Houseplants for All

June 1, 2020
Horst, owner of the Los Angeles “plant styling studio” Folia Collective, offers an encouraging if basic guide to using plants as home decor. Her central suggestion is “styling with the plants in mind,” based on her own experience; after years of being an enthusiastic but “black-thumbed” plant owner, Horst had a “breakthrough” after choosing “plants based on what they needed rather than just how I wanted my home to look.” Stressing the need to realistically assess light (“the most essential need”) and humidity levels in one’s house, Horst helps readers select which of five possible “environment profiles” their home falls into, with specific plant recommendations for each—for bright and sunny spaces, for instance, she recommends a Monstera deliciosa, or split leaf philodendron, and for “lower light spaces,” an Asplenium, or bird’s nest fern. She gives guidance on topics including propagation, “a great way to share plants you love with friends and family,” and on styling points such as choosing planters (she advises sticking to a restricted color palette, and varying container shape and size “to avoid the matchy-matchy vibe”). Horst’s accessible primer will resonate with Instagrammers interested in creating lush backdrops, if not more dedicated horticulturalists.