a beginners guide to: plants

Via Dezeen

Plants should be considered essential elements for the home. Not only do they have the ability to make every.single.space better, but they’re also purify the air we breathe. Which we consider pretty major.

Wether you want to start a little horticulture project in your balcony, put on a landscaper hat and create a tropical oasis in your back yard, or simply want to add some greenery inside your home, you should get familiarized with the subject, because as most of us already know, it’s is simply not as easy as it seems.

Botany is a very dense, very vast world, and we consider ourselves gardening ‘amateurs-in-training’ so for the purposes of this article, we’re keeping it to the main types of plants you’re likely to interact with. Hopefully you’ll find this basic terminology guide is very useful, and it will get you off to a good start!

Since there are so many plants out there, they’re often categorized in different ways:

By life cycle: annuals, biennals, or perennials

This has to do with life expectancy: Annuals grow in spring, and die in winter. Perennials grow in spring, die during the winter, and then sprout again the following spring, and so on. Biennals take two years to complete their cycle.

Once you choose what kind to grow, the variety is endless:

Check out this useful website for more details. This video is also super informational.

By phyla, or their main biology: Moss, ferns, shrubs, trees, or flowers

• Moss: These are non-vascular, which mean they don’t have roots or leaves to transport nutrients, or wood to give them structure. They receive their food through the moisture of the environment, thus explaining why they’re usually found in moist places, although some species have evolved to develop methods to thrive in drier areas. They are also seedless, and reproduce through spores: tiny reproductive units released by plants that spread through the wind and only grow if they land in suitable environments.

  That being said, you can grow moss pretty much anywhere you’d like if you follow these steps.

• Ferns: Like moss, they reproduce via spores, but unlike them, they are vascular. Ferns are extremely diverse, and even though they are mostly found in moist and shady regions, they’ve adapted to other habitats that are colder, drier and even aquatic. Needless to say, they make great houseplants and thrive particularly well in closed, dimly lit spaces like bathrooms and kitchens!

  Check out this article for a list of a few fun ferns (bet you can’t say that three times really fast!).

• Shrubs: These woody, leafy plants range in size from small to VERY big (according to their species they can get as big as a tree). They also can live anywhere between 10 years to 100 years (if you, and your predecessors for that matter, have respectable green thumbs). However, since they take such a long time to grow into a ‘marketable’ size (think years), they tend to be really expensive. When buying these plants, you should keep in mind that their size is what you’re paying for, which basically just means: The bigger the pricier.

  More on shrubs here.

• Trees

  Trees are perennials and belong to the woody plants family. They, like every other living thing, thrive according to their environmental conditions. As plants, their main nutrition source comes from photosynthesis, which means the process starts with the leaves. This means it’s important to pay as close attention to the leaves as to the watering of the roots. There are two main tree types: Deciduous, which shed their leaves according to the seasons, and Coniferous, which keep their leaves year-long.

  To learn EVERYTHING there is to know on trees you should start here.

  And for great indoor trees suggestions go here

Ok, now that you know a bit more about the general nature of these types of plants, it’s time to consider what, and where, to purchase ones for yourself:

Retail Plants: Local nursery vs. ‘big-box’ retailers            

When instead of seeds, you’re buying grown-plants, you’re going to get them in one of two three places: Garden shops, local nurseries or ‘big-box’ retailers (such as Home Depot).

Garden shops: These boutique destinations, or online retailers like The Sill are a super convenient option if you want a curated experience. They have great customer service and already offer the perfect solution to what you’re looking for. Pretty plants that are perfect for the average responsible parent. Some even come already on their cute pots. This should be your choice if you don’t want to waste a lot of time doing research and getting your hands literally dirty.

Local nurseries (aka garden centers): This is always the ‘pro’ choice because gardens are always managed by legitimate plant breeders. They live and breathe plants day in and day out, so you know they know their plants. They also have a wider variety of plants that can range from the common, to the rare, to the very, very exotic. Also, since they grow (or buy) by the bulk, they’ll always have competitive pricing, which doesn’t mean plants will be cheap, as their pricing depends on their nature and size. Buying here is also FUN: You get to walk around magnificent foliage, ask as many questions as you like, and get to choose the exact baby you’re taking home with you.

Quick-tip 1: You should consider befriending your plants-person. More likely than not you will want to call them up when you have doubts, and trust us, you will.

Quick-tip 2: If you can be extra-charming, you might be able to get some sweet discounts when making an important purchase.

Quick-tip 3: Don’t forget to tip!

Big-box retailers: This is the convenient choice. Now, they won’t have that weird variety you saw on Pinterest, but they’ll have simple, low-maintenance plants at very reasonable pricing. If you’re buying here, try shopping early in the season to make sure you buy the freshly-arrived plants. You can also try to special-order them, or simply finding out when their deliveries are.

If, on the other hand, you want to buy seeds, our recco would be to do the due diligence. First, find out your ‘Hardiness Zone’ here. Second, analyze the light/humidity conditions in your home. Third, decide which plants are suited better given your characteristics, both physical AND psychological.

Now that you know the basics of plants and where to get them, it’s time to have fun and choose your babies!

AND OF COURSE WE MADE A GUIDE FOR THAT.

*For more cool indoor plant ideas we love follow our 'The Great Indoors' board on Pinterest

*For more cool outdoor plant ideas our 'Outdoor + Beyond' board on Pinterest