planting
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-60774-697-3 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-60774-698-0 (ebook)
1. Indoor gardening. 2. House plants. I. Give, Tassy de, author. II. Title. III. Title: Sprout Homes guide to creative indoor planting. IV. Title: Guide to creative indoor planting.
SB419.H398 2015
635.965--dc23
2014036284
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-60774-697-3
eBook ISBN: 978-1-60774-698-0
v3.1
INTRODUCTION
Lush, living greenery is undoubtedly beneficial to so many aspects of our lives. Surrounding ourselves with it connects the city dweller to the natural world and reminds us that we have a symbiotic relationship. A room filled with plants can be calming and inspirational as well as incredibly personal and expressive. Each plant has its own character and can speak volumes if given a platform. Even aloe, a common household plant, can exude complexity and style when displayed creatively. It was this basic connection with plants that germinated Sprout Home, a business that started as a seed in our heads and grew to what it is today.
Sprout Home is built upon the talent and knowledge of many gardeners and designers, but the two of us, Tara Heibel and Tassy de Give, head its crew and community. Tara got her start with plants by designing and planting gardens in rehabbed homes throughout Chicagos eclectic West Town neighborhood. Plant addiction took hold and a business venture turned into a passion and a lifestyle. In 2003, she founded Sprout Homes Chicago store, where she hired Tassy as her very first employee. After four years of shadowing Tara, Tassy moved to New York to open the Brooklyn location. So thats us! Basically, were two plant lovers who hang out with plants like theyre people and were in the business of sharing that feeling!
We opened Sprout Home to be a modern home and garden center as well as a think tank for bringing plant life and good design into the homes and work spaces of beginning gardeners and experienced plant aficionados alike. Our objectives have remained the same from day one: to provide artful education to the public, to source practical and well-designed gardening products, and to bring more diverse plant options to our growing community of gardeners and plant enthusiasts.
This work never gets old, and we still act like children on Christmas Day when we receive our weekly plant deliveries. Sometimes we come across a new species that weve never seen before. Other times an old favorite is suddenly blooming. Its this love for the unexpected and appreciation for the marvels of nature that is at the root of our passion for plants.
As serious plant admirers, we thrive on introducing people to plants theyve never seen. For instance, have you seen the undeniably striking and colorful leaves of Rex begonias? How about the beadlike flowers of some Hoya , which look like upsidedown chandeliers? Recently, all of us at Sprout Home have fallen for the gold-tipped flowers of Syngonanthus chrysanthus Mikadoa plant straight out of a sci-fi movieand we have been thrilled to watch customers astonished response to its fauxhawk foliage.
For anyone without a yard or other outdoor space, indoor plants are a way to stay connected to nature. And even if you do have access to public gardens and parks, living with indoor plants is a way to create a more calming and natural environment in your home. Whether your indoor garden is planted where you live or where you work, plants can be beneficial to your mind-set, health, and overall well-being. This book focuses on the joy of choosing, caring for, and displaying indoor plants, while guiding you through some of their challenges so you can delight in all the benefits indoor gardening offers.
Having been open for more than a decade, Sprout Home has given us the opportunity to listen to the difficulties our customers face in their horticultural endeavors. Most of the questions we get fall into four basic topics: How do I know which plant to select? How do I care for it? What type of container should I use? Where am I going to display it? Whether youre a notorious plant killer or a houseplant authority, the many possible answers to these simple questions can sometimes feel overwhelming. In this book, well talk about what it means to be a plant parent so that you can make smart choices about which plants do best for your environment.
PLANTS SHOWN FROM LEFT: DESERT TERRARIUM, CRASSULA OVATA
PLANT SHOWN: DRIED AMARANTHUS
While we love the textures, colors, and forms of plants themselves, we also consider their context. How are plants utilized in a living or workspace? How will the plant complement the style of its surroundings? Many homes and offices have design obstacles and construction restrictions, such as high windows or ledges, small rooms, and impractical layouts. When youre faced with these obstacles, the solutions are not always obvious, but they can sometimes lead to unexpected and quite beautiful results. If your home lacks floor space, consider looking up to find other areas for display. All rooms have walls and ceilings. Why not use them? The small windowsill that you thought needed a little greenery can be turned into a kitchen garden. The bare white wall that youre not allowed to paint can be trained with climbing vines that provide some natural color. We hope the plants and planting designs in this book will pleasantly surprise you as well as help you realize how many options you do have as an indoor gardener.