How To Create The Perfect Urban Jungle With Indoor Plants

Has this ever happened to you... you go to the shop to buy a single plant, and you come back with a car full of plants? Next thing you know, you have a whole collection of indoor plants all around your home, and your family and friends have started calling you a plant mum or dad!

If you’re looking for the next trend to beautify your home, why not add more plants to your collection and create an urban jungle? Not only do they have amazing health benefits for your family, but a splash of green will add a touch of nature to your home. Keep reading to find out why you should bring the outdoors in, and discover 5 easy tips for creating the perfect urban jungle that you can show off to your friends and family this summer.

What is an Urban Jungle?

When we say urban jungle, you might get the idea that it’s got something to do with plants - and you’re spot on! It’s a trend of using plants to add style and breathe new life into your home. Plants add a natural touch to your home, and placing them in the right areas around your home can highlight your green friends and make them the star of your home decor.

While plants do play a significant role in your urban jungle, the right furniture and accessories are just as essential to make them look prominent. Urban jungles are a creative way to use nature to express yourself and exaggerate your surroundings to create an almost rainforest-like atmosphere.

Why Houseplants Are Good for Indoors

While houseplants add beauty and elegance to your home, they offer much more than just aesthetic benefits. Think about it - the oxygen we breathe for survival is thanks to plants. During photosynthesis, plants use carbon dioxide and convert it into the oxygen we breathe, while also purifying the air from harmful toxins.

According to a study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, having plants in your office or your home can help you feel more comfortable, soothed and natural. The green colour of plants can help you feel more relaxed and calm, improve your health and happiness, and positively affect your mood in general.

5 Tips to Create the Perfect Urban Jungle

So you’re about to start your next project on creating an urban jungle but not sure where to start? We’ve come up with 5 tips that can help you create the perfect urban jungle for your home:

1.  KNOW YOUR LIGHTING CONDITIONS

Before you start, you need to be aware of the lighting conditions you have to work with. Does the room get too hot in summer and too cold in winter? Do you get morning or afternoon sun? And is there much natural sunlight shining through the windows? Answering these questions will help you find a plant to best suit your home lighting conditions.

2.  GET TO KNOW YOUR PLANTS

What’s the most important element of an urban jungle? The plants you choose, of course! If you’re not confident in your abilities to nurture houseplants, you could get started with some fake plants to get the feel of an urban jungle without the need for regular care.

If you’re looking to buy new plants to add to your urban jungle, here are 3 common house plants that are easy to care for and will make a great first addition to your collection:

• Spider Plant
  
  
• Peace Lily
  
  
• Rubber Tree 

These 3 indoor plants can thrive in low light conditions, just as long as they get a few solid hours of sunlight each day. If you’re looking for other different types of indoor plants to add to your urban jungle, we’ve come up with our Top 10 Air Purifying Plants that do just that.

3.  USE ALL THE SPACE

Now that you’ve got the plants, where do you put them? Putting one or two plants on the windowsill might not give you that urban jungle feel, so try buying a few more smaller plants and try to fill all the free spaces in your home. A touch of green can fit in anywhere in your home from the floor, shelves, cupboards and even hanging from the ceiling.

Different plants have different heights, so use them to add some layers to your urban jungle. Installing some shelves in your home is a perfect way to maximise the space by placing your smaller indoor plants on them and leaving the floor for the big tall ones. If you’re running out of floor, shelf and window space, install a beam from which you can directly hang up your plants. Just ensure that the beam can support the full weight of the plant to prevent it from causing damage to anything below.

4.  ACCESSORISE YOUR URBAN JUNGLE

Use different shapes, sizes and colours of pots and hangers for your urban jungle. Mirrors are also a great addition as it reflects the light to brighten all parts of a room so that your plants can thrive. Make sure you choose pots that allow for sufficient drainage so that your plants don’t get overwatered, or invest in some fancy self-watering pots if you want to be able to give your plants a little less attention.

5.  TAKE CARE OF YOUR PLANTS

Water your babies! You’ve spent so much time creating the perfect urban jungle that now you have to take care of your plants. It’s pretty easy - just make sure you take note of the care instructions that come with your plants so you know what kind of conditions they will thrive in. Most of the common houseplants are pretty hardy, and you’ll get better at taking care of them over time.

 

An urban jungle is a fantastic way of adding a natural earthy vibe to your home, while also bringing some great health benefits. Creating your perfect urban jungle is easy, but the process itself can get very messy. With the constant potting, repotting and shuffling around, you’re bound to spill soil on your carpets. To find out how you can share the same love for your carpets as you do for your plants, download our Ultimate Stain Guide: